I had this experience with Billy Joel’s Piano Man. I figured that “Paul is a realisté novelist”, with the italicized word being French (or faux-français) for “realist”. But no, the guy who “never had time for a wife” really is a “real estate novelist” – he sells homes by day while dabbling in literary endeavors at night, perhaps scrawling on napkins at the bar where Billy’s playing.
Actually, I’m pretty sure The Wrecking Ball is a dive bar.
And your father’s still perfecting ways of making ceiling wax…
19th Nervous Breakdown. Of course it’s “sealing wax.” But it took me, oh about 20 years to figure that out. :smack:
This came up recently in a thread similar to this. I thought I was the only one who thought this, until someone piped up that it’s a matter of debate in some circles as to which is correct, “a loan” or “alone.” What I thought made me a unique and special snowflake was that I was thinking about “a loan” at the tender age of whatever, knowing nothing whatsoever about loans and high finance — whereas the concept of “alone” is perfectly plain to the thickest of 6-year-olds.
But apparently not. It must be that such sophisticated wordplay is above the heads of most of us radio listeners.
And the drunk staggered past the cemetery, and saw a sign reading “PLEASE RING BELL FOR CARETAKER.” He gave the bellpull a little tug, and a sleepy caretaker poked his head out a window, asking “Yes?”
“I jus’… I jus’,” the drunk began, “I jus’ wanna know why you can’t ring your own damn bell…”
I had the same impression from “Puff the Magic Dragon” as a kid. Figured it was just a nonsensical turnaround on “floor wax.”
:smack: Really? That’s the real lyric? I believe I always substituted “shouldn’t they”, but I just let myself not understand it. Boy, that’s a stupid lyric.
The boxer.
He’s scarred, he’s lost a lot (occasionally ceding the match, even), but, still, he’s a fighter. He’s still there.
What this tells us about the boxer, and by virtue of being compared to him, the narrator is open to interpretation.
I think determined dignity best fits the intent - certainly the narrator’s, if not necessarily Simon’s (though I think it was). But refusing to admit he made a bad choice and being unwilling to cut his losses is certainly supportable by the lyrics.
I wondered if it might be the name of a bar. Either way it’s the name of a place and not a thing.
I’ve been trying to figure out what “I’m Alaska” is about. Turns out it’s “I’m a Latke”.
And then of course there is “Christ the Sailor Was Born”
I always envisioned Elton John telling this story to the informer character on Starsky and Hutch.
What’s worse than Lipstick on your Collar?
[/hairy old joke]
It’s the boxer who is leaving – he has ‘passed on’, and only his still remains are left behind.
He was a moonshiner?
“Knights in White Satin”
Yes! I absolutely believed that for ages. Indeed, when I hear it I still get a mental image of these guys with lances dressed up like the Ku Klux Klan.
I pictured a romantic evening with white satin sheets.
I always liked that song “My Candelabra” by Billy Squier.
On not believing what you’re hearing, I second the “sugar bear” lyrics from Elton John.
Another one for me, and this is kind of embarrassing, was the theme song for Family Ties.
The ending lyrics are
What would we do baby, Without Us?
Sha la la la.
Although to me it sounds like they’re saying “Shie lie lie lie.”
Anyway, for years when I heard the song I was sure they were singing actual words so I heard the very last line as
Shining a light.
:o
I don’t think so…