Great songs with horrible lyrics

[ZoCrowes]

My vote goes to She's Electric by Oasis. The song itself is EXCELLENT and it fits the title perfectly. Has a great chord progression that is Beatles-esque without ripping the Fabs off, great vox from Liam and overall a very happy bouncie feel to the song. There are certain people that when you meet them that the song describes perfectly. That's the only way to describe them. There are flashes of brilliance lyrically however for the good lines Noel writes there are absolutely horrid ones like (She's got a sistah/God only knows how I missed her/And on the palm of her hand is a blister/And I need more time) WTF IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!

Noel has written some great lyrics. Headshrinker is one of the most viscious songs ever written so when he actually tries he writes some great stuff but I swear to god he has written more crap than Dylan. I love Dylan he's probably my favorite lyricist but for every Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues there is a Lay Lady Lay.

What else is a great tune with crappy lyrics?

[mac56]

1. For some reason Bernie Taupin popped into my mind.

I'm prepared to get flamed for this..but he is really only an average lyricist, working with a tunesmith who makes the best of what he's given. Examples: "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Bennie And The Jets", "The Bitch Is Back".

[ZoCrowes]

3. I'll agree with that one

Taupin has some great IDEAS for lyrics (Tiny Dancer and Your Song come to my mind) but his execution is horrible. I'm the same way. I have good ideas for words in song and I have good phrases but I people collaborate with me and cut out the cheese. However, Elton John in his prime though could take damn near anything and make it sound relevant just because he was so damn good. Too bad he started to suck too.

[ProfessorGAC]

40. Started To Suck?

Maybe you have to be a piano player to loathe that 3 tone dullard as much as i do. Pedantic, 3rd grade piano playing is ALWAYS going to turn me off.

20+ albums, 5 good songs. A reason to loathe, i would say.
The Professor

[ZoCrowes]

41. Awww come on Prof

He had some good tunes. Not a lot but enough to raise him above the level of suck

[ProfessorGAC]

44. Yeccccchhhhh!

The Professor

[Phillycat]

37. OH MY GOD! I was going to pick "Take Me To The Pilot".

It's a GREAT song (an homage to Leon Russell) but the lyrics are soooooo stupid. Here they are! And what the fuck do they mean? Even Elton doesn't know, as he explains in the liner notes to the remastered album.

Elton John - Take Me To The Pilot Lyrics

If you feel that it's real
I'm on trial
And I'm here in your prison
Like a coin in your mint
I am dented and I'm spent with high treason

Through a glass eye your throne
Is the one danger zone
Take me to the pilot for control
Take me to the pilot of your soul

Take me to the pilot
Lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot
I am but a stranger

Take me to the pilot
Lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot
I am but a stranger

Well I know he's not old
And I'm told he's a virgin
For he may be she
But what I'm told is never for certain

Take me to the pilot
Lead me through the chamber
Take me to the pilot
I am but a stranger

NA NA NA! NA NA NA! NA NA NA NA NUH NA NA NA!

[Modem Butterfly]

43. "And Jesus wants to go to Venus"

Leaving Levon far behind...

:puke:

[Algorem]

2. lots of eagles songs

[ZoCrowes]

4. HA

Everybody knows Don Henley sucks. Its one of the most concerte axioms of music theory.

I can't remember where I originally saw that but its the troof!

[mac56]

5. The Eagles are rock music for people who don't like rock music.

Although I admit a sentimental affection for "The Heart Of The Matter" by Henley.

[bluedeminredstate]

8. Me too.

I just do.

[Zomby Woof]

10. but!

I like the title track of "The End Of The Innocence" from his solo career. "We're beating plowshares into swords to please a tired old man we re-elected King last year". Makes several body blows to Iran-Contra and North ("poisoned by these fairy tales...")... it was as far removed from typical Henley material. Also must point out that "Dirty Laundry" has great lyrics, also solo material.

But I could take or leave the rest of 'em.

My vote for this thread is almost anything by Cream. "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" comes to mind. It's not easy being psychedelic AND pretentious.

[ZoCrowes]

12. Oooh Cream

Tooooo true. That's what they get for getting a fucking cheeseball poet to write their lyrics.

Same goes for Tim Buckley. I don't see how he could have sang some of that shit with a straight face.

[Abelman]

6. Ramones

Some stuff is pretty cool, but then you have songs like "Beat on the Brat."

[bluedeminredstate]

7. It grieves me greatly to say it

but a few Van Morrison tunes spring to mind. Songs I LOVE, but have some cringe-worthy moments. Cleaning Windows, Vanlose Stairway, and gasp! Brown Eyed Girl...
:cry:

[ZoCrowes]

9. He's another one

with great lyrical ideas with horrible execution.

Sweet Thing makes up for all of his lyrical sins though

[Zomby Woof]

11. INTO THE MYSTIC

He nailed it both musically and lyrically all over the "Moondance" album.

[ZoCrowes]

14. And It Stoned Me

Another amazing one

[Zomby Woof]

17. YEP

Or "Caravan".

[mac56]

18. My favorite song by VM

Ohh, the water...

[ZoCrowes]

20. That's And It Stoned Me

great tune

[mac56]

22. yup

that's the link I was responding to.

Carry on..

[ZoCrowes]

25. My bad

I'm Scots/Irish so you have to bear with me I'm not too quick on the uptake

[mac56]

26. Me too, boyo.

nm

[Boswells_Johnson]

21. ...stoned me just like Jelly Roll:)

That song is what got me into Jelly Roll Morton!

[DieboldMustDie]

13. Mack the Knife

[Left Is Write]

32. You mean such depth as

"When that shark bites, with its teeth dear...."

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Layla

my favorite all time song but the lyrics are bad. He needed to just release that song as an instrumental.

[ZoCrowes]

33. Well

Clapton is not exactly the best lyricist around. With Layla though you feel every little bit of what he's going through. Heroin addiction, musical dissallussionment and being in love with your best buds wife. All pretty heavy shit

[short bus president]

16. I always thought "Hey Jude"

should've been about a bologna sammich travelling the mediterranean on holiday.

[ZoCrowes]

19. Ha

For some reason that had me lauging for a good minute

[Zomby Woof]

23. Ok... what the fuck does McCartney's "Jet" mean???

:wtf:

[mac56]

24. Cool phrases that are fun to sing.

Sergeant majors and lady suffragettes.

[ZoCrowes]

27. That whole fucking album

is like that

Although Helen Wheels is a clever pun. Cheesey as hell but clever

[mac56]

28. "Let Me Roll It" carries the day.

Most of the rest is pure pap.

[Zomby Woof]

29. I love the album

I actually CAN make sense of most of it... but I think rhyming 'jet' and 'suffragette' just meant Paul was smoking some powerful African weed.

[ZoCrowes]

30. I do too

Some of the tracks on that album are better than some of his Beatles work. Mmmmmm powerful african weed *drools*

[CO Liberal]

31. Or "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"???

:shrug:

[mac56]

34. "Butter pie"?

Okay, Macca was just phoning it in at that point.

[bloodyjack]

35. THE DOORS, except whenever Jim Morrison was plagiarizing

God knows his 'poetry' was retarded on its own


Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.


Realms of bliss, realms of light
Some are born to sweet delight
Some are born to sweet delight
Some are born to the endless night


WHO WROTE WHICH?

Can U guess?

[ZoCrowes]

36. Hey!

He wrote some great lyrics...wait no he didn't. Most of it was pretentious bullshit. Yep you're right. I love the doors but you're right.

[DelawareValleyDem]

38. or when Robbie Krieger was writing the lyrics

[ZoCrowes]

39. Hmmm

Yeah except he wrote Touch Me which is an unforgivable sin.

Nice Love avatar btw

[DelawareValleyDem]

42. Squeeze Box - who

come and squeeze me like you do, I'm so in love with you
Pete must have been twelve when he wrote it. Actually, a number of other who songs could qualify.

[tsakshaug]

45. Van Halen

I don't like the band at all-but "why can't this be love" has more cliches than any song I know of