# Blights on Otherwise Good Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675 "2011-10-14T21:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/21 "2011-10-15T12:42:39Z")
Duffy’s “Mercy” is a great tribute to northern soul. While she has a wonderful voice she can not pull of the “Yes I DOOOOOOOO” line at the of the second verse “But you got to understand that I need a man who can take my hand. Yes I dooo!” There’s just something so unnatural and unhip about the way she says it, I cringe with embarassment for her. Same with Grace Potter and the Nocturnal’s “Paris” (the ooh la la song). It’s a failry rocking song and Ms. Potter has some pipes but her superfous “woos” and “uhns” sound almost selfconscious and are distracting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/22 "2011-10-15T14:31:55Z")
“I Am Made of You” from Alice Cooper’s “Welcome 2 My Nightmare”. It’s a great song, but why did Bob Ezrin have to stink it up with that autotune? ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/23 "2011-10-15T15:25:53Z")
[Pancho and Lefty, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvdmxszsDM8). A brilliant interpretation of a masterful Townes Van Zandt composition. So why start it with 22 seconds of cheesy Casio playing that sounds like nothing else in the song? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/24 "2011-10-15T15:41:31Z")
Til Tuesday, “Voices Carry,” at the very end: “HE SAID SHUT UP! HE SAID SHUT UP! OH GOD WON’T YOU! KEEEEEP IT DOWWWWWN!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/25 "2011-10-15T19:41:11Z")
_One Vision_ by **Queen**. . . “. . . gimme gimme gimme . . . fried chicken!!!” Um, say what? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/26 "2011-10-15T20:25:55Z")
If there’s any song that’s ever been helped by a spoken part I can’t think of it, but _Are You Lonesome Tonight_ is a great song that is almost ruined by one. _Never Been to Me_ is a flawed song but has such a pretty melody that it might have been an A- at least had it not been for the syrupy spoken part that lowers it to a C-. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/27 "2011-10-15T23:21:39Z")
Regina Spektor’s “Folding Chair”. I like Regina Spektor and I know she does a lot of unusual stuff in her songs but I can’t get past the “dolphin song”. [At the two minute mark](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCvgXmg0m1g) Part of me hates it because it sounds batshit stupid. Part of me hates it because it sounds like a sea lion, not a dolphin. It should be “Ek, eek, eek” not “Ook, ook, ook” :mad: ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/28 "2011-10-16T00:58:31Z")
> [@GildedLily](#): > > _Breath deep > The gathering gloom > Watch lights fade > From every room > Bedsitter people > Look back and lament > Another day’s useless > Energy spent_ > > From an otherwise enjoyable **Nights in White Satin** by **The Moody Blues**. I was odd among my acid loving friends back around 93-96 for liking such an unconventional (read: non-Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd) band, but most got into **The Other Side of Life Tonight** and other Moody Blues hits. But the second the voice-over for **Nights in White Satin** started we all pretty much laughed our asses off, in a bad way, no matter our state of mind. My copy of this song in iTunes is set up to stop at the natural end-point, before the atrocious voice-over can start. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/29 "2011-10-16T07:48:08Z")
I think Sonic Youth’s “Mote” is a terrific song that has several worthless minutes of feedback tacked on the end. And the Foo Fighters’ “Monkey Wrench” is a pretty rockin’ tune, but it has this pause toward the beginning that just lasts a bit too long. Fortunately, thanks to the joys of modern editing software, I was able to get rid of the stuff I didn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/30 "2011-10-16T09:52:42Z")
The synthesizer solo at the end of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s _Lucky Man_. Bombastic overkill for a mellow song I know- they had to put it in their so Emerson had something to do on the song, but still. Emerson’s not overly fond of it (or the song) either). ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/31 "2011-10-16T10:47:59Z")
I don’t know why the Beatles tacked on the canned laughter at the end of “Within Without You.” It sounds like they’re intentionally pooping on all the mystical sitar stuff that came immediately beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/32 "2011-10-16T11:56:06Z")
Audioslave’s [Shadow On The Sun](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zhSRNFeQpM) is a hauntingly beautiful song that is completely ruined by Chris’ screeching death metal vocals at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/33 "2011-10-16T17:31:01Z")
The ending to “Hey Jude.” ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/34 "2011-10-17T01:45:10Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > In Sade’s “By Your Side” there’s an acoustic rhythm guitar being strummed, and on every major change of chord, there’s a _screeeeech_ from the guitarist dragging his obviously dry-as-a-bone, calloused paw along the guitar strings. Why this was left on the record, I don’t know, but I can’t hear anything but, it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard… Absolutely what I intended to post about. That was a good sexin’ song until I started noticing that skkkreeeeek. Annoying!! Otherwise, great song. Incidentally, that horrible screech occurs in another song on that same album, can’t think of it now. Get your boys some damn lotion, Sade. I’m not the biggest Tom Petty fan to begin with, but that _tic tic tic tic TIC_ in “Learning to Fly” always sounded like some jerk tapping a beer can on the chair arm or end table to me. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/35 "2011-10-17T02:01:55Z")
Don’t Fear the Reaper would have been listenable had they only included more cowbell. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/36 "2011-10-17T10:34:28Z")
I don’t like the song hence I can’t remember the title but there’s a Beatles song that goes totally serial killer right in the middle. Otherwise pleasant song except for that really odd bit. The music just goes crazy tense for about thirty seconds and then back to calm. I can see how that would ruin my enjoyment of the song, if I actually enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/37 "2011-10-17T11:25:34Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > I don’t like the song hence I can’t remember the title but there’s a Beatles song that goes totally serial killer right in the middle. Otherwise pleasant song except for that really odd bit. The music just goes crazy tense for about thirty seconds and then back to calm. I can see how that would ruin my enjoyment of the song, if I actually enjoyed it. “[A Day in the Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty7VfI9Nj2E&feature=related)”. It was the first song I thought of after reading the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/38 "2011-10-17T12:12:52Z")
> [@kelly5078](#): > > It seems like nobody has a bad thing to say about “Something,” but that line “You know I believe, and how” is such a miserable lyric that it ruins the whole song for me. And how. 🙂 But really, I totally agree. When I hear that part I can’t help but visualize Spanky from ‘Our Gang’ exclaiming, “And how!”. Talk about being taken out of a song. mmm ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/39 "2011-10-17T12:26:43Z")
I’ve probably whined about this before. The ridiculous spoken parts in nearly every Moody Blues song, fortunately edited out of the singles. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/40 "2011-10-17T13:28:19Z")
> [@GildedLily](#): > > _Breath deep > The gathering gloom > Watch lights fade > From every room > Bedsitter people > Look back and lament > Another day’s useless > Energy spent_ > > From an otherwise enjoyable **Nights in White Satin** by **The Moody Blues**. I was odd among my acid loving friends back around 93-96 for liking such an unconventional (read: non-Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd) band, but most got into **The Other Side of Life Tonight** and other Moody Blues hits. But the second the voice-over for **Nights in White Satin** started we all pretty much laughed our asses off, in a bad way, no matter our state of mind. FTW. How mortifying for them! It cracks me up too. > [@Koxinga](#): > > Til Tuesday, “Voices Carry,” at the very end: “HE SAID SHUT UP! HE SAID SHUT UP! OH GOD WON’T YOU! KEEEEEP IT DOWWWWWN!!!” But it’s nice in the video because she’s embarrassing her asshole boyfriend in front of everyone at the opera. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675.md?page=3)