# Song lyrics — the good, the bad, and the ugly **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 14, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/993148 "2023-11-14T22:02:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/993148/61 "2023-11-17T23:25:52Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > It’s been a long time since I read it but I believe that “MacArthur Park” was at or near the top of the list … I think I read somebody somewhere saying that the lyrics to “MacArthur Park” sounds like someone on an LSD trip, and if you read the entire lyrics, it checks out. > [@wolfpup](#): > > But the book (and Barry’s fans) also tries to disparage \*The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", which I entirely disagree with. It’s a perfectly fine nautical ballad. How dare they. TWOTED is a _ **great** _ nautical ballad, and I will mildly insult anybody who disagrees with me (and I have! Don’t think I won’t!). ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/993148/62 "2023-11-17T23:45:33Z")
> [@FeRDNYC](#): > > Ignoring the complete non sequitur of the statements, the bigger crime here is this: No matter how hard you try to mispronounce it as “hance”, these two lines **Do. Not. Rhyme**!: > > We can dance, we can dance, > Everybody look at your hands (bolding mine) There is a common misconception that exact rhymes are superior to ‘almost’ rhymes. They are not. There are millions and millions of examples to the contrary. In fact, exact rhyming can be seen as the mark of an amateur. There are many lyric writing courses and how to write songs videos that explain this. [Here is one example.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xupdu3-7pc8) ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2023, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/993148/63 "2023-11-17T23:54:11Z")
Good: the opening lines of Steely Dan’s [Haitian Divorce:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKMCz1b2RxE) > Babs and Clean Willie were in love, they said > So in love, the preacher’s face turned red To me, anyway, that’s like a whole scene in two lines. I see the kind of people evoked by those names—Babs maybe a preppy upper class woman, Clean Willie a sleazy disreputable man. And they are with a preacher, so presumably getting married. And when the preacher says ‘you may kiss the bride,’ they proceed to go at it so enthusiastically that the preacher gets embarrassed. For my bad, I’ll go to the glorious opening of [Ammonia Avenue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX64VlgP9j4), by the Alan Parsons Project: > Is there no sign of light > As we stand in the darkness > Watching the sun arise? That’s a tough question! (Actually, it’s a lovely song, though I don’t have any idea what it’s about!) ---
**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:** [November 18, 2023, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/993148/64 "2023-11-18T00:58:51Z")
Nor I, but when it sounds like that I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/993148/65 "2023-11-18T00:59:49Z")
Gilbert Gottfried had “MacArthur Park” author Jimmy Webb on his podcast a couple years ago. During the interview we learned that the cake is _not a metaphor._ Nope. Jimmy and his girl used to picnic in the park and one of them actually left a cake out in a squall. We were then subjected to Gil’s singing said song. It’s a great episode. Try giving it a listen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/993148.md?page=3)