# Song Lyrics That Need One Minor Change - Your Input **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 7, 2023, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731 "2023-07-07T14:11:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/1 "2023-07-07T14:11:29Z")
Johnny Cash’s **Folsom Prison Blues** came up on my workout playlist and this lyric came up: > _“I bet there’s rich folks eatin’ in a fancy dining car_ > _They’re probably drinkin’ coffee and smoking big cigars_” Coffee? Since when was coffee considered some upper crust beverage of the well-to-do? I think a better choice would have been “They’re probably drinkin’ _champagne_…” Fits easily within the rhythm structure and conveys a more ritzy drink choice than coffee. Are there any lyrics that you think could have used a minor tweak to improve? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/2 "2023-07-07T14:23:56Z")
In “Late in the evening” by Paul Simon, the narrator walks out and smokes himself a jay, then walked back into the funky bar with his guitar and proceeds to “blow that room away”. For some reason he didn’t use the more common stock phrase,which is also a double meaning in context: he should have blown that “joint” away. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/3 "2023-07-07T14:32:22Z")
In “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”, the line’s generally sung “Oh, when will they ever learn?” I think “When will we ever learn?” would be better. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/4 "2023-07-07T14:47:24Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > I think a better choice would have been “They’re probably drinkin’ _champagne_…” I would say Brandy. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/5 "2023-07-07T14:48:02Z")
“I’ll Be There,” by MJ (emphasis added) If you should ever find someone new I know he better be good to you 'Cause if he _ **doesn’t** _, I’ll be there (I’ll be there) If he doesn’t be good to you? Say what? Great song with one grating word (which should be replaced by “isn’t”)… ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/6 "2023-07-07T15:28:16Z")
“In My Bed” – Amy Winehouse (2003) “It’s something I know you can’t do Separate sex with emotion” Point taken, Amy. But I think you meant “Separate sex **and** emotion.” ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/7 "2023-07-07T18:09:39Z")
The obvious one to me is U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” in which Bono cites MLK Jr’s assassination as taking place “early morning, April 4th.” They even, as far as I know, performed it off and on with those lyrics for decades. When he sang it at President Obama’s inauguration, he finally changed it to “early evening” which is when the assassination actually took place. (just looked it up, and the acoustic version they recently released has the corrected lyrics). ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/8 "2023-07-07T18:59:29Z")
Billy Joel has some issues with finding the right word. In “Allentown” he says “So our graduations hang on the wall” when he probably meant “diplomas”….although that doesn’t scan. And in “Goodnight Saigon” he refers to “tameless horses” when he meant “untamed”. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/9 "2023-07-07T19:04:25Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > In “Allentown” he says “So our graduations hang on the wall” That always bugs me, and it’s such a good song otherwise! “Tameless” however, is perfectly cromulent. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/10 "2023-07-07T19:04:55Z")
From No Myth, by Michael Penn: What if I was Romeo in black jeans What if I was Heathcliff, it’s no myth Should be “what if I were…” Drives me slightly batty every time I hear it. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/11 "2023-07-07T20:07:02Z")
Kinks, _All Day and All of the Nught_ “The only time I feel all right is by your side” Should be: “The only place I feel all right is by you side.” “Your side” is a place, not a time. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/12 "2023-07-07T21:02:25Z")
Bruce Springsteen, _Glory Days_ “I had a friend was a big baseball player, back in high school He could throw that **speedball** by you, make you look like a fool, boy” Come on Bruce, use nearly any actual pitch name and it would scan - fastball, curveball, slider, knuckleball. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/13 "2023-07-07T21:07:07Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > Come on Bruce, use nearly any actual pitch name and it would scan - fastball, curveball, slider, knuckleball. Hear, hear. I’ve watched and listened to literally thousands of baseball games and _never_ heard the word speedball. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/14 "2023-07-07T23:21:51Z")
Adele: Rolling in the Deep > Finally I can see you crystal clear > Go ahead and sell me out and I’ll lay your **ship** bare No. It should be **shit**. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/15 "2023-07-07T23:29:21Z")
The Doors, “Touch Me.” “I’m going to love you until the stars fall from the sky, for you and I.” C’mon, Krieger. Let us not debase the language. How about “…until the stars fall to the sea, for you and me.” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/16 "2023-07-07T23:52:37Z")
“Come Fly With Me” If they want to hear a one-man band in lama land, it should be: _Come fly with me, let’s take off to Tibet In lama land, there’s a one-man band With a tune you won’t forget Come, fly with me, we can take my private jet._ Or they could just pronounce “llama” properly. That would be a more minor change. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/17 "2023-07-07T23:56:32Z")
Steve Miller, “Take the Money and Run”; Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas You know he knows just exactly what the facts are He makes his living off of the people’s taxes He ain’t gonna let those two escape too far It doesn’t fix the “Texas/taxes” rhyme, but it’s better than as written. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/18 "2023-07-08T00:04:31Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > “I’ll Be There,” by MJ (emphasis added) > > If you should ever find someone new > I know he better be good to you > 'Cause if he _ **doesn’t** _, I’ll be there (I’ll be there) > > If he doesn’t be good to you? Say what? Great song with one grating word (which should be replaced by “isn’t”)… You’re confusing your antecedents: “new” vs. “be good.” “Doesn’t” makes perfect sense with the latter. However, “he better” does not make sense. It should be “he’d better” (a contraction of “he had”). Subjunctive mood. * * * My own minor change is for “Moonlight Shadow”: _Four **a.m.** in the morning_ is redundant. It should be _Four **o’clock** in the morning_. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/19 "2023-07-08T00:59:18Z")
> Last Christmas, I gave you my heart > But the very next day, you gave it away By all rights, “gave it away” should be “ **tore it apart**.” ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731/20 "2023-07-08T01:01:58Z")
Back to Folsom Prison — I never understood how committing murder in Nevada would get you time in a California state prison. Maybe “I shot a man in Fresno”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-need-one-minor-change-your-input/986731.md?page=2)