# Little things in song lyrics that piss you off **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839 "2002-04-15T23:22:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a5b964/32.png) [@Grelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grelby)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/41 "2002-04-18T03:21:09Z")
Ok Lamia, fair’s enough. May I still register my “want to puke my guts out on the sidewalk” level of hatred for that song though? Ok, a song I like as long as I ignore the lyrics - _Save Yourself_ by Sense Field (no, I’m not a fan). Here’s a sample for you to enjoy: _Is it really true Could you save yourself for someone who, loves you for you So many times we just give it away, to someone who Someone who you met in bar The back of a car And for a moment you felt important but not in your heart My self esteem, it’s been low, go ahead and count it’s been lower than low…_ WTF? Your self esteem? Okaaaay… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/42 "2002-04-18T03:50:02Z")
My lyric peeves - ax, instead of ask in songs (latest offender - “I Am The Greatest” by R.Kelly(?) - “If anyone should ax you…” - arrrrgggghhhhh!! The word is “ask”. Not “ax”. If someone axs you, they are CHOPPING YOU!!!) - “I” instead of “me” and vicy versy (“you and me” or “you and I” when it should be the other one). - Any use of “I know it’s crazy, but it’s true…” - this should be outlawed in lyrics by now. - Bon Jovi. 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/43 "2002-04-18T04:59:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nenya\_Elizabeth \* > \*\* > The line “the horns are there to stay” in “She’s Some Kind of Wonderful” kind of disturbs me; the rest of the song sounds pretty upbeat and bouncy, but I don’t like that part. Is the song supposed to be like Faust or something? > > \*\* Okay, I managed to look up three different songs with this title, none of which has anything remotely close to what you have posted; what on earth are you talking about? Could you please clarify the artist and what the rest of the lyrics are? Chris W ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/44 "2002-04-18T05:07:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nenya\_Elizabeth \* > \*\* > The line “the horns are there to stay” in “She’s Some Kind of Wonderful” kind of disturbs me; the rest of the song sounds pretty upbeat and bouncy, but I don’t like that part. Is the song supposed to be like Faust or something? > > \*\* Okay, I managed to look up three different songs with this title, none of which has anything remotely close to what you have posted; what on earth are you talking about? Could you please clarify the artist and what the rest of the lyrics are? Chris W ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/45 "2002-04-18T05:45:25Z")
_Originally posted by **Miss Teerious** _: > [@](#): > > The song "Turning Japanese has one of the most annoying lyrics ever. “I want a doctor to take your picture, so I can look at you from inside as well.” I had always thought this was a reference to an incident in Thomas Mann’s **The Magic Mountain**. However, I don’t much like the song and I’ve never managed to work up the energy to find out for certain. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/46 "2002-04-18T05:49:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xcheopis \* > \*\*_Originally posted by **Miss Teerious** _: > > I had always thought this was a reference to an incident in Thomas Mann’s **The Magic Mountain**. However, I don’t much like the song and I’ve never managed to work up the energy to find out for certain. \*\* What incident? “Turning Japanese” is English slang for whacking off, so I’m not sure where highbrow literary references are going to fit in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/47 "2002-04-18T06:00:29Z")
Hans becomes obsessed with Clavdia (?), to the point of hanging about with the doctor, in order that he might see the x-rays of her lungs. It’s been a long time since I read the book, so I don’t remember the exact details. ---
**Author:** ![nefertari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7bcc69/32.png) [@nefertari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nefertari)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/48 "2002-04-18T12:30:47Z")
\>\>The worst line in that song is “Everyone avoids me like a cyclone ranger.” What the heck is a cyclone ranger?\<\< I thought I was just clueless…!!! Ok, this is embarassing, and I never listen to this song if it’s humanely possible, but “Freek” by George Michael drives me nuts. “I’ll be your sexual freak (freak) Of the week I’ll be your inspirational brother (sister)” First time I heard this I thought he said “I’ll be your inspirational butt-fuck…” And now I sing it like that every time I hear it. While making sure I got the original lyrics right I came across this in the first verse: “You got yourself an ass with a Mind of its own” WHAT??? nefertari ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/49 "2002-04-18T15:40:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nenya\_Elizabeth \* > \*\*And what does “if you see her on the street don’t try to juice her” mean in “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena” (old song I think)?? Race her? It’s about a lil’ ol’ lady who’s a terror on wheels. Makes my mom laugh. 🙂 \*\* I believe the correct lyric is: “if you see her on the street don’t try to _choose_ her” Yep, meaning for a race. You know - don’t think that she’s gonna be an easy win just because she’s old. ---
**Author:** ![PinkyDVM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@PinkyDVM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkyDVM)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/50 "2002-04-18T17:46:29Z")
Re the Uncle Kracker lyric (“Swim thru your veins yadda yadda”): It gives me the heebie-jeebies too. And yes, I realize it’s a metaphor-kind of a clever one at that. I get it. But to hear it gives me the willies! How about Sheryl Crow’s “A Change Will Do You Good”: “God’s little gift is on the rag.” Sheryl, come on! That’s just vulgar! Sad thing is, otherwise it’s a great song. Last but not least, remember that old Dionne Warwick chestnut “That’s What Friends Are For?” It’s a puerile song anyway, but the first line starts, “And I never thought…” You can’t start the very first line with “and.” Arrgh!! Hey, I feel better now. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/51 "2002-04-18T19:01:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > \*\*I really like Train’s “Drops of Jupiter”, but it’s not a song you listen to for the lyrics. I tune most of them out, but this one always bothers me: > “Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star > One without a permanent scar” > One without a permanent scar is my vote for worst line ever. \*\* Actually, there’s an even worse line in the same song: “Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken, Best friend always stickin Up for you…” Oh, my GOD. Later they have the nerve to actually use the metaphor “The best soy latte that you ever had.” In 20 years this will be considered one of the most hysterically dated songs ever written. My favourite band, the Tragically Hip, has a pretty good song called “So Hard Done By” with the line “You’ll have to wait a minute, 'cause it’s an instamatic.” Uh, guys; I think you were thinking of a Polaroid camera, the one with self-developing prints, when you said “wait a minute.” An Instamatic is something completely different. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/52 "2002-04-18T19:22:44Z")
I love Pearl Jam, and I am quite fond of their song “MFC”…except for one line. “There’s no leaving here [so far so good, but just you wait!]/Ask, I’m an ear.” What the hell? I suppose it’s meant as a sort of, “Hey, you got problems, I’m willing to listen” sort of thing, but it always reminds me of that Gogol short story “The Nose” about the guy’s nose that went off on its own and started causing trouble. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/53 "2002-04-18T19:34:25Z")
Well, Aerosmith’s “Love in an Elevator” has got to be just about the most tastless song ever, and Neil Young’s “Hey Hey, My My” has particularly simple-minded lyrics. We could look at Roger Waters, but that would be Too Easy. I often wince when a cover version of a song gets the lyrics wrong. For example, the song “I just wanna make love to you” has a line that goes _I can love you baby till I cry in shame_ which is ofen mistakenly replaced with _I can love you baby it’s a cryin’ shame_ I think Foghat got this wrong at first, but later corrected themselves. Even worse, in the song “Roll over Beethoven”, the line _Tell Tschaikovsky the news_ is often replaced with gibberish by those who can’t understand it (as in the ELO version). ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Teerious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Miss\_Teerious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Teerious)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/54 "2002-04-18T20:24:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > \*\* > > Well yes, but the narrator of the song is obviously nuts so as stupid and gross as the line is, it fits in perfectly.\*\* I never said the line doesn’t fit in. It’s still a stupid line. And, I forgot to mention the lyric that is, IMHO, the worst lyric ever. In the song “Fat Lip” by Sum 41 (Ak! Ew!), they sing “Stormin’ through the party like my name was El Nino.” Think about it. It’s not clever. At all. Like nails on a chalkboard. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/55 "2002-04-18T20:32:34Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **astorian** _: > “Self” does not rhyme with “else.” Along those same lines, “baby” does not rhyme with “crazy.” Those words are treated as rhymes in every single pieve of bubblegum pop ever written. It drives me crazy, baby. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/56 "2002-04-18T23:32:16Z")
Steve Miller has lots of dumbass lyrics: “Billy Mac is a detective down in Texas He always knows just exactly what the facts is He’s not gonna let those two escape justice Makes his living off of the people’s taxes” Wow, I didn’t know those words rhymed. Far out man. And here is Cecil’s take on the whole [Pompatus of Love](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_065.html) thing. Bonnie Raitt’s song “Thing Called Love” has this mixed-up metaphor: “Take off your kid gloves, I ain’t no porcupine” Kid gloves are for handling something fragile, not something dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/57 "2002-04-19T00:35:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Proudest Monkey \* > \*\*This one has always bugged me: > > In “Happy Together” by the Turtles he sings… > “The only one for me is you, and you for me, so happy together.” Uh, didn’t you just repeat yourself? For me…you and you for me. Same thing! > > Thank you for listening. \*\* That doesn’t bother me… I mean, I hear people do that all the time. I hate how they say: “How is the weather?” It doesn’t fit the song. It’s like… “I love you, I love you, I love you, how are my stocks doing?” ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/58 "2002-04-19T00:44:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Proudest Monkey \* > \*\*This one has always bugged me: > > In “Happy Together” by the Turtles he sings… > “The only one for me is you, and you for me, so happy together.” Uh, didn’t you just repeat yourself? For me…you and you for me. Same thing! > > Thank you for listening. \*\* That doesn’t bother me… I mean, I hear people do that all the time. I hate how they say: “How is the weather?” It doesn’t fit the song. It’s like… “I love you, I love you, I love you, how are my stocks doing?” ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/59 "2002-04-19T01:17:21Z")
The first lines of Bob Seger’s **Rock & Roll Never Forgets** are: > [@](#): > > So you’re a little bit older and a lot **less bolder** > Than you used to be Holy Hannah, but that makes me cringe every time I hear it on the radio. Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Teerious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Miss\_Teerious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Teerious)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839/60 "2002-04-19T06:01:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MyFootsZZZ \* > \*\* > > That doesn’t bother me… I mean, I hear people do that all the time. > > I hate how they say: “How is the weather?” It doesn’t fit the song. It’s like… “I love you, I love you, I love you, how are my stocks doing?” \*\* I’ve heard that The Turtles wrote this song with the intent to make fun of how lame love songs were, so the they wrote stupid lyrics on purpose, but people are dumb and thought it was serious and liked it anyway, in spite of these intentional stupid lyrics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-things-in-song-lyrics-that-piss-you-off/103839.md?page=4)