'Bye, Bye Love" by The Cars: 'broken lullaby' or 'effing lullaby?'

Cafe Society
1

Listening to the Cars’ “Bye, Bye, Love,” I keep hearing ‘fucking alibi;’ of course, when I go to lyrics.com, I read ‘broken lullaby’ so, next time, I hear ‘broken lullaby’.

My reasons for thinking ‘fucking alibi’:

  1. lyrics.com is generally made up stuff by people who don’t know what the song is saying.
  2. It fits the overall theme of the song
  3. IIRC, I saw a video of the Cars on Youtube, and it seemed that they said ‘jerking alibi/lullaby’ which would serve for a replacement for ‘f-ing alibi/lullaby.’ ‘Jerking’ would be a stupid replacement for ‘broken.’

Can anyone help on this one?

Thanks,
hh

2

I’ve always heard “broken,” and may have once read it in official liner notes. Ocasek was known for enjoying surreal phrasing and imagery so the fact that it doesn’t make much sense militates in favor, not against, “broken” in my mind.

3

ETA: I own the album still, it turns out. Liner notes definitely read “broken.”

4

I’ve always heard ‘broken’.

5

Always thought it was effing.

Learn something new every day.

6

Thanks for your input, guys!

hh

7

Wow. i thought it was alibi.

8

No.

That would almost make sense, and that’s the one thing arty bands are dead set against . . . .