Great songs with not so great lyrics

[Endymion9]

I've always loved the emotion that Rod Stewart puts into his hit from his Faces time, Gladbags and Handrags. So when I finally decided to look up the lyrics and see just what exactly this song is about, found it to be nothing but an older person nagging a young girl. The way it sounds and the way Rod makes you feel it deserves better lyrics <grin>.

So anyone else have a similar experience with a song they always liked?

[Cail]

I find myself really liking a lot of speed/death metal and scremo stuff up to the point they start screaming or grunting. Then I usually start laughing.

I generally don't care about lyrical content unless it really grabs me. I find that a good song survives with completely inane lyrics (Def Leppard's "Armageddon It" springs to mind).

[Worm of Despite]

People say some of Stevie Wonders' songs have shallow lyrics, though the music and production is so good (at least during the 70s) that I (or anyone with ears) fails to notice.

[High Lord Tolkien]

I like a lot of the early Elvis Costello.
The music is great but to this day I understand very little of what he's saying or singing about.
(I not sure that fits the theme of this thread though)

[Fist and Faith]

Talking Heads' Burning Down the House.


Edit: Actually, it's not that the lyrics are not so great, it's just that I can't freakin' understand them. Reminds me of Whoopie in Jumpin' Jack Flash.

[Cagliostro]

I like a lot of the early Elvis Costello.
The music is great but to this day I understand very little of what he's saying or singing about.
(I not sure that fits the theme of this thread though)

Yeah, it's funny...in his early days, his lyrics don't really do a lot for me. But later on, around the time of King of America, Spike and especially All This Useless Beauty, he became a lyrical genius in my book. Juliet Letters is especially good lyrically as well.

[Fist and Faith]

I doubt I can tell you what most Steely Dan songs are about, but they're one of my Top 10 favorites. In fact, Glenn Frey said this:

At the time we were also quite fond at Steely Dan and listening to a lot of their records. And one of the things that impressed us about Steely Dan was that they would say anything in their songs and it did not have to necessarily make sense you know, they would just, sort of...they called jokes sculpture. And well we thought of this Hotel California, we started thinking of there would be very cinematic to do it, sort of like the Twilight Zone. You just have a ..., one line says there is a guy on the highway, you know the next line says there is a hotel in the distance, then there is a woman in there and she walks in. You know it is sort..., it is just all one shot, not necessarily you know, just sort of strong together and you sort of draw your own conclusions from it. So we are sort of trying to expand our lyrical horizons and just try to take out something in the bizarre as Steely Dan did that.

[Spiral Jacobs]

I don't especially like them, but Manowar is a good example of this. They play their instruments well and the lead singer has an awesome vocal range, but their song titles and lyrics....*shakes head*.

Manowar Manowar living on the road
When we're in town speakers explode
We don't attract wimps 'cause we're too loud
Just true metal people that's Manowar's crowd

or

I am an outcast
On the path of no return.
Punisher and swordsman
I was born to burn.
Black Wind always follows
Where my black horse rides.
Fire's in my soul
Steel is on my side.

the list is long...

[Cail]

Good call on Manowar.

[jelerak]

I'll defend Manowar to the point that they have so many songs that they make for the sole purpose of being what one would consider anthems.

How many 'anthem' type songs really have great lyrics? I am sure that there may be a couple, but not many.

It is actually their lyrics that caught my attention in the first place, way back in 1983 when I first came across Battle Hymns in a record store in Paris, France. No one else was writing like they were writing back then, at least not with the combination of the vocals and the sheer power of their music.

My contribution to this list would be 'Paradise City' by GNR. Awful awful lyrics. 'Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty'. My 7 year old could write a chorus better than that.

[sgt.null]

it don't come easy.
almost a great song...

[Endymion9]

it don't come easy.
almost a great song...

Following The Beatles theme, although they aren't bad lyrics, they don't say a whole lot. George Harrisons's "What Is Life"...also almost a great song.

[Marv]

Imagine by John Lennon.

[Cail]

I'll defend Manowar to the point that they have so many songs that they make for the sole purpose of being what one would consider anthems.

Sure, and the same can be said about Def Leppard. Love the band, love their music, but have you ever sat and read some of the lyrics on Hysteria? They make utterly no sense at all, but damn if people didn't love the album.

[dlbpharmd]

I'll defend Manowar to the point that they have so many songs that they make for the sole purpose of being what one would consider anthems.

Sure, and the same can be said about Def Leppard. Love the band, love their music, but have you ever sat and read some of the lyrics on Hysteria? They make utterly no sense at all, but damn if people didn't love the album.

And that completely baffled me then just as it does today. Now, Pyromania was a damn good album.

[Marv]

What in all that's holy is a Hurdy Gurdy Man?



Cool song tho.

[danlo]

he just came and sang songs of love, man...

[aliantha]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurdy_gurdy

[Endymion9]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurdy_gurdy

Wow. Thx for the link. I always assumed it was like Procol Harum's Whiter Shade of Pale. That he just thought it sounded good without worrying about it making sense. Nice to see what a Hurdy Gurdy is.

[The Dreaming]

Two Words. Highway Star.