# Senseless Pop Song Lyrics-How Do They Write This Stuff? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487 "2011-03-21T18:19:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/21 "2011-03-22T13:33:36Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > What’s so difficult about telling a stranger about rock and roll? “If you gotta ask, you’ll never know.” --Louis Armstrong ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/22 "2011-03-22T13:52:40Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > trying hard to recreate what had yet to be created I took it to be that the woman in question was some sort of know-it-all hyper-intellectual – so convinced of her own supremacy that she could recreate the uncreated. It seems to have been a running theme in this song, and other Doobie Brothers songs. And something to do with the times – in the 60’s you wouldn’t scoff at such a person, they were just too “far out, man” for your limited mind. At any rate, I have one. Drives me to distraction, bordering on anger. See, they piped in the oldies station at work, and I’d heard these golden oldies all my life (Dad’s car only got AM radio), and I didn’t like them then: “sometimes when we touch, the honesty’s too much” What does that mean? How is that even a lyric? How does that appropriately describe a normal human sentiment? How do people find the soulful, mournful expression of such a sentiment appealing? As entertainment? “I want to hold you, 'til the fear in me subsides” Wait, touching is a problem to be solved by holding? What? How? Go ahead, explain all that. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/23 "2011-03-22T15:04:21Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > I took it to be that the woman in question was some sort of know-it-all hyper-intellectual – so convinced of her own supremacy that she could recreate the uncreated. It seems to have been a running theme in this song, and other Doobie Brothers songs. And something to do with the times – in the 60’s you wouldn’t scoff at such a person, they were just too “far out, man” for your limited mind. > (snipped) I took at as the man "trying hard to recreate what had yet to be created’; he wants to say they had a meaningful past when it was really more meaningful to **him**. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/24 "2011-03-22T15:37:08Z")
It’s often just poetic license – the idea of being evocative without necessarily having a real meaning. There is a long history of it, both in poetry and song lyrics, but for some reason, people nowadays can’t grasp the concept that not everything is meant to be taken literally. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/25 "2011-03-22T16:03:16Z")
There’s a fine line between clever and stupid. The line I typically cite as a favorite rock lyric is “She was just seventeen, you know what I mean.” Paul wrote it but thought it was stupid; John heard it, knew it was clever and had Paul keep it in… Sometimes we don’t have John around to help us know the difference 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/26 "2011-03-23T03:36:36Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > […]“sometimes when we touch, the honesty’s too much” > > What does that mean? How is that even a lyric? How does that appropriately describe a normal human sentiment? How do people find the soulful, mournful expression of such a sentiment appealing? As entertainment? > > “I want to hold you, 'til the fear in me subsides” > > Wait, touching is a problem to be solved by holding? What? How? > > Go ahead, explain all that. Doubtful that I can, but here goes: Person1 and person2 are sharing an extremely intimate, trusting moment. By wordless touch, person1 feels that s/he is letting person2 know just how much person1 absolutely needs person2, and is afraid that person2 will be frightened by this message, to the point of possibly withdrawing. Cloying lyrics? Way overblown? Possibly, but then this is a love song. At the same time, love often being paradoxical, person1 feels absolutely safe with person2, and wishes person2 to stay close, physically and emotionally, while person1 regains enough courage to face the world again. Repeat, this is a love song. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/27 "2011-03-23T04:55:11Z")
As for “What a Fool Believes”, I think this [documentary](http://www.channel101.com/shows/view.php?media_id=3331) on the song explains it best. It’s about Kenny Loggins trying and failing to revive his friendship with Jim Messina. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/28 "2011-03-23T06:22:40Z")
[Here are the lyrics.](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/doobie+brothers/what+a+fool+believes_20042480.html) The meaning seems pretty simple to me. It’s about a man who meets a woman he was in love with, but who never loved him. He’s a fool who thinks there is a lost relationship to be rekindled, and no amount of logic will make him see the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Sakuma\_Drops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sakuma\_Drops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sakuma_Drops)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/29 "2011-03-23T11:45:50Z")
One of my favorite song lyrics makes absolutely no sense: **Galileo!** Galileo! **Galileo!** Galileo! Galileo, Figaro! _Magnifico-o-o-o-o-o!_ ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/30 "2011-03-23T17:03:16Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Moon River, > Wider than a mile, > I’m crossing you in style someday. > Oh, dream maker, > You heart breaker, > Wherever you’re going, > I’m going your way. > > What’s wrong with that? Nothing at all. I was just citing it as perhaps the first major pop hit to have lyrics that were really impressionistic rather than straightforward. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/31 "2011-03-23T17:21:51Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > When writing lyrics you generally are concerned with how the words sound much more than what they mean. It’s often a lot to ask that they’re even grammatical, but you want them to make sense too? This is why I’ve mostly given up on trying to be a lyricist. I’ve discovered that I simply can’t write _deliberately_ bad grammar/syntax, and my finished products always feel kind of stilted, leaving me unsatisfied and frustrated with them as “songs”. I do much better composing music for other people’s lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/32 "2011-03-23T19:34:22Z")
_She’s chopping broccoli! She’s chopping broccoli" She chopping brocca-lay!! She chopping brocca-lay!!_ ---
**Author:** ![spymaniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@spymaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spymaniac)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/33 "2011-03-23T19:46:13Z")
the classic that I like is the Thin Lizzy line “tonight there’s gonna be a jail break…somewhere in this town” probably the jail. 🙂 > [@Sakuma\_Drops](#): > > One of my favorite song lyrics makes absolutely no sense: > > **Galileo!** Galileo! **Galileo!** Galileo! Galileo, Figaro! _Magnifico-o-o-o-o-o!_ that reminds me of something I heard a while back of an investigation into the most played pop songs in history of broadcast media. turns out the top 2 were Bohemian Rhapsody, and Procul Harum - Whiter Shade Of Pale. both songs contain the word ‘Fandango’…thought that was quite weird. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/34 "2011-03-23T20:05:31Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > [Here are the lyrics.](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/doobie+brothers/what+a+fool+believes_20042480.html) > > The meaning seems pretty simple to me. It’s about a man who meets a woman he was in love with, but who never loved him. He’s a fool who thinks there is a lost relationship to be rekindled, and no amount of logic will make him see the truth. Bingo. It always seemed clear to me. Although I’m sure it helped that I heard Kenny Loggins sing it first and the Doobies later. Kenny has better enunciation, so it’s easier to make out the words. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/35 "2011-03-24T22:02:30Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Paul wrote it but thought it was stupid; John heard it, knew it was clever and had Paul keep it in… Another example that comes to mind was Bob Seger being unhappy with the memorable line from _Against the Wind_ of: “Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then” because he thought it was bad grammar… fortunately his band and his manager convinced him that it was a great line. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/36 "2011-03-24T22:39:32Z")
“What a Fool Believes” is just more prattle by the guy who ruined the Doobies- (somebody had to say it!) ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/37 "2011-03-24T23:57:31Z")
“Yesterday” was originally entitled “Scrambled Eggs” if that helps shed any light on the creative process (or lack thereof). I gave up on having sensible rock lyrics sometime in my teenage years. I was raised on musical theater, so this whole “gee, they have to fit the words into the melody” stuff is just so much BS to me. Musicals have lovely melodies that also have lyrics that make sense (in context, of course, but usually even out of context). IMO, I think it’s just rock musicians being high or otherwise impaired or just not bothering. Or perhaps they don’t own a thesaurus? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/38 "2011-03-25T00:45:24Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I gave up on having sensible rock lyrics sometime in my teenage years “…wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door…” Couldn’t resist with your username. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mikenboom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@mikenboom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikenboom)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/39 "2011-03-25T01:36:55Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Generally, it means someone was trying really hard to say something deep, artistic, and profound, but didn’t actually have anything to say. So they said what they had to say as deeply, artistically, and profoundly as they could. This is pretty much what I’ve always thought of the Doors > [@Gary\_T](#): > > I would say in this case they succeeded – that’s as deep, artitistic, and profound a statement of nothing as one might hope for. This is what I’ve always thought of Soul Kitchen. I love that song! ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487/40 "2011-03-25T01:59:13Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > “…wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door…” > Couldn’t resist with your username. 🙂 But that’s a neat way of saying the she has a public face that is quite different from her private persona. That lyric makes sense to me–as do the rest of the lyrics in that song. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senseless-pop-song-lyrics-how-do-they-write-this-stuff/575487.md?page=3)