# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/41 "2011-10-17T13:41:59Z")
Wilco’s “Less Than You Think” is a lovely bit of music until the 12 minutes of metal machine noise at the end. IIRC Jeff Tweedy was trying to simulate something about his migraines, but honestly, I see no need to suffer along with him. ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/42 "2011-10-17T16:30:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The organ solo on “Light My Fire.” It was deleted from the single, thank God, but it’s awful. I was going to post about the electric organ in any Doors song - or any song from that era. The electric organ sound during that time period is just grating. ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/43 "2011-10-17T16:39:42Z")
Ok, three more: 1. The last minute of every Prince song that I can think of right now. Probably the greatest funk/dance musician of my lifetime, but the man could not figure out how to end a song. 2. Ditto on the spoken word issue - the worst offender? The Ink Spots. 3. Chicago’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”. Sure it’s schmaltz, but it was original (before every Chicago song became schmaltz in the mid to late 80’s) but it was a great slow dancing song. But Chicago didn’t trust their own song, and added the jarring and awful “Get Away” to it - ruining the last slow song/romantic moment to numerous high school dances. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/44 "2011-10-17T17:18:20Z")
Ben Folds’ song [Cologne](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laq1TrnGQyw) is one of his best solo songs IMHO. Amazing lyrics with amazing music. Well it could be his best, if there wasn’t this bit in the middle about a story that was in the news at the (presumed) time of writing: “Says here an astronaut Put on a pair of diapers Drove 18 hours To kill her boyfriend” It takes what could be a timeless song and makes it timely and topical. And the words are not poetic. And it’s gross. Pisses me the hell off. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/45 "2011-10-17T17:24:43Z")
**Sorrow** by Bad Religion. Would be one of the top 10 modern rock songs ever if not for the static crunch during every chorus “And there will be…” CRUNCH!!! “…sorrow”. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/46 "2011-10-17T17:52:00Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > 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-. “It’s that BABY you’re HOLDING!” Urrrgh, I agree. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/47 "2011-10-17T17:56:04Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Ben Folds’ song [Cologne](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laq1TrnGQyw) is one of his best solo songs IMHO. Amazing lyrics with amazing music. > > Well it could be his best, if there wasn’t this bit in the middle about a story that was in the news at the (presumed) time of writing: > > “Says here an astronaut > Put on a pair of diapers > Drove 18 hours > To kill her boyfriend” > > It takes what could be a timeless song and makes it timely and topical. And the words are not poetic. And it’s gross. > > Pisses me the hell off. I completely agree with this. I forgot about it, otherwise I would have beaten you to it. The whole song comes to a crashing halt in that portion. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/48 "2011-10-17T18:48:58Z")
The guitar solo in Rage Against the Machines “Killing in the Name”. It sounds like a toddler rubbing 30 grit sandpaper against a theramin. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/49 "2011-10-17T19:22:04Z")
Buddy Holly’s “Dearest” is just about perfect. Until he drops into a gravelly non-singing voice to do a “I love you” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/50 "2011-10-19T03:24:14Z")
Too many for me to get started listing, but in general, I also dislike spoken parts, as well as near-rhymes (such as “time” and “mind”), off-rhythms (particularly when the wrong syllable is emphasized), and inverted word order (of the “happy I always will be” variety). To me, those are the signs of a lazy lyricist, and if he doesn’t care, why should I? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/51 "2011-10-19T03:50:07Z")
> [@Sam\_A.Robrin](#): > > Too many for me to get started listing, but in general, I also dislike spoken parts, as well as near-rhymes (such as “time” and “mind”), off-rhythms (particularly when the wrong syllable is emphasized), and inverted word order (of the “happy I always will be” variety). To me, those are the signs of a lazy lyricist, and if he doesn’t care, why should I? Agree, agree I do. But for who else is it a crime? I’m afraid it’s seen as so for only you and I. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/52 "2011-10-19T04:29:05Z")
The guitar solo in Pantera’s “Walk” kind of takes me out of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/53 "2011-10-20T07:55:27Z")
Dream On by Aerosmith, where Tyler sends his voice up, and higher, can he go higher? Well, not without causing actual pain to the listener, no… ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/54 "2011-10-23T20:38:58Z")
There are quite a few good songs that unfortunately feature the “walk/talk” rhyme which I cringe at. It’s the most lazy, pointless rhyme and yet it made its way into dozens of great songs (and about thousands of awful ones). ---
**Author:** ![Trick\_Rider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Trick\_Rider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trick_Rider)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/55 "2011-10-23T21:54:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty. Had my ipod on shuffle and this song started just as I was reading your post. I like the song “Who Are You”, but can’t stand the little "Who? Who? Who? Who?"s that appear after every instance of the phrase “Who are you?” ---
**Author:** ![dasmili](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@dasmili](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmili)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/56 "2011-10-24T10:56:38Z")
The cackling at the beginning and end of Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz is annoying. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/57 "2011-10-24T11:09:55Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Gah! Yes, so annoying. > > There’s a Beck song that has about a full minute of guitar feedback at the end of it that makes me insane. I can’t think of which song it is, though. (I know he uses feedback in a lot of his songs, but this one is excessive.) Beercan. Agree totally. About my favorite Beck song, but ouch! Someone mentioned that Prince doesn’t know how to end a song. Same goes for Eric Clapton. Motherless Children, Let it Rain, several others. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675/58 "2011-10-24T12:12:49Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > The Fugees cover of Killing me Softly is a beautiful song sung by Lauren Hill with the terrible call/response crap near the beginning and some random weirdness at the end, it drove me so crazy I actually edited the song. Several Lauryn Hill songs from “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” would be substantially improved by having just one less rap track. “Everything is Everything,” in particular, has Hill herself doing a background rap while she sings, and it’s just too intrusive. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blights-on-otherwise-good-songs/599675.md?page=2)