# Oddly chosen words in songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153 "2013-10-13T19:15:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/81 "2013-10-16T07:37:00Z")
[The original version of I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AT_Pbtyid0), for those who imagine that Joan Jett wrote it. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/82 "2013-10-16T14:28:46Z")
“But in this everchanging world in which we live in”, from Live and Let Die is a high point of Paul McCartney’s execrable post-Beatles output. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/83 "2013-10-16T14:29:48Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > “But in this everchanging world in which we live in”, from Live and Let Die is a high point of Paul McCartney’s execrable post-Beatles output. “If this ever-changing world in which we’re living” works, though. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/84 "2013-10-16T15:11:52Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > “If this ever-changing world in which we’re living” works, though. Damn my ears! _shakes fist at self_ ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/85 "2013-10-16T16:51:56Z")
Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” from _Flashdance_: _There’s a cold kinetic heat…_ 'The hell? ---
**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:** [October 16, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/86 "2013-10-16T20:19:23Z")
They sit at the bar and put bread in my jar. By the time Piano Man came out, the word “bread” to refer to money had pretty much disappeared. Why not “tips”? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/87 "2013-10-16T20:28:43Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > They sit at the bar and put bread in my jar. > > By the time Piano Man came out, the word “bread” to refer to money had pretty much disappeared. Why not “tips”? Piano Man has a bunch of clunky lyrics. That is also the song that just drops the well-known profession “real estate novelist” on us out of nowhere and also has cringe-worthy, sophomoric rhymes such as “And he’s talking with Davy…who’s still in the navy”. It is a great song overall but could certainly use some lyrical polish. Even Billy Joel himself thinks so “The melody is not very good and very repetitious, while the lyrics are like limericks. I was shocked and embarrassed when it became a hit.”. [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1079](http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1079) ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/88 "2013-10-16T21:00:57Z")
Virtually any line in [Hey Soul Sister](http://lyrics.wikia.com/Train:Hey,_Soul_Sister) by Train. IIRC, the lyrics of this song inspired its own thread here at the SDMB. Some of the more egregious examples: > [@](#): > > Your lipstick stains / on the front lobe of my left-side brains If you’re referring to your brain, the organ, use the singular. If you’re referring to your intelligence, you can use the plural. But you can’t interchange them. > [@](#): > > My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest There is no reason for him to describe his chest as untrimmed, other than to lenghthen that particular line. He probably just grabbed the first adjective that he could find. Which leads to: > [@](#): > > Hey, soul sister, ain’t that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo? Unless the song takes place in 1985, there is no way that Mr. Mister is playing on the radio, or stereo. Again, he just picked the first band he thought of that rhymes with “sister.” ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/89 "2013-10-16T21:04:52Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Well, in the Pretentious sub-category: Sting … > > Wet bus stop - she’s waiting - he starts to shake and cough > Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov > > Oh Sting, you’re eruditer than us. I’ve always enjoyed this lyric, because it fit the song so well. Nabokov most famous English work is _Lolita_. A book about a middle aged teacher attracted to a school girl. The same theme of _Don’t Stand too Close to Me_. I don’t find this pretentious, I find it a kind of sly humor for those of us who remember part of Lit class. For others its an obvious teacher like reference that still works in the song. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/90 "2013-10-16T21:06:12Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > That is also the song that just drops the well-known profession “real estate novelist” on us out of nowhere and also has cringe-worthy, sophomoric rhymes such as “And he’s talking with Davy…who’s still in the navy”. I’m not exactly a big fan of Billy Joel, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with “real estate novelist.” To me, it quite obviously connotes the idea of somebody who is in real estate, but who really, in his heart, wants to think of himself as a novelist. And, judging by the confusion over this line, my idea of “quite obviously” is not congruent to the rest of humanity’s. I will not defend the “Davy”/“navy” rhyme though. It’s a bit of a clunker, but not majorly so, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/91 "2013-10-16T21:39:15Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > There is no reason for him to describe his chest as untrimmed, other than to lenghthen that particular line. And to give the audience an unpleasant image to lodge in their brains. :dubious:😛 > [@](#): > > Unless the song takes place in 1985, there is no way that Mr. Mister is playing on the radio, or stereo. Again, he just picked the first band he thought of that rhymes with “sister.” Agree about the rhyme, but does the phrase “Hits of the '80s, '90s and today!” intoned by a radio announcer ring any bells? :smack:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/92 "2013-10-16T22:16:27Z")
My usual contribution to these types of threads: Sammy Hagar, “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy.” _Hot, sweet cherries on the vine…_ We all know cherries grow on trees, not vines. Sammy probably went with _vine_ for the rhyme scheme, but why not “berries” instead of “cherries”? What possible image was he after to require him using that particular fruit? And why are they _hot?_ Yes, I know, I know. Hagar was never particularly known for his subtlety. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/93 "2013-10-16T23:29:23Z")
Doris Day’s big hit from 1954 or so: Once I had a secret love That lived **within the heart of me** [WTF?] All too soon my secret love Became impatient to be free So I told a friendly star The way that dreamers often do Just how wonderful you are And why I am so in love with you Now I shout it from the highest hills Even told the golden daffodils At last my heart’s an open door And my secret love’s no secret anymore Now I shout it from the highest hills Even told the golden daffodils At last my heart’s an open door And my secret love’s no secret anymore Read more: Doris Day - Secret Love Lyrics | MetroLyrics ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/94 "2013-10-16T23:55:46Z")
The standard “Cry Me A River” has a weird one: “You told me love was too _ **plebeian** _. Told me you were through with me and…” ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/95 "2013-10-17T00:01:07Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > Once I had a secret love > That lived **within the heart of me** [WTF?] That might have been inspired by: > [@Cole Porter](#): > > I’ve got you under my skin. > I’ve got you deep in the heart of me. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/96 "2013-10-17T02:31:45Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not exactly a big fan of Billy Joel, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with “real estate novelist.” To me, it quite obviously connotes the idea of somebody who is in real estate, but who really, in his heart, wants to think of himself as a novelist. And, judging by the confusion over this line, my idea of “quite obviously” is not congruent to the rest of humanity’s. > > I will not defend the “Davy”/“navy” rhyme though. It’s a bit of a clunker, but not majorly so, in my opinion. I am a Billy Joel fan but there is more where that came from. Piano Man is almost like a parody of a hack lounge singer as performed by a really talented person. We also also get lyrics like “There’s an old man sitting next to me… Making love to his tonic and gin”. Have you ever heard of such a drink in real life? No because they are referred to as a “gin and tonic” but that song has to reverse the name to make a forced rhyme in a desperation play. Piano Man is exceptional because the [lyrics](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/pianoman.html) read like a high school freshman’s last minute poetry attempt but the song still works somehow. I think it works a lot better as a satire of 1970’s Los Angeles lounge culture however. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/97 "2013-10-17T03:40:02Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am a Billy Joel fan but there is more where that came from. Piano Man is almost like a parody of a hack lounge singer as performed by a really talented person. > > We also also get lyrics like “There’s an old man sitting next to me… > Making love to his tonic and gin”. Have you ever heard of such a drink in real life? See, “tonic and gin” doesn’t bug me either. Maybe it’s because I have a friend who wrote a song called “Tonic and Gin,” so it doesn’t ping my weirdness radar. Anyhow, I really don’t like “Piano Man” as a song, but those lyrics don’t bug me in particular–that sort of poetic inversion is fine. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/98 "2013-10-17T04:08:18Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Fried chicken. Soy latte ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/99 "2013-10-17T08:53:54Z")
High shoes with your “heels” a clickin’. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153/100 "2013-10-17T12:05:35Z")
The classic Moody Blues concept album _Days of Future Passed_ is overbloated and pompous, musically and lyrically (but I still love it). It begins and ends with spoken poems. In the closing poem, there is a real clunker: “ **senior citizens** wish they were young.” They should have used any term for old people than this cold, bureaucratic, emotionless option. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oddly-chosen-words-in-songs/671153.md?page=6)