Bits in songs that make you cringe

[HolidayAtNight]

Inspired by the thread the other day about "More Than Words" by Extreme. Like many posters, I hadn't heard the song in years, so went to listen to it. It was all going well until the bit when he sings "Hold me close don't EVAH LET ME GO" and I had to turn it off immediately.

What bits of songs do you find jarring and/or embarrassing? I have so many, but will try to choose a few. Lines where they've had to awkwardly shift the words around or use old-fashioned vocab/syntax to make them fit are definitely among the worst offenders.

In "Upside Down" by Diana Ross: "Respectfully I say to thee..." Whyyyy

In "A Spaceman Came Travelling" - the bit where he sings about a baby's cry and then the guitar imitates a newborn crying. This might be the worst one.

In "Come On Eileen" - "You in that dress, my thoughts, I confess, verge on dirty" Just no. The awkward old-fashioned phrasing, and the way his voice goes when he sings "dirty". Unbearable.

Oh no - they had numerous albums. Quite the musical career

The pneumonia rhyme I love because it’s a bit tongue in cheek, as is the whole song. The do/ya hallelujah line has always made me want to scream.

ALBUMS? Well I know what I'm doing today.

I think the line people criticise is actually “No more ace to play”. Although I’ve heard much worse in terms of grammar from native speakers!

A (hopefully) interesting side point on this - apparently Agnetha really struggles with English now because she spent so long living in rural Sweden out of the public eye after ABBA. You can tell in her cover of “If I Thought You’d Ever Change Your Mind” - she pronounces “jewelled” as “yewelled”.

I say multiple - I looked them up and they released 3 albums, 11 singles and 3 EPs Thank God they got the presenting gig with SMTV Live!

This might have already been mentioned. But R Kelly “Ignition” 🤮🤮🤮

Girl, please
Let me stick my key in your ignition, babe
So I can get this thing started and get rollin', babe
See I'll be doin' about 80 on your freeway
Girl, I won't stop until I drive you crazy
So buckle up, 'cause this could get bumpy, babe
Now hit the lights and check out all my functions, babe

LET ME STICK MY KEY IN YOUR IGNITION.

let’s let that sink in 🤢🤮🤮

Know I'm overthinking this but in Galway Girl: "I walked her home then she took me inside / To finish some Doritos and another bottle of wine." Aside from singing about Doritos it makes me think the woman he's just met in the pub has said "why don't you come back to mine, I've wine and a packet of Doritos that I started earlier. Yeah, opened today. You'll be doing me a favour."

The whole song sounds like it was written after Sheeran Googled “Irish references” and threaded a few together. But the line that really annoys me is the beginning of the chorus - “She played a fiddle in an Irish band, but she fell in love with an Englishman”.

Everything is wrong with that line. One, it doesn’t scan. Two, he makes it sound like this is some great taboo or shocker - it’s hardly as though Nick Griffin fell in love with Naomi Campbell. Three, the way he sings it is weirdly smug - like he’s saying “Yeah, it’s all very well making sure everyone knows how Oirish you are with your bloody fiddle, but you still suck English cock”. Four, when did she fall in love with him? They had a one night stand after eating a bag of tortilla chips and necking some plonk - probably Blossom Hill from a petrol station!

I mentioned this earlier, but it’s so infuriating, I’ve got to say it again… if they’re so thrifty, why did they get a taxi after? Admittedly, my default setting sign ES is mild irritation, but SoY drives me spare.

Isn't that song about his brother committing suicide? I always thought that lyric was about viewing his brother's body.

@Yerroblemom1923 ·

Much as I like the Eagles, wine is NOT a spirit! Hotel California "I said to the captain, please bring me my wine. He said we haven't had that spirit here since 1969"

I never picked up on that!

Atomic Kitten - "You still turn me on"

Ruins a nice sweet chorus.

Basically all of Perfect Gentleman by Wyclef Jean

Ten grand, let me see you shake it like you got no
bones in your body and you was made to be a celebrity
Twenty grand, know it's a sin, but before me you show
me a little more skin it would fulfill my fantasy
Thirty grand, to the highest bidder but Chris Rock
said, 'There's no sex in the champaigne room'
Forty grand, looked into her eyes, I saw tears falling
down, type of tears that money couldn't buy
Just 'cuz she dances go-go
It don't make her a ho, no
Maxine, put your dance shoes on
We going to the disco
We gonna eeeelope to Meeeexico
Called up my mama, said I'm in love with a stripper, yo.

I beg to differ - there is a size 9 but there aren't clothes made in that size, so women who are odd (as in odd/even not any other definition of the word) sizes, they usually have to size UP to a size 10 and then try to make that fit.

apparently he doesn't even know what that ones about haha

a recent one for me is the recentish coldplay one- feels like I'm falling in love, when he sings lalalalalala - I don't know what it is but it makes me cringe- he sounds like a middle age dad trying to sound young and cool.

I think that- I hate the rewritten one where he tells her to go home- it's just as bad! There should probably be a rewritten version where he tells her to do what she wants.

@HeyPrestoAlakazam
Oh God yes Blurred Lines. I would hear the music, get up thinking I was about to dance to Marvin Gaye and then the worst song.....

Every single thing about The Time Warp. Was just reminded as there was a thing about it on BBC Breakfast this morning.
And all the dressing up and joining in. Ugh.

😆😆😆

Tbh be always thought if a spaceman came travelling and all he did was say “lalala lalalala laaaaa lalala” I’d find that a bit of a let down

Yes I think I’ve heard that too which makes the whole song very different

There's a bit in a Take That song (can't remember which one) where Gary Barlow sings "sexxxuaall". I never ever need to hear Gary Barlow utter that word.

To be honest the Football's Coming Home Again version was the definition of cringe.

"Southgate you're the one, you still turn me on, football's coming home again"

I can confirm Southgate does not, and has never, turned me on.

Ugh - that Judy Judy Judy party makes me nauseous. In fact, a lot of Paul Macartney's oeuvre makes me cringe. He's got a song on one of his solo albums called "Oobu Joobu" which is disgustingly.

• disgusting!

Tori Amos Professional Widow

Oh honey bring it close to my lips, yeah
Oh honey bring it close to my
Oh honey bring it close to my lips, yeah
Oh honey bring it close to my
Oh honey bring it close to my lips, yeah

It's gotta be big
It's gotta be big
I said it's gotta be big
It's gotta be big
I said it's gotta be big
It's gotta be big
I said it's gotta be big
It's gotta be big
I said

Etc. 🤮. Radio played in the car the other day. With my children. Horrified, had never really noticed before. A regretful experience.

@TealTraybake

unfortunately the remix selected those lyrics. The original is about Kurt Cobain/ Courtney Love and is nothing like the version you heard.