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Original poster

Song lyrics that bug you!

509 replies

BillStickersWillBeProsocuted · 28/09/2023 17:38

I was listening to Objects in the rear view mirror by Meatloaf the other day and it contains the line:

"If life is just a highway, then the soul is just a car"

That line always bugged me - for a start that's a pretty big "if" but apart from that surely in that analogy the body is the car and the soul is the driver?!

Another one is maybe a bit more Niche but Tim Minchin has a song called "Grew on me" where he likeness his love for his wife with various illnesses (it's actually much more sweet than that makes it sound!) which contains the line:

"The successful removal of you would probably kill me too"

Surely if it kills the patient you can't call it a successful removal?! What really bothers me is “the attempted removal of you” would fit the song just as well and make more sense!

Anyway I'm bored at work so thought I'd see if anyone else has any pedantic lyrical bugbears?!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Trinity65 · 29/09/2023 21:28

Long thread so if already mentioned Forgive Me

In the Summertime
Mungo Jerry

If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal
If her daddy's poor, just do what you feel.

Nasty

Trinity65 · 29/09/2023 21:32

Daffodilwoman · 29/09/2023 19:03

I love Squeeze but always mis heard the lyrics to Up the Junction as:

This morning at 4:50
I took her rather nifty
Down to a NAKED WAITER
Then 30 minutes later.

For years I wondered what a naked waiter was doing wondering around a hospital!

Hahahaa

That's brilliant 😆😆

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 29/09/2023 21:34

Booklover40 · 29/09/2023 08:53

I don't want to see a ghost
It's a sight that I fear most
I'd rather have a piece of toast
And watch the evening news

God yes, terrible terrible lyrics.

The one that springs to mind for me is “Cheerleader” as well as being extremely annoying it features the lyrics:
”Do I make you feel like cheating”? (said as though his gf is asking him)
He replies: ”Im like ‘no, not really’”

So not only is his girlfriend pathetically asking him if “SHE makes him feel like cheating” as she’s obviously very needy and lacking in any self esteem whatsoever - he’s responding in a kind of blasé way “nah, not REALLY”! Not really? Not much of an assurance to his clearly insecure partner is it? And this horridly misogynistic song was No1 for weeks! 😡🤬

No! It's not his girlfriend asking if he feels like cheating but a random other woman coming on to him ...... listen again,
It makes more sense .

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Music
ZebraDanios · 29/09/2023 21:59

Most of Coldplay’s lyrics sound like someone wrote them on the back of an envelope while they were waiting for the kettle to boil.

“I was lost
I was lost
Crossed lines I shouldn’t have crossed
I was lost
Oh yeah”

and of course the utter bilge that is Yellow - the story goes that Chris Martin needed a two-syllable word, looked around and saw the Yellow Pages, and thought “yeah that’ll do”. Proper artistic integrity, that!

griegwithhimandhim · 29/09/2023 22:40

Daffodilwoman · 29/09/2023 19:03

I love Squeeze but always mis heard the lyrics to Up the Junction as:

This morning at 4:50
I took her rather nifty
Down to a NAKED WAITER
Then 30 minutes later.

For years I wondered what a naked waiter was doing wondering around a hospital!

Thanks Daffs, I have an earworm now!

Starbeeees · 29/09/2023 22:56

Is this the time to say Ed Sheeran wrote this 😂
(I don’t think it’s particularly about his mother though)

Starbeeees · 29/09/2023 22:57

MorrisZapp · 28/09/2023 22:16

Lewis Capaldi bringing his mother water when she's thirsty makes me cringe myself inside out.

^ I meant to quote this lol

TotallyScouting · 29/09/2023 23:01

Haven’t read the full thread, but I love James Arthur, yet the line about “holding your hair back whilst you were throwing up” whilst probably v real for so many young lovers is just not right in such a lovely song otherwise imho…

Starbeeees · 29/09/2023 23:05

TotallyScouting · 29/09/2023 23:01

Haven’t read the full thread, but I love James Arthur, yet the line about “holding your hair back whilst you were throwing up” whilst probably v real for so many young lovers is just not right in such a lovely song otherwise imho…

The one where he sings about standing there naked (is it the same one?) just paints pictures I don’t want to see 😂

Ed Sheeran sings a lot about kissing mouths when lips would be more accurate

BridgetRandomfuck · 29/09/2023 23:10

Lana del Ray in Video Games - ‘pull up in a fast car, whistling your name’

How the F do you whistle somebody’s name?

Mendingslowly · 29/09/2023 23:12

'Sheeran: 'dancing in the dark, with you between my arms...' Always gives me an image of him with his arms stuck straight out in front of him like a zombie with a confused woman gently swaying in the middle of them.'

@WellThisIsFun1 that is the EXACT image I get too! But I hadn't been able to articulate it. I am sober and grumpy this Friday night (rare on the sober but not the grumpy, I've had a SHIT week!) and this really made me laugh, thank you!

QuitChewingMyPlectrum · 29/09/2023 23:15

TheHellionKittyBaxter · 28/09/2023 18:49

Henrietta by The Fratellis. "We know you love us and you probably do" MAKES NO SENSE. Why not "you say you love us" or "we heard you love us"?!

Another Ed Sheeran - "then she handed me a bottle of water filled with tequila" then it's not a bottle of water Ed, it's a bottle of tequila.

My ex used to get angry at Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney until I pointed out he was getting the lyrics wrong himself. He heard it as "in this ever changing world in which we live in" which obviously isn't right, but it's actually "in which we're living" which is fine.

Always thought it was “Waterford Tequila!”

QuitChewingMyPlectrum · 29/09/2023 23:19

Vivolvolo · 28/09/2023 20:58

Alanis Morisette “Ironic” without examples of irony.

Rain on your wedding day is NOT ironic. It's weather.

JudyGemstone · 29/09/2023 23:22

SVFXHMX42 · 28/09/2023 22:50

"Tell me baby do you recognise me? Well, it's been a year it doesn't surprise me." I recognise people I met while walking the dog a year later, let alone someone I was supposedly madly in love with!

"She smiled at me on the subway
She was with another man
But I won't lose no sleep on that
'cause I've got a plan" WHAT'S THE PLAN?! The very next verse he says "but I don't know what to do, cause I'll never be with you." Some plan James.

This doesn’t count for whamageddon right ?

toadasoda · 29/09/2023 23:31

dontforgettofloss · 28/09/2023 21:06

Yes! This annoys me too, mainly because driving at 90mph in country lanes would almost certainly result in a nasty accident

Show quote history

Especially if you are listening to Tiny Dancer, you'd think that would calm you into a slower pace.

Orders76 · 29/09/2023 23:37

Beautiful south perfect ten is sooo wrong
Talks about anorexic chicks and sixteen year Olds , heard it today and was 🤔

Orders76 · 29/09/2023 23:42

Also even if intended in a good way, can't believe Barbie used push.

RobinGet · 29/09/2023 23:43

Orders76 · 29/09/2023 23:37

Beautiful south perfect ten is sooo wrong
Talks about anorexic chicks and sixteen year Olds , heard it today and was 🤔

I’m fairly sure the 16 refers to dress size, not age. But yeah, I hate the ‘anorexic chicks’ line. The Beautiful South also did a song years ago called 36D which was pretty much putting the blame on women (in particular page 3-type models) for men’s actions.

larkstar · 29/09/2023 23:46

James Blunt gave up on love pretty quickly...

You’re Beautiful Lyrics
[Intro]
My life is brilliant

[Verse 1]
My life is brilliant, my love is pure
I saw an angel, of that I'm sure
She smiled at me on the subway
She was with another man
But I won't lose no sleep on that
'Cause I've got a plan

[Chorus]
You're beautiful, you're beautiful
You're beautiful, it's true
I saw your face, in a crowded place
And I don't know what to do

toadasoda · 29/09/2023 23:47

The misinterpretation of the Holy Trinity: the three men I admire the most, Father, son and Holy ghost...

Orders76 · 29/09/2023 23:47

OMG really, ugh I just they're so musically lacking. It's no McArthur park, incidentally one of my favourites through pure weirdness.

Helpuschoose · 29/09/2023 23:50

Take That's 'Babe'....

"Then a voice I once knew
Answered in a sweet voice..."

How can a voice answer in a voice? And how did that get past the first draft? why didn't someone in the studio say "hang on a minute...Mark, find a different word... you've said voice twice Mate..."

Playingintheshadow · 29/09/2023 23:51

I get unreasonably irritated by Pink Floyd, "we don't need no educay-tion".

Yes, you fucking do, your grammar is dreadful!!

Tessisme · 30/09/2023 00:55

LunaNorth · 29/09/2023 07:56

I don’t want to upset anyone, but it’s actually 40 years since Band Aid.

My contribution is from Kate Bush, much as it pains me. In Babooshka, she says, “She could not have made a worst move.”

Drives me crackers.

Edited

That Kate Bush lyric annoys me too. It makes me feel strangely disappointed in her. And I'm a huge fan!

Anyone remember ABC, That Was Then But This is Now?

'Can't complain, mustn't grumble,
Help yourself to another piece of apple crumble.'

I mean, come ON🤣🤣

AccidentallyFabulous · 30/09/2023 07:15

Playingintheshadow · 29/09/2023 23:51

I get unreasonably irritated by Pink Floyd, "we don't need no educay-tion".

Yes, you fucking do, your grammar is dreadful!!

That's deliberate, surely?