# Lazy song writing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 13, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957 "2021-12-13T01:50:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/41 "2021-12-14T00:32:34Z")
Before you go out into the desert, give your horse a fucking name! ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/42 "2021-12-14T00:42:05Z")
Why? It’s probably going to be the only horse there. It’s not as if you are going to have trouble identifying it. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/43 "2021-12-14T01:21:43Z")
Anything from Emerson Lake (mostly Lake, I think). As long as the lines rhymed in time to the music, it went in. ---
**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:** [December 14, 2021, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/44 "2021-12-14T02:59:36Z")
More Beatles… Her name was Magill, and she called herself Lill, but everyone knew her as Nancy. That’s a lot of lyric space to waste for a forced rhyme. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/45 "2021-12-14T09:43:46Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > ETA: I still maintain that he sings _in which we’re living_ , but no one else seems to agree with me. [Sir Paul agrees with you.](https://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=7839) Well, sort of… ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/46 "2021-12-14T14:09:08Z")
Since you mentioned Neil Diamond…he did a song called “Play Me” that included the words “Songs she sang to me, songs she brang to me.” Yes, brang. Really, Neil? You couldn’t think of something to rhyme with “sang” so you just made up a word? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/47 "2021-12-14T14:31:03Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > Since you mentioned Neil Diamond… 🎶 _Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing_… 🎶 ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/48 "2021-12-14T15:14:47Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > More lazy production than writing, but in **A Quick One** The Who chant “cello, cello, cello” repeatedly as a placeholder for strings. The strings were never added and the word “cello” appears 24 times in the official lyrics. I think this was more a case of the lads being cheeky than lazy. The story I heard was that Pete wanted strings, but they didn’t have the budget, so instead just sang “cello, cello, cello”. I always smile when I hear it. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/49 "2021-12-14T15:20:09Z")
Bad Neil Diamond lyrics deserve a separate thread. [Cracklin’ Rosie](https://www.google.com/search?q=cracklin+rosie+lyrics&oq=cracklin+rosie+lyrics&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l3j0i22i30l6.1080j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/50 "2021-12-14T15:33:16Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Why? It’s probably going to be the only horse there. It’s not as if you are going to have trouble identifying it. Add to that, if you can’t remember your own name why would you be able to remember that of some horse? I get that Rock n Roll is supposed to be all rebelly and junk, but you’d think just once someone would work out when to use “you and me” vs. “you and I”. Seems like they always go with “I” when it should be “me”. Except the Moody Blues’ song, _You and Me_ which, grammatically, should be _You and I_ based on how the lyric is structured. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/51 "2021-12-14T15:53:10Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Add to that, if you can’t remember your own name why would you be able to remember that of some horse? The line in the song goes “in the desert, you CAN remember your name 'cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/52 "2021-12-14T16:11:11Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > The line in the song goes “in the desert, you CAN remember your name 'cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain.” …suggesting that there are other places where it’s considerably more difficult to remember your name. Which suggests to me that “remember your name” may not be meant to be taken completely literally. And so there may be something more involved in the horse having no name than the bare literal meaning of that, either. But if so, elephino what it’s supposed to symbolize. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/53 "2021-12-14T16:20:23Z")
Also, in the desert the heat is hot. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/54 "2021-12-14T20:00:07Z")
“The heat was hot…” ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/55 "2021-12-14T20:38:55Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I get that Rock n Roll is supposed to be all rebelly and junk, but you’d think just once someone would work out when to use “you and me” vs. “you and I”. Seems like they always go with “I” when it should be “me”. Except the Moody Blues’ song, _You and Me_ which, grammatically, should be _You and I_ based on how the lyric is structured. As nonsensical as most Jon Anderson lyrics are, he got this one right. > **[Lyrics for And You And I by Yes - Songfacts](https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/yes/and-you-and-i)** > > Lyrics and video for the song And You And I by Yes - Songfacts ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/56 "2021-12-14T22:22:57Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > The line in the song goes “in the desert, you CAN remember your name… Guess I owe a contribution to the misheard song lyrics thread. 🙂 For over half a century my brother and I have been leery of spending any amount of time in a desert because, well. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/57 "2021-12-15T00:34:54Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > More lazy production than writing, but in **A Quick One** The Who chant “cello, cello, cello” repeatedly as a placeholder for strings Cite? I always heard “Jealous jealous jealous…” and that seemed to fit the song—right after that there are admissions of kissing a few, sitting on the lap of/having a nap with the engine driver. And then, “You are forgiven…” I googled and musixmatch lyrics come up “Jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/58 "2021-12-15T00:52:13Z")
Two examples that irk me: bad grammar > She’s got a love for me that’ll never die, > But that would change if she ever found out about you and I. …and lazy rhyming. > Let’s talk this over, > It’s not like we’re dead. > Is it something I did? Is it something you said? > Don’t leave me hanging in a city so dead… ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/59 "2021-12-15T00:59:11Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > googled and musixmatch lyrics come up “Jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald jerrald.” Skip past the first Google hit and almost all other posted lyrics say “cello”. I can’t find one that says “jealous”. The story about “cello” being a placeholder is everywhere, including Wikipedia, but I can’t find a quote from anybody directly involved. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957/60 "2021-12-15T01:01:43Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Skip past the first Google hit and almost all other posted lyrics say “cello”. I can’t find one that says “jealous”. The story about “cello” being a placeholder is everywhere, including Wikipedia, but I can’t find a quote from anybody directly involved. OK. I thought it might have been printed in lyrics on the sleeve with the album etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lazy-song-writing/955957.md?page=4)