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.

Just listened to Hello by Adele on the radio. When it came out “it spoke to me” I really felt it spoke my story. And I ended up back with a ex.
Now my thoughts were what an absolute load of twot!

Meatloaf... "can't you see my faded Levis tearing apart". Yuk.

It's actually 'bursting apart'.

Makes it sound like he's sitting there scoffing the entire contents of the fridge until the fabric of his trousers has no choice but to admit defeat in a most spectacular way and blow to smithereens.

Inevitable powerful farts may well have also played a significant role in the destruction of his denim galligaskins, along with the mass of food.

Totally agree with you about the bit in Come on Eileen' where he says about the dress! Yuck!

Come on Eileen is a terrible record. Was played at every 80s wedding or do or nightclub I ever went to.
I bet the knee trembler they had ended up with her pregnant and him being chased by the CSA. Pay up for Eileen for a new dress.

Came here to say this. No bed for the Spice Girls to be dishing out safe sex advice.

Wait…that’s what that line means?

That is cringe.

And then there’s John Fashanu ‘there’s only one way to do it - get round the back.’

Taken totally out of context! Its about football ffs, not euphamism in this one!

Editted because I realised that the quote was wrong, Its "Theres only one way to beat them, get round the back"

They'll always hit you and hurt you
Defend and attack
There's only one way to beat them
Get 'round the back
Catch me if you can
'Cause I'm the England man
And what you're looking at
Is the master plan
We ain't no hooligans
This ain't a football song
Three lions on my chest
I know we can't go wrong

@PyongyangKipperbang believe it or not, I wasn’t implying any double entendre there. I was highlighting the awful rapping, following on from my comment about Alesha Dixon.

I can see why you thought so, but I wanted to clarify.

I’ve thought of another, from OutKast

I know you like to think your shit don’t stink
But lean a little bit closer and roses reallly smell like poo poo poo

😬

I’ve thought of another - from ELO.

”Don’t let me down - GROOS!”

Apparently it’s a made-up word. Ruins a great song for me. So utterly cringe.

That’s one of their best records! 😂
It is co-written by Debbie, Chris and Jimmy and from what I’ve read Debbie wrote the lyrics to the verses. For me that lyric is an example of how Debbie challenged the conventional “norms” of the time.

Kids by kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams.
Robbie’s rap at the end. Urgh.

Definitely although I think you could make an argument for the entire song to be classed as cringe! The way he sings, “notify your next of kin” used to grate on me plus the flipping between normal singing voice and high notes: sounded like his voice was breaking!

Did we ever mention the bit in Faith No More's cover of Easy - where the singer makes a loud "Eeeeeuuuuwww!!!" sound, as though he's just smelt a horrendous noxious fart?

The way Beyoncé sings ‘ halo , halo haloooo’
Several times over

I read that it was just a temporary placeholder sound in the lyrics, but once Jeff Lynne heard that it was actually a greeting in German, he decided to leave it in.

The entirety of Simply Red “Right Thing”, eg:
“I'm feeling hot
I ain't ever gonna stop
To get what you got
You better take what I bring”

I thought that was total cringe and then I heard Richard Ashcroft’s “Lover” and I died of ultimate cringe.

I thought it was Bruce.

I always thought ELO were singing ‘ Bruce’ as well.

I thought they meant nobody’s been in the mood for wine since 1969 - “that’s the spirit” 😂
It’d be a decent vintage by then.

When anyone sings about ‘ making love all night’
( couldn’t think of anything worse tbh!)

This drives me nuts as well! Glad it's not just me! Also "We are all just prisoners here if our own device" do they mean a device ( literal or metaphorical ) is holding them prisoner ? Do they mean of our own devising?

Rod Stewart, tonight's the night.. Open windows and let me come inside 🤢🤢 my Virgin child 🤢

• I wish it was innocent like windows