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.

Yes. Remix from the late 90’s maybe. I loved it at the time..

Hate this song with a passion

Haha I always think the same when I hear this too.

Totally. The whole song makes me cringe, it's his voice-i find it creepy

It's not really a lyric but I can't stand the bit in Basement Jaxx Red Alert when she squeals over the music, then says 'baby!' in a high pitched voice. It always made me feel uncomfortable and I'd have to mute that bit.

@NonsuchCastle

I came on to say 'Wives and Lovers' too. I know it's of its time but my god, some of the lines

'Day after day
there are girls at the office
and men will always be men'

Ok I love Paul McCartney but just the name "Oobu Joobu" is already disgusting. I dread to think what the actual song is like, and will not be finding out.

You mean that wasn't about flip flop footwear???

I always think a big unexpected twist to that one would be

He tells me in his bedroom voice: "Sorry, honey, but I prefer boys!"

From Desree's song Life..
"I'm afraid of the dark
'Specially when I'm in a park
And there's no one else around
Ooh, I get the shivers
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" 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔

Red alert sounds like a dentist's drill
It is an awful song

Is that technically wrong, though?

Yes, grammatically, you would probably expect 'You have no more aces to play'; but idiomatically, I'd class it alongside phrases like 'No more Mr Nice Guy'.

Sometimes, there's a fine line between 'wrong' and a deliberate idiomatic turn of phrase.

How would you re-frame it?

Baby, you're the one
Here - have a bon-bon

That has a similar "Erm, you what?!" vibe to Charlene's Never Been To Me.

Even aside from her thinking that Greece consists of just one island, rather than a large part of mainland along with a great many islands.

@TheHangingGardensOfBasildon

Lol

Maybe

"You keep me holding on"

I'm a Blur fan , but what is ' Parklife' ?
He isn't homeless in the song so we know he doesn't live in an actual park !
It baffles me ( not one of their best ones)

These are killing me

Charlene's ' never been to me ' is a tad patronizing ( even if it's obvious she's a high class hooker on those yachts )
Maybe the poor woman with the small kids wouldn't mind some champers on a sunny day.
( just not the rest of it )

This really annoys me - “isles of Greece” would scan just as well and be far more accurate!

Well as I say, I’ve heard a lot worse from native speakers. Technically it should be “no more aces”, plural, but it’s not as if it makes it difficult to understand.

Kendrick Lamar:

Bitch, be humble (Hol’ up bitch)
Sit down (Hol’up, lil bitch)
Be humble (Hol’ up bitch)

Snoop Dog
Sensual Seduction.

Not sure if this song was a piss take but it still makes me cringe;

With a see-through dress, long hair, light-brown eyes
Lookin' like Miss Bo Peep
And a player know if I take her home
With them real big hips, you so right I'm gon' beat

See my game is outrageous
I got her to the crib and exchanged some love faces
But it was no need for me to rush to bust one
'Cause I wanted her to have an eruption

I think it’s “Sure”. Apparently something’s going to be “Social, compatible, sexual, irresistible”.

You can tell that’s the one they let Robbie write.

😄😄😄😄

That’s from Do Ya Think I’m Sexy

Wham’s Last Christmas “do you recognise me? Well it’s been a year it doesn’t surprise me” Do what? Unrecognisable in only a year???

I do think the wham lyric about not recognizing him is just sarcasm. Of course she remembers him.