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Song lyrics that bug you because they are illogical.


Ginevra
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Just for fun! ;) I have one on my brain right now, because it was playing in the Harvest Chicken where I stopped to buy lunch today: Taylor Swift's "Our Song" WHY does she say, "...and you talk real slow 'cuz it's late and your mama don't know..." Why talk "slow?" Is this Remedial Talking? Of course, she means they talk quietly. She even could have said, "...you talk real LOW..." and it still would have rhymed. But you talk real slow? That's just stupid. :D

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The first song that popped into my mind (had to copy and paste the lyrics) was this one. The dude is completely unreasonable.

 

I'd catch a grenade for you

Throw my hand on a blade for you

I'd jump in front of a train for you

You know I'd do anything for you

Oh, I would go through all this pain

Take a bullet straight through my brain

Yes, I would die for you, baby

But you won't do the same

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REO Speedwagon's Take it on the Run drives me crazy. Is she or is she not messing around? Does he believe it? He said not for a minute, but he seems to change his mind later. And what on earth does this line mean: "you're under the gun so you take it on the run"???

 

 

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Wake me up, before you go-go 'cause I'm not planning on going solo...

 

Yeah, that one always bugged me too.  But never enough to make me stop singing along.  :tongue_smilie:

 

That reminded me of other 80's songs.  How about this one:

Desert loving in your eyes all the way (??)

If I listen to your lies would you say

I'm a man without conviction

I'm a man who doesn't know

How to sell a contradiction

You come and go, you come and go

 

Karma karma karma karma karma chameleon

You come and go, you come and go

Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dream (??)

Red gold and green, red gold and green

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How 'bout "When that Honkey-tonk went donk-a-donk..." or however it goes. :rolleyes He also goes on to say she's got it, "...goin' on like Donkey Kong..." What? The song does have a good beat, though.

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REO Speedwagon's Take it on the Run drives me crazy. Is she or is she not messing around? Does he believe it? He said not for a minute, but he seems to change his mind later. And what on earth does this line mean: "you're under the gun so you take it on the run"???

Word up! He can't make up his mind about her. And I have no idea what that line means.

 

Another schizophrenic song: AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night Long". Okay. It's fun to hear, especially now, all those years later. But who is he talking to, because he changes from third-person to second. And is this just a rhyme fest?

 

She was a fast machine she kept her motor clean (Not sure I want to know...)

She was the best damn woman that I ever seen

She had the sightless eyes telling me no lies (What?)

Knocking me out with those American thighs

Taking more than her share

Had me fighting for air

She told me to come but I was already there (crude, of course)

Cause the walls start shaking

The earth was quaking

My mind was aching

And we were making it

And you shook me all night long (YOU? Who were you just talking to, then? Are they all standing there in a group?)

Yeah you shook me all night long

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Yeah, that one always bugged me too. But never enough to make me stop singing along. :tongue_smilie:

 

That reminded me of other 80's songs. How about this one:

Desert loving in your eyes all the way (??)

If I listen to your lies would you say

I'm a man without conviction

I'm a man who doesn't know

How to sell a contradiction

You come and go, you come and go

 

Karma karma karma karma karma chameleon

You come and go, you come and go

Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dream (??)

Red gold and green, red gold and green

Okay, I got Quill's slow talking thing. But this makes no sense whatsoever.

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How about someone putting out a lullaby CD with "We will we will rock you" on it?  Yup, sung as a quiet lullaby, but with all of the actual wording.  NOT what I would have expected from a mainstream artist's lullaby album.

 

 

I used to sing along with a favorite back in MN, a song that drove my Mom nuts.  Then again, even in Swedish (I think the song came from Sweden) the words are complete nonsense.  Hubba hubba zoot zoot, heeba heeba zut zut, a num num.  A hoo yaca hoo yaca, a hooka hoo yaca hoo yaca hoo yaca, a num num!

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I don't get "Irene Good Night."  Does anyone get Irene Good Night?

Me!  Me!

 

My husband loves this song and plays and sings it all the time, so I asked him what it means.   Plus, it's on Eric Clapton's new album which means I have to hear it every single song I'm in DH's vehicle. 

 

In a nutshell.....he's dying.  This is his farewell song.

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How about "Blinded by the Light" by Mannfred Mann's Earth Band . . . 

 

I had to look it up to find out that it actually says, "Revved up like a deuce."  I always heard, "Wrapped up like a douche."   :)  Tee-hee!  Makes a little more sense now.

 

Exactly!  I ALWAYS hear "douche"!  It makes as much sense as the actual lyrics.

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I hate the ones that have poor grammar, which, really, I suppose is most songs.  But the one that bugs me most, to the point where I actually have to change the station if it comes on when this line is coming up, is:

 

When you were young and your heart was an open book 
You used to say live and let live 
(You know you did, you know you did you know you did) 
But if this ever changing world in which we live in   (NAILS ON A CHALKBOARD)
Makes you give in and cry 

Say live and let die

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I hate the ones that have poor grammar, which, really, I suppose is most songs.  But the one that bugs me most, to the point where I actually have to change the station if it comes on when this line is coming up, is:

 

When you were young and your heart was an open book 

You used to say live and let live 

(You know you did, you know you did you know you did) 

But if this ever changing world in which we live in   (NAILS ON A CHALKBOARD)

Makes you give in and cry 

Say live and let die

 

I hear/sing it as "in which we're livin' "

 

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I hate the ones that have poor grammar, which, really, I suppose is most songs. But the one that bugs me most, to the point where I actually have to change the station if it comes on when this line is coming up, is:

 

When you were young and your heart was an open book

You used to say live and let live

(You know you did, you know you did you know you did)

But if this ever changing world in which we live in (NAILS ON A CHALKBOARD)

Makes you give in and cry

Say live and let die

Speaking of bad grammar, Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" says "if I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me?" Annoying.

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How about "Blinded by the Light" by Mannfred Mann's Earth Band . . . 

 

I had to look it up to find out that it actually says, "Revved up like a deuce."  I always heard, "Wrapped up like a douche."   :)  Tee-hee!  Makes a little more sense now.

 

ME TOO!

 

Along the same lines of misheard made it illogical, I could never figure out why anyone needed a secret asian man.

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How about "Blinded by the Light" by Mannfred Mann's Earth Band . . .

 

I had to look it up to find out that it actually says, "Revved up like a deuce." I always heard, "Wrapped up like a douche." :) Tee-hee! Makes a little more sense now.

That's what I hear too! That sing came on once when we were in the car with the kids. I asked dh to change the station bc the sing was inappropriate. He looked at me like I was crazy and then said, "DEUCE. They are saying DEUCE." I felt really stupid.

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How 'bout "When that Honkey-tonk went donk-a-donk..." or however it goes. :rolleyes He also goes on to say she's got it, "...goin' on like Donkey Kong..." What? The song does have a good beat, though.

 

Thanks for putting that song in my head.  LOL :D

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REO Speedwagon's Take it on the Run drives me crazy. Is she or is she not messing around? Does he believe it? He said not for a minute, but he seems to change his mind later. And what on earth does this line mean: "you're under the gun so you take it on the run"???

She is totally messing around. Dude is in denial.

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Low rider is a little higher. Like higher class? I don't get it.

 

 

Plus that song about being blue. Either I mishear the lyrics or the song is totally nonsensical, maybe both.

Hmmm what could a song from the 70s talking about being high be referring to?

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How 'bout "When that Honkey-tonk went donk-a-donk..." or however it goes. :rolleyes He also goes on to say she's got it, "...goin' on like Donkey Kong..." What? The song does have a good beat, though.

I'm pretty sure that's just a lame country remake of the Big Ole' Butt song. (Oh Yeah!)

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I never understood Devo Whip It

 

 

Yeah, I get that it can be read as S&M but honestly, it doesn't make sense that way.

 

 

 

Crack that whip 
Give the past the slip 
Step on a crack 
Break your momma's back 

When a problem comes along 
You must whip it 
Before the cream sits out too long 
You must whip it 
When something's going wrong 
You must whip it 

now whip it 
into shape 
shape it up 
get straight 
go forward 
move ahead 
try to detect it 
it's not too late 
to whip it 
whip it good 

When a good time turns around 
You must whip it 
You will never live it down 
Unless you whip it 
No one gets their way 
Until they whip it 

I say whip it 
Whip it good

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/

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Speaking of bad grammar, Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" says "if I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me?" Annoying.

 

That irritated me so much I had to find a way to make it bearable. I've decided that at least in my universe, they meant it as a second conditional, using simple past for the first verb. Probably not what they intended at all, but it makes me feel less twitchy about the whole thing.

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You all are making my day! And I also have always heard "wrapped up like a douche..." I could never stand that song because of it. Another old song that has the schizo thing going on, "Missing You" by John Waite.

 

Every time I think of you

I always catch my breath

And I'm still standing here and you're miles away

And I'm wondering why you left

 

And there's a storm that's raging

Through my frozen heart tonight

I hear your name in certain circles

And it always makes me smile

 

I spend my time thinking about you

And it's almost driving me wild

 

And there's a heart that's breaking down this long-distance line tonight

I ain't missing you at all

Since you've been gone away.

I ain't missing you

No matter what I might say.

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You all are making my day! And I also have always heard "wrapped up like a douche..." I could never stand that song because of it. Another old song that has the schizo thing going on, "Missing You" by John Waite.

 

Every time I think of you

I always catch my breath

And I'm still standing here and you're miles away

And I'm wondering why you left

 

And there's a storm that's raging

Through my frozen heart tonight

I hear your name in certain circles

And it always makes me smile

 

I spend my time thinking about you

And it's almost driving me wild

 

And there's a heart that's breaking down this long-distance line tonight

I ain't missing you at all

Since you've been gone away.

I ain't missing you

No matter what I might say.

 

I love that song!  Makes total sense to me.  He's trying to look strong on the outside while he's falling apart on the inside.  

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This thread has me wanting to watch Literal Videos of 80's songs again.

 

Honestly I can't think of any song lyrics that actually BUG me because they're illogical. I just figured lyrics are poetry and therefore don't have to make any sense.

 

Of course, Jabberwocky is my all time favorite poem, so...

 

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"Blinded by the Light" was the first one I thought of as well.  I saw an interview once with Bruce Springsteen where he blamed the cover versions of that song, which tweaked the original lyric (I can't remember what it originally was, but it was clearer that it was "deuce" and just made more sense) for completely messing up the song because of the misunderstood lyric.

 

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I hated poetry class (college) because the teacher thought every single word was about sex.  I was 16 when I went to college and I didn't want to talk about sex with a farty old guy - especially since it was obvious that I was 100% clueless (as in, I really 'had no idea').

 

Wouldn't it be a short conversation if the topic was "songs and poems that make total sense"?

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