# Literal complaints at lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371 "2019-01-07T21:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/181 "2019-02-06T00:46:04Z")
Thanks. “Thunder only, happens when it’s, rai-ee-ai-eening.” Not necessarily, Stevie. It can presage a storm. “When the rain wah-_shez_ you clean, you’ll know…” Huh? What? I’ll know what, exactly? About players coming and going? Next time I’ll take a shower outside during a storm for some answers, then. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/182 "2019-02-06T05:46:11Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Is everybody _really_ Kung Fu fighting? Those kids were fast as lightning. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/183 "2019-02-06T06:06:22Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Thanks. > > “Thunder only, happens when it’s, rai-ee-ai-eening.” > > Not necessarily, Stevie. It can presage a storm. > > “When the rain wah-_shez_ you clean, you’ll know…” > > Huh? What? > I’ll know what, exactly? > About players coming and going? > Next time I’ll take a shower outside during a storm for some answers, then. Do you actually like any songs at all? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/184 "2019-02-06T07:47:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Do you actually like any songs at all? Sure yeah, definitely - there’s a couple artists I’m sponsored to tolerate. The entire lyrics of Dio’s “Man On the Silver Mountain” are a bit of a handful. Not sure which ones are my favourites, maybe these epic Frazetta-inspired _bon mots_: “'cause I’m the sun, I’m the sun I can move, I can run But you’ll never stop me burning” “I’m the day, I’m the day I can show you the way And look I’m right beside you” The way that guy gets around - heh, LOOK OUT! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/185 "2019-02-06T14:27:26Z")
There is someone who really needs you Here’s my heart in my hand Turn around, look at me I cannot listen to that song because the mental image makes me sick. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/186 "2019-02-06T23:12:42Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > In a similar vein, there’s the song “Angel in Blue” by the J. Geils Band. It has the lines: > > _And the bees they had stung her > The birds they had flown > There were guys she could number > But none had she known_ > > The line should have been: > > _And the bees they had stung her > The birds they had flown > There were guys she could number > But none to count on_ > > The connection of number and count would have tied it together, like the birds and the bees in the previous pair of lines. > > I’ll grant that flown/on aren’t as good a rhyme as flown/known. But this is a band that rhymed desk/dress, down/sound, grind/mine, and him/win. However, you’re changing the meaning of the lyrics. In the original, it’s basically saying that she’s screwed a lot of guys, but didn’t actually have a relationship with them. Your change makes it say that she knows a lot of guys, but can’t trust any of them. Since the song is about a stripper, I suspect the former is a more accurate. Especially when we’re talking about the group whose big hit is “Angel in the Centerfold”, about a guy who feels betrayed because his high school crush is now modeling for a nudie magazine. Talk about a madonna-whore complex. ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/187 "2019-02-07T13:39:33Z")
“Ironic” is kind of low-hanging fruit here, and I’m surprised it does not seem to have been mentioned. This verse really gets my goat: _Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye He waited his whole damn life to take that flight And as the plane crashed down he thought “Well, isn’t this nice.” And isn’t it ironic, don’t you think_ No, I don’t think. I’ll tell you what actually would have been ironic - if Mr Play It Safe was so afraid to fly that he packed his suitcase, kissed his wife and kids goodbye, and got a train. Which then crashed and killed him. Especially if his wife and kids were actually on a plane for the same journey, which was perfectly safe. Missed opportunity there, Ms Morissette. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/188 "2019-02-07T18:27:41Z")
“We built this city on rock and roll.” Wouldn’t it make more sense to build it with bricks and mortar? ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/189 "2019-02-07T18:30:00Z")
> [@Scougs](#): > > “Ironic” is kind of low-hanging fruit here, and I’m surprised it does not seem to have been mentioned. > > This verse really gets my goat: > > _Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly > He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye > He waited his whole damn life to take that flight > And as the plane crashed down he thought > “Well, isn’t this nice.” > And isn’t it ironic, don’t you think_ > > No, I don’t think. I’ll tell you what actually would have been ironic - if Mr Play It Safe was so afraid to fly that he packed his suitcase, kissed his wife and kids goodbye, and got a train. Which then crashed and killed him. Especially if his wife and kids were actually on a plane for the same journey, which was perfectly safe. > > Missed opportunity there, Ms Morissette. I’ve decided that that song is meta. It’s ironic that nothing mentioned in the song is really ironic, although they do fit the literal definition of ironic. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/190 "2019-02-08T09:39:36Z")
Donald Fagen is putting on the hustle, but gets a little impetuous: “You tell yourself you’re not my kind, but you don’t even know your mind.” Yeah, you poor confused waif. Here - let me be the one to sort your thoughts out for you. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/191 "2019-02-09T20:32:10Z")
Okay. I always thought the line was “You don’t even know you’re mine.” Like I know it, evewn if you don’t Like a stalker. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/192 "2019-02-10T02:06:00Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > “It’s better to burn out, > than to fade away.” > > Sorry, Niel - not really seeing a whole metric ton of degrees of separation between the two concepts. I have to say, **Guest** , at this point it seems you’re just quoting multiple random lyrics just to post…_something_. Your “insights” demonstrate an extremely elementary level of lyric analysis. Your puddle-deep musings are far more cringe worthy than every single lyric snippet you have posted. mmm And, for the second time, it’s _Neil_. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/193 "2019-02-10T18:08:28Z")
Q > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I have to say, **Guest** , at this point it seems you’re just quoting multiple random lyrics just to post…_something_. Your “insights” demonstrate an extremely elementary level of lyric analysis. Your puddle-deep musings are far more cringe worthy than every single lyric snippet you have posted. > mmm > > And, for the second time, it’s _Neil_. :rolleyes::dubious: Of course, as cringeworthy as all this petty (and definitely more annoying) typo nitpicking on Niel/Neil, that’s for shit sure. Can’t you read OP titles? How in the name of Gary Doak can you misinterpret “literal”? As in, suspension of the contextual logic of the song? Wow. Threadshit somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/194 "2019-02-10T18:17:13Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Okay. I always thought the line was “You don’t even know you’re mine.” Like I know it, evewn if you don’t Like a stalker. Yeah, it does sound like mine, but double-checked and it is mind. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/195 "2019-02-10T23:15:07Z")
Bob Dylan is a musical hero of mine, but I’ll never forgive him for this clunky and lazy snippet from “Tangled Up in Blue”: _The only thing I knew how to do was to keep on keeping on Like a bird that flew…_ Or, similarly, most of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire”: _Like a worm on a hook, like a knight from some old-fashioned book…_ _Like a baby stillborn, like a best with his horn…_ mmm ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/196 "2019-02-11T01:03:23Z")
Good ones. Especially considering that having fun with (IMO) one of the top five all time pop lyricists wouldn’t be the easiest feat. Not quite the same level of sublime songwriters, The Knack take the cake in skeeviness, with, well, I’m hoping not minors: “I always give it up, for the touch, of the younger kind.” This band definitely had an inordinate amount of “young” in their lyrics, and had a bit of a bad rep (rap?) at the time for it. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/197 "2019-02-11T04:52:20Z")
No, Olivia, I’ve never been mellow (when that song’s been playing, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/198 "2019-02-11T05:59:35Z")
Id, I bet you’re from around here. You mentioned a Parisienne, for one thing, and a couple of bands. Speaking of local talent, dammit Michael Buble, I don’t care how bad you wanna go home! Just go! ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2019, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/199 "2019-02-11T07:43:46Z")
> [@zoogirl](#): > > Id, I bet you’re from around here. You mentioned a Parisienne, for one thing, and a couple of bands. > Speaking of local talent, dammit Michael Buble, I don’t care how bad you wanna go home! Just go! Heh, perceptive of you (yep, same region) although I’m surprised to learn that the car would’ve been a clue. In Tony Orlando and Dawn’s “Knock Three Times” or whatever it’s called, the premise, itself, is prolematic, in that: what would happen if you knocked twice on the pipe and Sebastien the Leering Scary Guy in 4F and the constantly fapping 97 year old sitting by his Viktor console in 3F hear it (instead of your intended sweetie) and end up totally sending the wrong signals everywhere and it just all backfires, weirdly? ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2019, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371/200 "2019-02-12T05:34:01Z")
Canadian car - my dad had a ‘65 Strato Chief. Actually, her drivers side door and fender were from a Parisienne. Here’s another one - Adele, really? “Nevermind, I’ll find someone like you?!” Girl, it didn’t work the first time! Find someone different! Not a guitar player… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-complaints-at-lyrics/827371.md?page=11)