Todd Snider does a song called “Just In Case” about pre-nuptial contracts and marriage…
“You know that I can’t love you enough,
but I also can’t afford to lose half of my stuff”
But everyone knows that Frank Zappa was the King of Cynicism.
Marilyn Manson. What, you meant the original singer?
U2 - One
a guy named Fugazi suggests a U2 song?
The original, please: I find MM to be rather boring. He(it) isn’t doing anything new, just taking an old shtick and carrying it to it’s illogical extreme.
PiL - Religion. Actually almost all PiL songs now that I think about it.
I think it was Johnny Mendel. Good song, anyone know the album it’s from?
Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger.
Not just for the line “been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding/the cretins cloning and feeding…”. The whole song goes along in a similar vein.
Pretty chipper stuff.
A bit of an outlying one, perhaps… “Sell, Sell, Sell” by the Barenaked Ladies.
Basically how we, the commercial and celebrity-saavy public, can be persuaded by “big names” to support a propagandized cause… “We choose a foreigner to hate/ The new Iraq grows more irate/ We really know nothing about them, and no one cares”
“Train in Vain” by The Clash.
Come to think of it, it’s not terribly cynical, but the happy upbeat tempo in comparison the depressing lyrics gets me every time I happen to hear it on 80 minutes of '80s.
Also, that song was written about me, but that’s on the DL.
Cisco - Fugazi, as in Marillion’s second album, not the group. If you’ve never heard of Marillion (not many have) they’re kind of a cross between Genesis and Pink Floyd.
I often asked myself that same question about your name, Fugazi. Good to hear it actually refers to Marillion!
I’m a bit of a fan myself, you know.
The only one I can think of right at this moment is called “Miserable” by Lit.
some lyrics:
“So much the same
It makes me helpless alone
Nothing to share
Why should I care if you’re near me
Give up all of my plans
But who needs them
When you mean everthing”
Elanore Rigby.
It would be on the MASH soundtrack, don’t know of any other albums it would be on. I have it on CD but have only seen it once. wouldn’t supirse me if it went in and out of print.
“Kill the Poor,” by the Dead Kennedys
It’s the most sarcastic and cynical song I’ve ever heard.
“Knowing People” by Matthew Sweet (from the Altered Beast album). Incredibly misanthropic–and kinda strange too, as it’s totally unlike most of his work.
Harold the Barrel (Genesis).
Especially the part where Mom is brought in to talk Harold down off the window ledge…
“Your shirt’s all dirty
And there’s a man here from the BBC!”
Creep - Radiohead
“Postcard from a Hooker in Minneapolis,” by Tom Waits