I had no contributions until this comment kick-started my brain into musicals (and both my examples are from the same writer):
Rent “Another Day” (actually, there’s a number of arguments in this show. “Take Me or Leave Me” and “Goodbye Love” pop into my mind).
And a comical argument in Tick Tick…Boom “Therapy”.
Now it’s four am
And we have therapy tomorrow
It’s too late to screw
So let’s just get some rest
The rest of the lyrics are here, scroll down to “Strachan”: Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos
“The Last Supper” from Jesus Christ Superstar
Not a perfect fit, but A Little Time by the Beautiful South has something of the feel of an argument, and is great song to boot.
A Little Nightmare Music, An Opera In One Irrevocable Act, by PDQ Bach. It’s mostly an argument sung in counterpoint to Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. The link contains a tiny RealAudio clip.
I’ll mention “Waltz for Evita & Che” only because it’s such a beautiful song.
“Don’t You Want Me Baby” by Human League. First thing that popped into my mind.
You were working as a waitress
In a cocktail bar
When I met you
I picked you out
I shook you up
You’re a bum! You’re a punk!
You’re an old slut on junk, lying there almost dead oon a drip in that bed.
You scumbag! You maggot! You cheap, lousy faggot! ‘Happy Christmas’ your arse. I pray God it’s our last!
“I Can Do Without You” from the musical Calamity Jane
“Hatred (A Duet)” by The Kinks
“Tramp” by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. One of the best! Sample:
“You know what, Otis?”
“What?”
“You’re country.”
“That’s all right.”
“You straight from the Georgia woods.”
“That’s good.”
“You know what? You wear overalls, and big old brogan shoes, and you need a haircut, Tramp.”
Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Not sure if you’d actually call that an argument
Continuing on the Musicals vein, Chess “Quartet” and (obviously enough) “Argument”. And “Nobody’s Side” and “The Deal (No Deal)”.
Lots of conflict in that show.
The Steets- The Irony of it All
…
Causing trouble, your stinking rabble
Boys saying I’m the lad who’s spoiling it
You’re on drugs it really bugs me when people try and tell me I’m a thug
Just for getting drunk
I like getting drunk
You could also toss in “Nobody’s Side.”
:smack: I meant to do that.
No, I meant to say “Someone Else’s Story” from the OBC.
Heard this done live by Molly & the Tinker, and was one of the reasons I bought their CD.
“Jackstraw” by the Grateful Dead.
"Keep Your Hnads to Yourself" by the Georgia Satellites recounts an argument of sorts:
*See I wanted her real bad
And I was about to give in
Thats when she started talking about true love
Started talking about sin *
Similarly, “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy and Monica.
Also, “Shut Up” by the Black Eyed Peas.
Bo Diddley’s “Say Man” consists of the man himself and maracas player Jerome Green exchanging trash talk including the line “But that chick looked so ugly she had to sneak up on a glass to get her a drink of water!”