# Song lyrics: clear yet incomprehensible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2001, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719 "2001-06-30T11:45:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/1 "2001-06-30T11:45:57Z")
We’ve had threads about misheard/misunderstood lyrics. We’ve had threads about lyrics you can’t make out. What about songs where the words are perfectly clear, you just haven’t a clue what it means? Example. I’m not a die-hard Sheryl Crow fan, but I think she’s done some good, listenable stuff. I like ‘A Change would do you good’, but no matter how often I hear it I haven’t a clue what half of it means or what the song is supposed to convey. Extracts: “He’s a platinum canary, drinkin’ falstaff beer Mercedes rule, and a rented lear” “God’s little gift is on the rag Poster girl posing in a fashion mag Canine, feline, Jekyll and Hyde Wear your fake fur on the inside Queen of south beach, aging blues Dinner’s at six, wear your cement shoes” “Chasing dragons with plastic swords Jack off Jimmy, everybody wants more Scully and angel on the kitchen floor And I’m calling Buddy on the ouija board” See what I mean? Any other examples? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/2 "2001-06-30T11:54:26Z")
I think [[http://www.kissthisguy.com/](http://www.kissthisguy.com/) ] may answer a few questions…! ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/3 "2001-06-30T11:55:58Z")
I also think I’m an idiot who didn’t read the OP thoroughly. Sorry **ianzin**. I’ll get me coat. ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/4 "2001-06-30T12:15:00Z")
First off, thank you **ianzin** for reminding me of my favorite Sheryl Crow song, giving me the unexpected pleasure of listening to it after I had forgotten all about it 🙂 Second, I was going to say, I was pretty sure that “Mercedes rule” was actually “Mercedes Ruehl(sp?)” the actress, but when I took my copy of the cd down off the shelf, I found that your version was correct. WTF??? I’m just as confused as you. Damn. Still a cool song tho… ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/5 "2001-06-30T12:22:38Z")
How about this interpretation… > [@](#): > > “He’s a platinum canary, drinkin’ falstaff beer > Mercedes rule, and a rented lear” He’s a successful singer at a platinum-selling album level; his excessive merry-making (a la Falstaff) makes him popular in the short-term and despised in the long-term; his lifestyle is ruled by material items like Mercedes’ and rented LearJets. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/6 "2001-06-30T14:02:10Z")
Given enough imagination, I’m sure you can come up with an interpretation of ANY lyric, a la Nostradamas. But how can you be sure this is the particular meaning intended? Maybe the lyric writer had no intention other than stringing together cool-sounding words or syllables? When I was in college creative writing class, after listening to the professor’s weird interpretation of some weird verse, I once wrote a short poem as a personal exercise. I rewrote and rewrote it, changing any word or line that SEEMED to make some sense. I felt my final version could not be interpreted in any way at all; it was total gibberish. The only line I can remember was, “Among the leaves in the kitchen, I sat down to observe the race.” I showed it to the instructor for critique. After reading it and much “Hmmm”-ing, he said, “It seems to have something to do with sex.” :rolleyes: I guess the moral of the story is, “Interpretation is in the mind of the beholder.” ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/7 "2001-06-30T16:46:44Z")
Surely the classic example is early REM. Nobody could understand Stipe’s singing, and even when the lyrics were finally published they didn’t make any sense. And then there’s the Cocteau Twins … ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/8 "2001-06-30T17:19:13Z")
How about the Talking Heads? One verse from “Swamp” comes to mind: ``` And when they split those atoms It's hotter than the sun Blood is a special substance They gonna pray for that man ``` I have no clue what this, or most of their other lyrics mean. For the curious, the complete catalogue can be found at [http://www.talking-heads.net/lyrics.html](http://www.talking-heads.net/lyrics.html) ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/9 "2001-06-30T17:35:12Z")
I think Sheryl Crow’s song is a stringing-together of lots of pop culture, with added gibberish that seems to go along with it. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/10 "2001-06-30T18:30:17Z")
_ **Starship Trooper** _ Speak to me of summer no winter’s longer than time can remember. Setting off on other roads to travel on in old accustomed ways. I still remember the torch by the water the proud sons and daughters. That knew the knowledge of the land and spoke to me in sweet accustomed ways. All of it sounds great and rhymes beautifully, but can anyone tell what the flock it means? ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/11 "2001-06-30T20:35:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*Surely the classic example is early REM. Nobody could understand Stipe’s singing, and even when the lyrics were finally published they didn’t make any sense. > > And then there’s the Cocteau Twins … \*\* I know what you mean, but that’s not what this thread is about. I’ll try again. You **can** understand every word the singer is singing. You **can** tell what is being said. But the meaning of the words is elusive to the point of utter bewilderment. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/12 "2001-06-30T20:56:35Z")
There’s a Pogues song, “Five Green Queens.” Don’t have all the lyrics handy, but here’s a sample refrain: Clearly I remembered, Before it slipped away, When five green queens On a black bean bag, Meant all the world to me. They also can do the reverse: “Waxies Dargle” has lyrics that make perfect sense, but is sung in such a thick, drunken Irish accent that you can’t understand more than one word in ten. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2001, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/13 "2001-06-30T22:34:39Z")
**mattk** wrote: > [@](#): > > He’s a successful singer at a platinum-selling album level; his excessive merry-making (a la Falstaff) makes him popular in the short-term and despised in the long-term; his lifestyle is ruled by material items like Mercedes’ and rented LearJets. Very close – actually, Falstaff is (was?) a brand of beer. IIRC, it was quite cheap, and not very good. ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/14 "2001-07-01T00:54:46Z")
I’ve found both The Tragically Hip and Our Lady Peace difficult to decipher at times. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/15 "2001-07-01T02:52:35Z")
I understood exactly what you meant, ianzin. Where’s the disagreement? ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/16 "2001-07-01T04:29:32Z")
> [@](#): > > “God’s little gift is on the rag > Poster girl posing in a fashion mag > Canine, feline, Jekyll and Hyde > Wear your fake fur on the inside > Queen of south beach, aging blues > Dinner’s at six, wear your cement shoes” Well the first bit can be easy enough to interpret… “God’s little gift is on the rag Poster girl posing in a fashion mag Canine, feline, Jekyll and Hyde” Is refering to some model (or actress) chick who of course is really hot and seen as God’s gift to man (which she quite possibly has come to believe herself) is… well to put it simply having that time of the month and is being both a bitch and catty one moment being all sweetness and light the next being a monster. “Wear your fake fur on the inside Queen of south beach, aging blues Dinner’s at six, wear your cement shoes” Can be a little harder… the first line is basically you’ve taken the outward superficiality and fakeness and turned it inwards to believe in it. The second part… is south beach a place in Cali where movie starlettes retire to? That’s how I would interpret it as… she’s retired from the limelight bitter over her declining beauty. Perhaps the last line refers to the fact that though she is no longer in the limelight she still throws parties and all the best people come… and if you make a social faux pa (sp?) your as sunk as if you wore cement shoes to go swimming. The rest is gibberish to me though. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2bfe46/32.png) [@Elmer\_MuD\_PhuD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_MuD_PhuD)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/17 "2001-07-01T05:29:43Z")
A personal favorite from the Dave Matthews Band “Would you like to play With a fool holding hands With a one-eyed jack of spades While on the deck they sing All of the captain’s cards are kings Still he and the queen are lost at sea I hope it isn’t you and me. And I’ll be back 'round again Yes I’ll walk in time with you old friend And we’ll find that place That we had danced in so long ago. And in plays to write the wire in I’ll come back again Torching time and talking rhymes in I’ll come back again With this resigned The letter I sign.” - The Song That Jane Likes Any takers?? ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/18 "2001-07-01T06:33:30Z")
> [@](#): > > You can understand every word the singer is singing. You can tell what is being said. But the meaning of the words is elusive to the point of utter bewilderment. Try listening to some post-1985 Wire lyrics, or anything from Colin Newman’s solo albums. The lyrics are usually not hard to understand, but as to what they mean it’s anyone’s guess. And Wire are super famous so it’s not just some weird nonsense band! Heh. -fh ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/19 "2001-07-03T02:30:06Z")
On Whiskeytown’s new album Pneumonia the first verse of the song “What the Devil Wanted” starts " I dream the dream of wounded sheep, that jumped the fence , but are too weak"…errr what??? Keith ---
**Author:** ![mrblue92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@mrblue92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrblue92)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719/20 "2001-07-03T03:51:21Z")
> [@](#): > > …no matter how often I hear it I haven’t a clue what half of it means or what the song is supposed to convey. I always thought it was pretty clear that she is describing people who are living empty, superficial lives–basically the fakes who wish they were anything but themselves. And the change that would do them good is to simply stop pretending. I’ll attempt the last bit: > [@](#): > > "Chasing dragons with plastic swords Wanna-be knights. You could make up a bunch of explanations for it. I think she could be talking about the general case here… dragons being fantasy problems, chasing them with plastic swords being not only stupid (because there are no dragons) but impractical (because a plastic sword would get you killed). > [@](#): > > Jack off Jimmy, everybody wants more Obviously something to do with masturbation… replacing real sex with fantasies. > [@](#): > > Scully and angel on the kitchen floor Not sure on this one. Scully from X-Files and Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Perhaps this is Jimmy’s little fantasy… > [@](#): > > And I’m calling Buddy on the ouija board" Buddy… Holly? She’s looking for songwriting inspiration from long dead singers? Sound to me like she’s criticizing lack of originality. (ie. fakers) YMMV. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-clear-yet-incomprehensible/70719.md?page=2)