# Never thought such a shallow band could write such a meaningful song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028 "2006-10-26T21:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/1 "2006-10-26T21:34:20Z")
Blink 182 - Adam’s Song Your nominations? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/2 "2006-10-30T19:41:09Z")
That’s a hell of an example – I always liked the energy of their music, but it seemed like there was just too much poo-poo and pee-pee in their lyrics to bother wading through. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/3 "2006-10-30T20:06:05Z")
I also like their music, but can’t tolerate the lead singer’s Spiccoliesque prounounciations. Great lyrics, by the way, but I’m not sure if I’ve heard it. Does it get a lot of radio play? Is it unusually slow to match the dark lyrics? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/4 "2006-10-30T20:14:20Z")
I also like their music, but can’t tolerate the lead singer’s Spiccoliesque prounounciations. Great lyrics, by the way, but I’m not sure if I’ve heard it. Does it get a lot of radio play? Is it unusually slow to match the dark lyrics? ---
**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:** [October 31, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/5 "2006-10-31T01:30:16Z")
Can I nominate a single lyric? I’ve always loved the line from the Will Smith song “Just the Two of Us” - "Throughout life people will make you mad Disrespect you and treat you bad Let God deal with the things they do Cause hate in your heart will consume you too " That’s just plain good advice, there, regardless of the source. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/6 "2006-10-31T02:33:33Z")
I have to ask: what is Spiccoliesque? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/7 "2006-10-31T03:00:21Z")
[QUOTE=Yllaria] I have to ask: what is Spiccoliesque? [/QUOTE] _adj._ In a manner remeniscent of Jeff Spicoli [Sean Penn], a stoner from the movie _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/8 "2006-10-31T03:54:46Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Can I nominate a single lyric? I’ve always loved the line from the Will Smith song “Just the Two of Us” - "Throughout life people will make you mad Disrespect you and treat you bad Let God deal with the things they do Cause hate in your heart will consume you too " That’s just plain good advice, there, regardless of the source. [/QUOTE] I think that’s actually Bill Withers. Unless that part is the rap that Will Smith does. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/9 "2006-10-31T05:03:56Z")
> [@](#): > > adj. In a manner remeniscent of Jeff Spicoli [Sean Penn], a stoner from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Gotcha - thanks ---
**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:** [October 31, 2006, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/10 "2006-10-31T05:38:21Z")
[QUOTE=audiobottle] I think that’s actually Bill Withers. Unless that part is the rap that Will Smith does. [/QUOTE] Good question - it’s harder to tell attribution when they mix it up like that. Searching…searching…nope, that’s not part of the Bill Withers/Grover Washington, Jr. original song. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/11 "2006-10-31T07:26:28Z")
I nominate The Cure’s _Pictures of You_ as the finest example of the opposite. Good song, and all, but not exactly deep. Just very whiny. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-thought-such-a-shallow-band-could-write-such-a-meaningful-song/378028/12 "2006-10-31T07:50:50Z")
The Dead Milkmen aren’t known for being deep (or even good) but I’ve always found this lyric from “Life Is Shit” to be pretty good: _And when my friend and I were done we went to rest upon the sun 'cause life takes from us the things, we love and robs us of the special ones and puts them where where we can’t climb and we only miss them all the time_