# 'Bye, Bye Love" by The Cars: 'broken lullaby' or 'effing lullaby?' **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174 "2011-09-04T18:34:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/1 "2011-09-04T18:34:44Z")
Listening to the Cars’ “Bye, Bye, Love,” I keep hearing ‘fucking alibi;’ of course, when I go to [lyrics.com](http://lyrics.com), I read ‘broken lullaby’ so, next time, I hear ‘broken lullaby’. My reasons for thinking ‘fucking alibi’: 1. [lyrics.com](http://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 ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/2 "2011-09-04T18:39:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/3 "2011-09-04T19:05:19Z")
ETA: I own the album still, it turns out. Liner notes definitely read “broken.” ---
**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:** [September 4, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/4 "2011-09-04T20:14:39Z")
I’ve always heard ‘broken’. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/5 "2011-09-04T20:51:48Z")
Always thought it was effing. Learn something new every day. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/6 "2011-09-05T00:10:22Z")
Thanks for your input, guys! hh ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/7 "2011-09-05T02:19:56Z")
Wow. i thought it was alibi. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/8 "2011-09-05T02:22:33Z")
> [@Sir\_Prize](#): > > Wow. i thought it was alibi. No. That would almost make sense, and that’s the one thing arty bands are dead set against . . . . ---
**Author:** ![boozebaron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boozebaron/32/15410_2.png) [@boozebaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozebaron)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/9 "2023-11-09T12:57:05Z")
I’ve been digging around for yrs on this as I thought it was f’n alibis… someone says the broken or whatever it truly is on the liner notes fits the song. I totally disagree. Was shocked they broke up after decades then his sudden passing right after that. To me these guys made my 80’s and will always be f’n alibis! 😉 to each their own peace. BB 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/10 "2023-11-09T13:21:23Z")
I can only hear “broken lullaby” and you can find isolated vocals on Youtube: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ayVO4igiZxg/maxresdefault.jpg "Benjamin Orr Vocals Only ~ Bye Bye Love~ from The Cars Debut Album 1978 © Ric Ocasek") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayVO4igiZxg&t=52/) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/11 "2023-11-09T13:22:15Z")
^ Go to 0:48 of that video. For some reason, the time stamp isn’t working in the link. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/12 "2023-11-09T13:30:53Z")
Until now I always thought is was “broken alibi” (which I think also works lyrically). TIL 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/13 "2023-11-09T13:43:56Z")
Same. I always heard “broken alibi”. Just listened to the isolated vocals – it’s not my fault I heard “alibi” because he basically says “lalliby”, not “lullaby” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/14 "2023-11-09T14:08:35Z")
I thought it was “perky letter by (bye?)”. I didn’t have the liner notes, and Cars lyrics never make sense anyway! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/15 "2023-11-09T14:22:22Z")
“Suede blue eyes” makes no sense to you? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/16 "2023-11-09T14:46:17Z")
Well, did he mean eye shadow, or iris? 🙂 But what’s a wavy midnight? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/17 "2023-11-09T14:48:09Z")
Something to do with an electric angel rock and roller, I’m told. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/18 "2023-11-09T14:50:36Z")
I hear what you’re playin! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/19 "2023-11-09T17:53:43Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > it’s not my fault I heard “alibi” because he basically says “lalliby”, not “lullaby” You know, you’re right. I never noticed it as I’ve always had “lullaby” in my head, but, yeah, the vowel definitely sounds like it’s fronted towards an /æ/ (as in “cat”) than a back vowel like /ʌ/ as in “cut.” ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174/20 "2023-11-09T18:11:50Z")
It’s so clear in isolation. I always heard ‘workin’ alibi’ or ‘perfect alibi.’ Now, about that orangy sky… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-love-by-the-cars-broken-lullaby-or-effing-lullaby/595174.md?page=2)