Most Cynical Song?

[Tretiak]

I gotta go with "Dear God" by XTC. It is just dripping with irony, sarcasm, and cynicism.

Any others?

[OrcaChow]

Jesus by Frank Discussion & the Feederz. Probably the most obscene and blasphemous song in human history.

The chorus goes:
"Jesus entering from the reeeeear,
fucking you in the AAAAAAASSSSSS!
Just another faggot
with another rectal rash..."

The rest is too horrible to repeat. (Just kidding. Can't remember the rest.) It's about people being duped by religion. :rolleyes: I guess.



I heard this song on a punk compilation titled "Let Them Eat Jellybeans." The copy I have on cassette is too fuzzy to listen any more. If anyone knows where I might find a copy of Let Them Eat Jellybeans, please let me know.

[Torgo]

John Lennon's "Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out."

[Nocturne]

"Kiss Off" by the Violent Femmes

[woodstockbirdybird]

"I Hope You're Happy Now" by Elvis Costello. Not quite as cynical as "Dear God", though.

[The Ryan]

"Blashemous Rumours" by Depeche Mode

[mbh]

"Everybody Loves Me, Baby" by Don McLean.

"She Got the Gold Mine, I Got the Shaft" by some country-western singer whose name I am too lazy to look up at the moment.

[Bill H.]

"Terrible Lie" - NIN
or "Head Like a Hole" or "Down In It" or... hell anything by Mr. Reznor

[lee]

"Paradise by the Dashboard lights" by Meatloaf

[Snooooopy]

"You're The One For Me, Fatty" by Morrissey -- a strange mix of romantic intent and pure meanness.

[Mockingbird]

Peekaboo by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

A wonderfully cynical song about being attractive and partying.

[Coldfire]

Aenema by Tool would qualify, I think. Or is that anger, rather than cynicism?

In the same vein, and because my computer just started playing it: Californication by RHCP.

How about Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty Maccoll?

Life's gonna suck, by Denis Leary!

[The Asbestos Mango]

"Jesus, Mary and the Holy Ghost" by Dio.

I can't listen to the entire "Angry Machines" album anymore.

[ThisYearsGirl]

Originally posted by woodstockbirdybird
"I Hope You're Happy Now" by Elvis Costello. Not quite as cynical as "Dear God", though.

I second this. In fact, I'd say just about any Elvis Costello song.

[Saint Zero]

Alice Cooper's Brutal Planet. Wonderful, uplifting songs of despair, cynicism, and anger.

Oh, and that's Jerry Reid, who did "She got the coal mine, I got the shaft." Wonderful song.

[pythonzzz]

"Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)" Green Day

"Go Your Own Way" Fleetwood Mac

[Odieman]

I Want You by Elvis Costello
Working Class Hero by John Lennon

[Cisco]

'The Decline' By NOFX. Hands down. It's 19 minutes of despair with an ending that kinda grabs you by the heart and twists. I'd post the lyrics but im not sure if im allowed to (?). Great song though, check it out.

[Tranquilis]

Suicide is Painless, aka the M.A.S.H. theme, singer unknown to me.

Amusing cynicsm: Isotope Soap, a punk thrash, also by an unknown group.

[HalberMensch242]

Saves the day- Rock Tonic Juice Magik(emo cynicism)

NON aka Boyd Rice- Let's hear for Violence Against Women( the title says it all...absolutely insane, scathing, abbrasive, cynical lyrics i've ever freakin heard)

Genesis P. Oridge and Cevin Key- Beauty is The Enemy(same as above song..but less abbrasive)

[Randy]

Todd Snider does a song called "Just In Case" about pre-nuptial contracts and marriage........

"You know that I can't love you enough,
but I also can't afford to lose half of my stuff"

But everyone knows that Frank Zappa was the King of Cynicism.

[The Ryan]

Originally posted by Tranquilis
Suicide is Painless, aka the M.A.S.H. theme, singer unknown to me.
Marilyn Manson. What, you meant the original singer?

[Fugazi]

U2 - One

[Cisco]

a guy named Fugazi suggests a U2 song?

[Tranquilis]

Originally posted by The Ryan
Marilyn Manson. What, you meant the original singer? [/B]

The original, please: I find MM to be rather boring. He(it) isn't doing anything new, just taking an old shtick and carrying it to it's illogical extreme.

[Renton_lvr]

PiL - Religion. Actually almost all PiL songs now that I think about it.

[Derek Mummey]

Originally posted by Tranquilis
Suicide is Painless, aka the M.A.S.H. theme, singer unknown to me.

I think it was Johnny Mendel. Good song, anyone know the album it's from?

[Emperor Penguin]

Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger.

Not just for the line "been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding/the cretins cloning and feeding...". The whole song goes along in a similar vein.

Pretty chipper stuff.

[Quadzilla]

A bit of an outlying one, perhaps... "Sell, Sell, Sell" by the Barenaked Ladies.

Basically how we, the commercial and celebrity-saavy public, can be persuaded by "big names" to support a propagandized cause... "We choose a foreigner to hate/ The new Iraq grows more irate/ We really know nothing about them, and no one cares"

[SallySimpson]

"Train in Vain" by The Clash.

Come to think of it, it's not terribly cynical, but the happy upbeat tempo in comparison the depressing lyrics gets me every time I happen to hear it on 80 minutes of '80s.

Also, that song was written about me, but that's on the DL.

[Fugazi]

Cisco - Fugazi, as in Marillion's second album, not the group. If you've never heard of Marillion (not many have) they're kind of a cross between Genesis and Pink Floyd.

[Coldfire]

I often asked myself that same question about your name, Fugazi. Good to hear it actually refers to Marillion!
I'm a bit of a fan myself, you know.

[Doobieous]

The only one I can think of right at this moment is called "Miserable" by Lit.

some lyrics:

"So much the same
It makes me helpless alone
Nothing to share
Why should I care if you're near me
Give up all of my plans
But who needs them
When you mean everthing"

[frolix8]

Elanore Rigby.

[Edward The Head]

Originally posted by Derek Mummey
Originally posted by Tranquilis
Suicide is Painless, aka the M.A.S.H. theme, singer unknown to me.

I think it was Johnny Mendel. Good song, anyone know the album it's from?

It would be on the MASH soundtrack, don't know of any other albums it would be on. I have it on CD but have only seen it once. wouldn't supirse me if it went in and out of print.

[Scupper]

"Kill the Poor," by the Dead Kennedys

Efficiency and progress
Is ours once more,
Now that we have
The Neutron Bomb.
It's nice and quick and clean
And gets things done.

Away with excess enemy
With no disvalue to property
No sense in war
But makes perfect sense at home...


It's the most sarcastic and cynical song I've ever heard.

[Duke]

"Knowing People" by Matthew Sweet (from the Altered Beast album). Incredibly misanthropic--and kinda strange too, as it's totally unlike most of his work.

[Jackmannii]

Harold the Barrel (Genesis).

Especially the part where Mom is brought in to talk Harold down off the window ledge...

"Your shirt's all dirty
And there's a man here from the BBC!"

[romanticide]

Creep - Radiohead

[Ogre]

"Postcard from a Hooker in Minneapolis," by Tom Waits

[Coldfire]

Sort of a naive-cynical verse, and a very condemning chorus. Noit strictly cynical, but I do believe it fits here.
They say there are strangers who threaten us,
Our immigrants and infidels.
They say there is strangeness to danger us
In our theatres and bookstore shelves,
That those who know what's best for us
Must rise and save us from ourselves.

Quick to judge,
Quick to anger,
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice
And fear walk hand in hand.

Rush Witch Hunt (Moving Pictures (http://www.bn.com.br/edson/outros/rush/9.html))
(C) 1981 Core Music Publishing (CAPAC) All Rights Reserved
(P) 1981 Anthem Group All Rights Reserved.

[Karma]

"God Shuffled His Feet" - Crash Test Dummies

[Spiny Norman]

How about "We will all go together when we go" by Tom Lehrer ?

About the major advantage of nuclear war: Noone will be left behind to feel sad, because "the bomb that drops on you gets your friends and neighbours too" - song to an upbeat and happy ragtime beat.

Snorman

[AHunter3]

Jethro Tull's many tracks dealing with religion; e.g.,
I don't believe you
You got the whole damn thing all wrong
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays

And let us not forget Country Joe and the Fish!
...and it's one, two, three,
what are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam...

But special Cynicism Awards ought to go to the Traveling Wilbury's for 'Congratulations':


Congratulations...For makin' me wait
Congratulations...Now it's too late
Congratulations...You came out on top
Congratulations...You never did know when to stop

[Cisco]

I challenge anyone to find a song more cynical than 'The Decline' by NOFX. It's talking about just giving up on the whole human existence, what could be more cynical than that? Here's a little snippet of it, if you want the whole lyrics you can do a google search or just download the song. (I dont think im allowed to post the complete lyrics here though am i? is that against board rules?)

The human existence is failing
Resistance essential. The future
Written off. The odds are astronomically
Against us only
Moron and genius would fight a
Losing battle against the super
Ego when giving in is so damn comforting

And so we go on with our lives we
Know the truth but prefer lies
Lies are simple. Simple is bliss. Why
Go against tradition when we can
Admit defeat. Live in decline. Be the
Victim of our own design
With status quo built on suspect.
Why would anyone stick out their
Neck fellow member of club
We've got ours. I'd
Like to introduce
You to our host
He's got his and I've
Got mine. Meet
THE DECLINE




BTW, alot of the songs that people are mentioning arent even really cynical by definition.

[Jonathan Chance]

Including yours Cisco. The only cynical song I've seen here are "Sell, Sell, Sell" by BNL.

From "Cambridge Dictionaries Online":


cynical adjective DISAPPROVING
I think she takes a rather cynical view of men.
I've always been deeply cynical about politicians.

(disapproving) Cynical can also be used more generally to describe a tendency to use the weaknesses or feelings of others to your own advantage.
She works in that most cynical of industries - advertising.
Saying I was a good cook was just a cynical ploy to get me to cook a meal for him.


Most of these are ironic or sarcastic or angry. I won't even bring up the MM or NIN stuff. Trent Reznors very existence is cynical...but his songs aren't.

You want cynical? I'll give you cynical. A song so cynical it tells you that it doesn't matter what it's about. You're gonna buy it anyway. If they do it right then you're helpless before it.


Hook
by Blues Traveler

It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel that I'll convey
Some inner truth of vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks

Because the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook brings you back
On that you can rely

There is something amiss
I am being insincere
In fact I don't mean any of this
Still my confession draws you near
To confuse the issue I refer
To familiar heroes from long ago
No matter how much Peter loved her
What made the Pan refuse to grow

Was that the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook brings you back
On that you can rely

Suck it in suck it in suck it in
If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn
Make a desperate move or else you'll win
And then begin
To see
What you're doing to me this MTV is not for free
It's so PC it's killing me
So desperately I sing to thee
Of love
Sure but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self
And I can't keep these feelings on the shelf
I've tried well no in fact I lied
Could be financial suicide but I've got too much pride inside
To hide or slide
I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride until I've died
And only then shall I abide this tide
Of catchy little tunes
Of hip three minute ditties
I wanna bust all your balloons
I wanna burn all of your cities
To the ground I've found
I will not mess around
Unless I play then hey
I will go on all day hear what I say
I have a prayer to pray
That's really all this was
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck
I don't rely on luck because...

The hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook...
On that you can rely

© 1994 Blues Traveler Publishing Corporation

[Cisco]

Cynical

First appeared 1584

1 : CAPTIOUS, PEEVISH

2 : having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic; especially : contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives <those ~ men who say that democracy cannot be honest and efficient --F. D. Roosevelt>

-- cyn*i*cal*ly (adverb)


synonym CYNICAL, MISANTHROPIC, PESSIMISTIC mean deeply distrustful. CYNICAL implies having a sneering disbelief in sincerity or integrity <cynical about politicians' motives>. MISANTHROPIC suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their society <a solitary and misanthropic artist>. PESSIMISTIC implies having a gloomy, distrustful view of life <pessimistic about the future>.


Read my lyrics again Jonathan, and for even more cynicism read the whole song. Nooge.

[JDeMobray]

Of course there's also Insanity by Oingo Boingo. Actualy, a lot of their stuff could qualify as being cynical; Grey Matter, Only A Lad, Nothing Bad Ever Happens, etc.

[Togepi no Miko]

"Small Circle of Friends" and "The Draft Dodger rag" by the late, great Phil Ochs.

'King Herod's Song" from Jesus Christ Superstar.

[Devorzhum]

Dirty Boulevard by Lou Reed is my main stream choice. "They don't dream of being a doctor, or lawyer, or anything...They dream of dealing on the boulevard."

Psyche Out by Meat Beat Manifesto

And of course there's always - Fistfucking God's Planet by Marduk

[idiotb0x]

Definitely has to be something by "Radiohead" how can you ignore lyrics like:

----------------------------
She lives with a broken man
A cracked polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and burns

He used to do surgery
For girls in the eighties
But gravity always wins
----------------------------
From "Green plastic trees"

Or

-----------------------------------
Karma police we've given all we can
it's not enough, we've given all we
can but we're still on the pay-role
-----------------------------------
From "Karma Police"

[AuntPam]

"First I Look At The Purse" by The J. Geils Band:

I don't care if she waddles like a duck,
Or talks with a lisp--
I'm gonna figure that I'm in luck
If her dollar bills are crisp!

Wonderful, snotty, funny, cynical rock'n'roll!

[Kid_Gilligan]

The country/western "classic" Stand by Your Man.

And if you love him, whoa be proud of him
'Cause after all he's just a man

[Dr. Rieux]

Okay, here's an obscure one:
From the soundtrack of Brain De Palma's 1974 cult classic, "Phantom of the Paradise," written and sung by Paul Williams.

"The Hell Of It" (second verse)

Love yourself as you love no other
Be no man's fool and be no man's brother
We're all born to die alone you know
And that's the hell of it
'Cause life's a game where they're bound to beat you
And time's a trick they can turn to cheat you
And we only waste it anyway
And that's the hell of it

[rowrrbazzle]

Most of Tom Lehrer's songs (http://www.rhino.com/features/liners/79831lin5.html) qualify, for example "When You Are Old and Gray", "Be Prepared" and "Werner von Braun": Now sing we the praises of Werner von Braun
A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience
Call him a Nazi, he won't even frown.
"Nazi, Schmazi" says Werner von Braun.And, of course, "Selling Out":It's so nice to have integrity,
I'll tell you why:
If you really have integrity,
It means your price is very high.

[Pink]

That one "In the Year 2525, If Man is Still Alive, if Woman Can Survive, They May Find..."

[woodstockbirdybird]

Nobody asked, but... Most cynical album would have to be a tie between Lou Reed'sMetal Machine Music and Kim Fowley'sI'm Bad (which was nothing but a blank disc).

[tulip baroo]

From Belle and Sebastian's "If You're Feeling Sinister":

Anthony went to his death because he thought he'd never feel this way again
If he goes back to the house, then things would go from bad to worse, what could he do?
He wants to remember things exactly as he left them on that sunny day
And if there is something else beyond he isn't scared
Because it's bound to be less boring than today
Bound to be less boring than tomorrow

Hilary went to her death because she couldn't think of anything to say
Everybody thought that she was boring so they never listened anyway
Nobody was really saying anything of interest, she fell asleep
She was into S&M and Bible studies, not everyone's cup of tea, she would admit to me
Her cup of tea she would admit to no one...

[Alessan]

Come on, people, you're ignoring the obvious. To be truly cynical, you have to be subtle, and you have to be funny - use a scalpel, not a hatchet. That's why the true master of cynicism is in fact Randy Neuman. The examples are nearly limitless - Political Science, or Rednecks, or My Life Is Good (especially this one).

Of course, cynicism is most effective when coming from an artist who is not generally percieved to be cynical. Take Billy Joel's Stilleto or Angry Young Man.

[Johanna]

There was a 1930s song by a Hungarian (or should that be an Hungarian?) bloke in the 1930s called "Gloomy Sunday" that inspired a rash of suicides.