Song lyrics that bug you because they are illogical.

[MyThreeSons]

Me too!! Writing the lyrics and every thing that they meant gave us an extra credit of 25 points on our HIstory final in Sophomore year. I ADORE the song "American Pie"!!!

I'm actually old enough to have heard the song when it was at the top of the charts. It won the poll for our junior high newspaper for "favorite song".

 

My sons and I looked it up a while back (two of them love that song, too), but we found that Don McLean doesn't provide an analysis of the lyrics. He does acknowledge that he first heard of Buddy Holly's death while folding newspapers one morning, but other than that, he won't comment.

[Word Nerd]

In the category of Songs I Love Even Though They Don't Make Much Sense, Massive Attack's Teardrop tops my list. I give it a lot of poetic license.

 

 

 

Water is my eye

Most faithful mirror

Fearless on my breath

Teardrop on the fire

Of a confession

[AlmiraGulch]

I love it too and I know what it's about, but the question was about illogical lyrics.  I want to hold the hand inside you?  It's poetry.  Poetry doesn't have to make sense.

Right, but it makes sense to me, in it's poetic form.  

 

The lyrics are symbolic, but not illogical.  

[JuanitaL]

one of my coworkers swore up and down that the *real* words were "Hold on to the night.......hold on to the MAMMARIES....."

 

 

Some wishful thinking maybe? :laugh:

[goldberry]

Carly Rae Jepson..."before you came into my life I missed you so bad..."

 

I know what she MEANS, but that's just the stupidest statement ever. 

 

DD loves Selena Gomez, in one of her songs she's talking about her new boyfriend, and says, "he's got more swagger than you, he's got more swagger than you..."  I thought she said "sweaters"...we joke about it all the time now,  "yes, but does he have enough sweaters?"

[musicianmom]

My 8-year-old said regarding the One Direction song, "How can she be beautiful and not know it? Does she not have any mirrors in her house?"

[PachiSusan]

A little trivia: this was originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen.

And written by Bruce too... I like his version better!

[Wabi Sabi]

I haven't read all of the responses yet, so I don't know if this has already been mentioned, but as a born and bred Hoosier gal one of John Mellencamp's most popular songs always leaves me scratching my head:

 

"No, I cannot forget from where it is I come from,

I cannot forget the people who love me,

I can be my self here in this small town,

And people let me be just what I wanna be."

 

From where it is that I come from?!?

[Scarlett]

How about "If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with." Illogical or just bad advice?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5IVuN1N6-Y

 

Ha. I always thought it was good advice.

[JuanitaL]

I haven't read all of the responses yet, so I don't know if this has already been mentioned, but as a born and bred Hoosier gal one of John Mellencamp's most popular songs always leaves me scratching my head:

 

"No, I cannot forget from where it is I come from,

I cannot forget the people who love me,

I can be my self here in this small town,

And people let me be just what I wanna be."

 

From where it is that I come from?!?

Ok Hoosier girl, bad grammar aside, have you been to that small town?

(I stayed at the Knights Inn there.)

[DarlaS]

And written by Bruce too... I like his version better!

I had Greetings From Asbury Park on vinyl--and several other Springsteen albums as well. Like a dork, I didn't keep them. :-/

[Wabi Sabi]

Ok Hoosier girl, bad grammar aside, have you been to that small town?

(I stayed at the Knights Inn there.)

Yes. That small town is my home. :-)

 

Edited: Actually, the song makes references to two different small towns: one is where Mellencamp is from, the other is where he's made his home for many decades now. I live in one of them, and they both have a Knights Inn. My small town is really not so small these days, more of a small city than a town.

[PachiSusan]

I'm actually old enough to have heard the song when it was at the top of the charts. It won the poll for our junior high newspaper for "favorite song".

 

My sons and I looked it up a while back (two of them love that song, too), but we found that Don McLean doesn't provide an analysis of the lyrics. He does acknowledge that he first heard of Buddy Holly's death while folding newspapers one morning, but other than that, he won't comment.

I will have to find it again. He did one interview about what it meant and then refused to comment since then.

[OhanaBee]

I haven't read all of the responses yet, so I don't know if this has already been mentioned, but as a born and bred Hoosier gal one of John Mellencamp's most popular songs always leaves me scratching my head:

 

"No, I cannot forget from where it is I come from,

I cannot forget the people who love me,

I can be my self here in this small town,

And people let me be just what I wanna be."

 

From where it is that I come from?!?

 

Thank you!!!  Oh my goodness that phrase drives me crazy.  And I really like that song, too!  But that one line....... :banghead:

[Mom in High Heels]

ME TOO!

 

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

 

 

Hahaha!  I always wondered HOW someone could be a secret Asian man.  I mean, if you're Asian, how are you going to keep that a secret?

 

There are loads of songs that bother me, but I can't think of a single one right now because I'm too busy singing all the songs you guys listed.  Indy says he doesn't get the song Viva la Vida by Coldplay.  Every time it comes on, he looks at me and says (loudly) "What does this mean?  I don't get it.  What was he king of and WHY are there bells ringing?  WHO is ringing the bells?"  I told him it seemed that the song was about how powerful people don't see their own downfall, but he looked at me like I had two heads.  

 

Oh, wait, I just thought of some!  Craklin' Rosie is one of Han Solo's favorite songs.  Another is Sweet Caroline, so maybe he's just a Neil Diamond fan.  Anyway, there have been loads and loads of theories on the lyrics, from Craklin' Rosie being a bottle of wine, to a prostitute to a blow up doll, but no matter what, the lyrics are just odd.  Catchy and totally singable (ask Han Solo!), but odd.

 

One of my all time favorite songs is Golden Slumbers.  It's the very first song James Bond ever sang to me (he's a huge Beatles fan and has a gorgeous voice), but I never understood what "golden slumbers" are and how they can "fill your eyes."  Still, an absolutely beautiful song.

 

Another Coldplay song that has strange (yet beautiful) lyrics is Yellow.  

 

Look at the stars

Look how they shine for you

And everything you do

Yeah they were all yellow

 

I came along

I wrote a song for you

And all the things you do

And it was called yellow

 

So then I took my turn

Oh what a thing to have done

And it was all yellow

 

Your skin

Oh yeah your skin and bones

Turn into something beautiful

You know you know I love you so

You know I love you so

 

In the video, you see the effects of a car wreck in reverse, meaning you go from the accident backward to before the accident, so I'm assuming the song is about the death of someone, but the lyrics are just strange.  WHAT IS YELLOW???

 

Oh, oh, oh!  Set Fire to the Rain.  Please someone explain to me how this is done!!!!!  

[PachiSusan]

Play That Funky music by Wild Cherry was a bad one for me. My brother told me the wrong words. For years, I thought they said "play that f-ing music, white boy, play that funky music right!!!!"

 

Whoops LOL

[ocelotmom]

Oh, oh! I remembered mine! Save The Best For Last by Vanessa Williams

 

Sometimes the snow comes down in June

Sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon

 

NO IT DOESN'T! WE'D ALL BURN UP!!!!!

[soufflegirl]

Has anyone mentioned that Lego House song? There's one that goes nowhere fast.

 

Granted, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Legos since I'm always stepping on them...

[Parrothead]

Play That Funky music by Wild Cherry was a bad one for me. My brother told me the wrong words. For years, I thought they said "play that f-ing music, white boy, play that funky music right!!!!"

 

 

 

Whoops LOL

Dd's was CCR's Bad moon on the Rise. She thought they were saying, "there's a bathroom on the right."

[OrganicAnn]

I haven't read all of the responses yet, so I don't know if this has already been mentioned, but as a born and bred Hoosier gal one of John Mellencamp's most popular songs always leaves me scratching my head:

 

"No, I cannot forget from where it is I come from,

I cannot forget the people who love me,

I can be my self here in this small town,

And people let me be just what I wanna be."

 

From where it is that I come from?!?

 

He is from Seymour IN.  

 

He now lives better Nashville and Bloomington. 

 

The little pink houses are some other little town around that area.

[AlmiraGulch]

How about this?

 

Chewing on a piece of grass 
Walking down the road 
Tell me, how long you gonna stay here, Joe? 
Some people say this town don't look good in snow 
You don't care, I know 

Ventura Highway in the sunshine 
Where the days are longer 
The nights are stronger than moonshine 
You're gonna go I know 

'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair 
And the days surround your daylight there 
Seasons crying no despair 
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air 

Did di di di dit ... 

Wishin' on a falling star 
Waitin' for the early train 
Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain 
Aw, come on, Joe, you can always 
Change your name 
Thanks a lot, son, just the same 

Ventura Highway in the sunshine 
Where the days are longer 
The nights are stronger than moonshine 
You're gonna go I know 

'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair 
And the days surround your daylight there 
Seasons crying no despair 
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air 

 

The entire song must have been written while on some seriously strong hallucinogenic mushrooms, but what the beep are "alligator lizards"? 

[PeacefulChaos]

ME TOO!

 

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

 

Ok, every time I see this line (bolded) in this thread .... my mind.  

Sigh.  I need to stop liking asian singers music so much. 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[mrsrevmeg]

One Week by Barenaked Ladies. This song has too much weirdness to just pick one spot.

 

It's been one week since you looked at me

Cocked your head to the side and said I'm angry

Five days since you laughed at me saying

Get that together come back and see me

Three days since the living room,

I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you

Yesterday you'd forgiven me

But it'll still be two days till I say I'm sorry
Hold it now and watch the hoodwink

As I make you stop, think

You'll think you're looking at Aquaman

I summon fish to the dish,

Although I like the Chalet Swiss

I like the sushi Cause it's never touched a frying pan
Hot like wasabe when

I bust rhymes

Big like Leann Rimes

Because I'm all about value

Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits

You try to match wits

You try to hold me but I bust through
Gonna make a break and take a fake

I'd like a stinkin, achin shake

I like vanilla,

It's the finest of the flavors

Gotta see the show,

Cause then you'll know

The Vertigo is gonna grow

Cause it's so dangerous,

You'll have to sign a waiver
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad

Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad

I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral

Can't understand what I mean?

Well, you soon will

I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve

I have a history of taking off my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me

Threw your arms in the air and said you're crazy

Five days since you tackled me

 I've still got the rug burns on both my knees

It's been three days since the afternoon

You realized it's not my fault not a moment too soon

Yesterday you'd forgiven me

And now I sit back and wait till you say you're sorry
Chickity China the Chinese chicken

You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'

Watchin X-Files with no lights on,

We're dans la maison

I hope the Smoking Man's in this one

Like Harrison Ford I'm getting Frantic

Like Sting I'm Tantric

Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy
Like Kurosawa I make mad films

Okay I don't make films

But if I did they'd have a samurai

Gonna get a set of better clubs

Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs

Just so my irons aren't always flying off the back swing

Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon

Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes

That make me think the wrong thing
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad

Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad

I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral

Can't understand what I mean?

You soon will

I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve

I have a history of losing my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me

Dropped your arms to your sides and said I'm sorry

Five days since I laughed at you and said

You just did just what I thought you were gonna do

Three days since the living room

We realized we're both to blame, but what could we do?

Yesterday you just smiled at me

Cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry
It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry

It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry

Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie

 

[PeacefulChaos]

I absolutely LOVE that song.  :D  (One Week - Barenaked Ladies)

[HejKatt]

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!

Ooh, my (Swedish) DH sometimes sings this, and it drives me nuts too! :) The song is "Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot" by a Swedish group Caramba but it might as well have been any other nationality because it's complete nonsense as you said.

http://www.lyricstime.com/caramba-hubba-hubba-zoot-zoot-lyrics.html

[mrsrevmeg]

I absolutely LOVE that song.   :D  (One Week - Barenaked Ladies)

 

My husband has decided that it is his favorite song and so I have heard it roughly 123498415649784 in the last two weeks. I actually didn't mind it before I looked up the lyrics. Now I'm like whaaaaattt???

[PachiSusan]

I like Weird Al's parody of this one about Jerry Springer. LOL

 

 

One Week by Barenaked Ladies. This song has too much weirdness to just pick one spot.

 

It's been one week since you looked at me

Cocked your head to the side and said I'm angry

Five days since you laughed at me saying

Get that together come back and see me

Three days since the living room,

I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you

Yesterday you'd forgiven me

But it'll still be two days till I say I'm sorry
Hold it now and watch the hoodwink

As I make you stop, think

You'll think you're looking at Aquaman

I summon fish to the dish,

Although I like the Chalet Swiss

I like the sushi Cause it's never touched a frying pan
Hot like wasabe when

I bust rhymes

Big like Leann Rimes

Because I'm all about value

Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits

You try to match wits

You try to hold me but I bust through
Gonna make a break and take a fake

I'd like a stinkin, achin shake

I like vanilla,

It's the finest of the flavors

Gotta see the show,

Cause then you'll know

The Vertigo is gonna grow

Cause it's so dangerous,

You'll have to sign a waiver
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad

Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad

I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral

Can't understand what I mean?

Well, you soon will

I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve

I have a history of taking off my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me

Threw your arms in the air and said you're crazy

Five days since you tackled me

 I've still got the rug burns on both my knees

It's been three days since the afternoon

You realized it's not my fault not a moment too soon

Yesterday you'd forgiven me

And now I sit back and wait till you say you're sorry
Chickity China the Chinese chicken

You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'

Watchin X-Files with no lights on,

We're dans la maison

I hope the Smoking Man's in this one

Like Harrison Ford I'm getting Frantic

Like Sting I'm Tantric

Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy
Like Kurosawa I make mad films

Okay I don't make films

But if I did they'd have a samurai

Gonna get a set of better clubs

Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs

Just so my irons aren't always flying off the back swing

Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon

Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes

That make me think the wrong thing
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad

Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad

I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral

Can't understand what I mean?

You soon will

I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve

I have a history of losing my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me

Dropped your arms to your sides and said I'm sorry

Five days since I laughed at you and said

You just did just what I thought you were gonna do

Three days since the living room

We realized we're both to blame, but what could we do?

Yesterday you just smiled at me

Cause it'll still be two days till we say we're sorry
It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry

It'll still be two days till we say we're sorry

Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie

 

 

 

[Chrysalis Academy]

Alannis Morrisette's song is actually now ironic.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=32LCwZFoKio&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D32LCwZFoKio

 

LMAO!!!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 

This song has always really, really bugged me.

[ThisIsTheDay]

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

I never thought of it until now, but believe me, I can see why they'd rather the person stay instead of having to go solo.

 

Right?

 

:w00t: :blush:

[Xuzi]

 

Oh, oh, oh!  Set Fire to the Rain.  Please someone explain to me how this is done!!!!!  

This was the first song that popped into my head when I saw the thread title! 

[PachiSusan]

I never thought of it until now, but believe me, I can see why they'd rather the person stay instead of having to go solo.

 

Right?

 

:w00t: :blush:

 

Yep - the self service pumps are never that much fun! ;)

[go_go_gadget]

I always thought "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was about Christianity/Religion. 

He believed but there was still something missing that made him keep looking.

 

Exactly this.

 

The one that always gets me is Live's ''Lightning Crashes''

 

''Lightning crashes, a new mother cries

Her placenta falls to the floor

The angel opens her eyes

The confusion sets in

Before the doctor can even close the door''

 

What on earth is going on that there are uncontrolled placentas flopping around on the floor? Man, I'd be confused, too. 

 

I think they meant to refer to the mother's water breaking, but if you're going to use technical terms in your writing, it's probably best to make sure you're using the correct ones.

[Scrub Jay]

Exactly this.

 

The one that always gets me is Live's ''Lightning Crashes''

 

''Lightning crashes, a new mother cries

Her placenta falls to the floor

The angel opens her eyes

The confusion sets in

Before the doctor can even close the door''

 

What on earth is going on that there are uncontrolled placentas flopping around on the floor? Man, I'd be confused, too.

 

I think they meant to refer to the mother's water breaking, but if you're going to use technical terms in your writing, it's probably best to make sure you're using the correct ones.

I believe that song or that part is about a stillbirth.

[go_go_gadget]

I believe that song or that part is about a stillbirth.

 

I don't think so, because the other storyline in the song is about death--the old woman down the hall dies, and her angel closes her eyes (after the placenta fell on the floor, an angel *opened* her eyes). When the old woman dies, ''The confusion that was hers, belongs now to the baby down the hall''. 

[Scrub Jay]

Wikipedia to the rescue. :). To think that for basically two decades I have assumed it was a stillbirth or the mother dying. I saw them in concert almost 20 years ago.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_Crashes#Song_meaning

[AlmiraGulch]

Wikipedia to the rescue. :). To think that for basically two decades I have assumed it was a stillbirth or the mother dying. I saw them in concert almost 20 years ago.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_Crashes#Song_meaning

Live is my favorite band.  I love Ed Kowalczyk's lyrics.  

[Mrs Mungo]

Yes! I love Sting's music, but seriously...every move you make, every step you take, every vow you break, I'll be watching you? It's the stalker theme song!

Errr...this song IS about a creepy stalker. The Police are on record as saying they don't understand why some people think it is romantic.

 

Sting later said he was disconcerted by how many people think the song is more positive than it is. He insists it's about the obsession with a lost lover, and the jealousy and surveillance that follow. "One couple told me 'Oh we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!' I thought, 'Well, good luck.'" When asked why he appears angry in the music video Sting told BBC Radio 2, "I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it's quite the opposite."

[Jean in Newcastle]

Errr...this song IS about a creepy stalker. The Police are on record as saying they don't understand why some people think it is romantic.

 

Well, then.  I'm more astute than I thought!   :leaving:

[Carrie12345]

Live is my favorite band.  I love Ed Kowalczyk's lyrics.

I cannot listen to Live. I was at York College in 1995. That was pretty much all you could hear in the freshman dorms. Everyone was thrilled to be coming to school in Live's hometown. The first week was more than enough to last me a lifetime!

[FeFe]

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

 

I know! Dude, quite you're lying! Just tell us you'll by us tampons if we need you to, pitch in with the housework once in a while and change some dirty diapers and we'll call it good. No need to go to extremes.

[Janie Grace]

I can't stand the Train song "Marry Me":

 

Marry me

Today and every day 

Marry me 

If I ever get the nerve to say "hello" in this cafe

Say you will

 

So the girl is supposed to commit her life to this guy, but he's struggling to get up the gumption to say "hello"? I realize it's his future fantasy and whatever, but it strikes me as wimpy, not romantic. 

[twoxcell]

 

Errr...this song IS about a creepy stalker. The Police are on record as saying they don't understand why some people think it is romantic.

 

Well, then.  I'm more astute than I thought!

That song always gave me the creeps so I'm right there with you. :lol:  When we were kids we used to make fun of it because we thought it was so weird.

[Caroline]

Errr...this song IS about a creepy stalker. The Police are on record as saying they don't understand why some people think it is romantic.

 

 

He even makes fun of it in "Love is the Seventh Wave".

[Truscifi]

Errr...this song IS about a creepy stalker. The Police are on record as saying they don't understand why some people think it is romantic.

 

 

That actually makes me feel much better about the song.

[ocelotmom]

Exactly this.

 

The one that always gets me is Live's ''Lightning Crashes''

 

''Lightning crashes, a new mother cries

Her placenta falls to the floor

The angel opens her eyes

The confusion sets in

Before the doctor can even close the door''

 

What on earth is going on that there are uncontrolled placentas flopping around on the floor? Man, I'd be confused, too. 

 

I think they meant to refer to the mother's water breaking, but if you're going to use technical terms in your writing, it's probably best to make sure you're using the correct ones.

Ok, so as someone who listened to popular music in the 90s, I've listened to this song approximately 60000000 times.

 

I've never caught any words beyond the angel opening and closing her eyes before tonight. Maybe because I don't expect to be hearing talk about placentas in popular music.