# Great songs with not so great lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 30, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630 "2025-01-30T17:36:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/1 "2025-01-30T17:36:44Z")
I really love Van Morrison music. He has produced some great music down through the years and has written some really beautiful songs. I was listening to And It Stoned Me yesterday. I’ve always liked the song but never really listened to the words. And when I did, well, they seemed a bit clunky. In the first 4 lines he rhymes: _And the rain came pourin’ **down** _ With _With a silver half a **crown** :_ The next 4 lines: Hands are full of a fishin’ rod And the tackle on our **backs** We just stood there gettin’ wet With our backs against the **fence** “back” and “fence”? Not only that, he uses ‘back’ twice which doesn’t flow well to my ears. And then there’s: _And it stoned me to my soul_ _Stoned me just like jelly roll_ Jelly roll sems to come out of no where. Sure, it rhymes and I read it is thought to be reference to JR Morton but still… _Almost let a pick-up truck nearly pass us by_ Almost nearly? I love the song, and, yes, I’m nit-picking but it seems he phoned these lyrics in. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/2 "2025-01-30T17:49:39Z")
I’ve always allowed myself a momentary inner smile when I hear Ozzy sing the first lines of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”: Generals gathered in their masses Just like witches at black masses I guess rhyming “masses” with “masses” is just about the most perfect rhyme you could ever hope for. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/3 "2025-01-30T17:57:29Z")
I remain duly impressed with George Harrison for turning a dozen lines of second-rate teenage love poetry into the banger that is “What Is Life.” ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/4 "2025-01-30T18:04:43Z")
Agreed, though a banger it is. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/5 "2025-01-30T18:08:02Z")
Terrible lyrics, but a pretty good tune > Someone’s knocking at the door > Somebody ringing the bell > Someone’s knocking at the door > Somebody’s ringing the bell > Do me a favor > Open the door, let 'em in, yeah, let 'em in ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/6 "2025-01-30T18:27:10Z")
_Africa_ by Toto has some lyrics that are obscure enough that people don’t even agree on what they are: Is it “A hundred men or more” or “A hundred men on Mars” ? Iirc, the members of Toto have admitted that some of the lyrics were just placeholders. Having said that, the song has a great melody, and is beautifully produced. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/7 "2025-01-30T18:29:25Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > I remain duly impressed with George Harrison for turning a dozen lines of second-rate teenage love poetry into the banger that is “What Is Life.” Personally, I prefer those lyrics to “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” which sounds like it was written as an advertisement for a rhyming dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/8 "2025-01-30T18:31:06Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Terrible lyrics, but a pretty good tune Darn you, sir… now I have that tune stuck in my head! (shakes fist at **Procrustus** ) ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/9 "2025-01-30T18:31:44Z")
And then there was that time Nirvana rhymed mosquito with libido … 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/10 "2025-01-30T18:32:51Z")
I submit the entire song “Stay With Me” by Rod Stewart and the Faces. There is nothing socially redeaming in the song. It’s a one-night stand of the worst kind > [@](#): > > Yeah, I’ll pay your cab fare home > You can even use my best cologne > Just don’t be here in the morning when I wake up. But the music… That comes on the car radio, and I’m crankin’ it up! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/11 "2025-01-30T18:35:34Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Personally, I prefer those lyrics to “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” which sounds like it was written as an advertisement for a rhyming dictionary. Love, love that song, but: _I look at the floor_ _And I see it needs sweeping_ Pa-leeze. Reminds me of that old CW song, Good Year For Roses [(Elvis Costello)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hBWBVVFA4c) _But what a good year for the roses_ _Many blooms still linger there_ _**[The lawn could stand another mowing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hBWBVVFA4c)**_ _It’s funny, I don’t even care_ Also: _I look from the wings_ _At the play you are staging_ _'Cause I’m sitting here_ _Doing nothing but aging_ Yipes! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/12 "2025-01-30T18:50:10Z")
I’m reminded of the possibly apocryphal statement supposedly made by Peter Gabriel: “There have been many great songs with terrible lyrics. There have been no great songs with terrible music.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/13 "2025-01-30T19:11:09Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Iirc, the members of Toto have admitted that some of the lyrics were just placeholders. > > Having said that, the song has a great melody, and is beautifully produced. My bucket list includes a trip to Africa just so that I can post a photo on social media with the caption “Kilimanjaro, rising like Olympus above the Serengeti”. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/14 "2025-01-30T19:15:48Z")
The Rolling Stones are good for this. I love the Stones, but a lot of their song lyrics when read do sound kind of shite. I believe Mick Jagger has said as much in interviews, that lyric writing is hard and most of their lyrics wouldn’t stand up to much scrutiny minus the music. Take ‘Tumbing Dice’-- great jam. Here are samples of the lyrics: _Women think I’m tasty, but they’re always tryin’ to waste me_ _Baby, got no flavor, fever in the funk house now_ _This low down bitchin’ got my poor feet a itchin’_ No wonder Mick sort of slur-sings most of his songs, so you can’t really tell what he’s saying 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/15 "2025-01-30T19:46:29Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Nirvana rhymed mosquito with libido … 🤢 OTOH, I’m sure many men have discovered their libido delivered them into the clutches of blood-suckers far more dangerous than mere insects. 😉 > [@jsc1953](#): > > “Kilimanjaro, rising like Olympus above the Serengeti”. Probably the single most forced-sounding lyric of all time. To make the syllable count fit the beat they came up with this abomination!!!??!1!?? > aaaaaabooooovvvvvvvv thuuuh serengeTEEEEEEEE IANA music or poetry expert, but jeez Louise even I can tell that stinks. But, yeah, that does make a cool bucket list item. When you do that, be sure to post it here too. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/16 "2025-01-30T19:49:55Z")
How 'bout “I am, I said” by Neil Diamond. _I am I said_ _to no one there_ _and no on heard at all_ _not even the chair_ I mean, do you really expect your chair to listen? “I need to talk, get me my chair on line one” said no one ever. Still, it’s a great tune ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/17 "2025-01-30T20:10:19Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@jsc1953](#): > > > > “Kilimanjaro, rising like Olympus above the Serengeti”. > > Probably the single most forced-sounding lyric of all time. To make the syllable count fit the beat they came up with this abomination!!!??!1!?? And the only way it can get smooshed into the stanza is to pronounce it _SARE’_-en-geh-_tee,_ first and last syllables accented but the main stress on the first. You know, the way no one in history has ever said it! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/18 "2025-01-30T20:12:32Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Love, love that song, but: > > _I look at the floor_ > _And I see it needs sweeping_ Did you notice the world keeps turning and we keep learning? Deep stuff. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/19 "2025-01-30T20:16:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > To make the syllable count fit the beat they came up with this abomination!!!??!1!?? “When the rain wa-SHEZZ you clean, you’ll know…” (just stress error, not syllable count error, but still) – Fleetwood Mac, “Dreams” ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630/20 "2025-01-30T20:17:35Z")
Except that Kilimanjaro is about 250 miles from the Serengeti, so they can’t be in the same photo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-with-not-so-great-lyrics/1013630.md?page=2)