# Song Title: Lyric is "It's like rain-n-n-n on your wedding day..." **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429 "2010-01-25T22:12:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/61 "2010-01-26T22:06:50Z")
Is a debate about irony in a thread about a song about irony ironic? Cause I wouldn’t want to get it wrong, you know. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/62 "2010-01-26T22:15:48Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Words do have multiple meanings, but that doesn’t mean that you can use multiple definitions of a word interchangeably. For example, are you a stable boy? The word “stable” has multiple definitions, but when interpreting that statement, you don’t get to pick whichever definition suits your fancy. > > So it is with the word “incongruous.” The word CAN be used to describe an unfulfilled requirement, but it would be foolish to insist that this is what’s meant when attempting to define irony. Thank you for supporting my point. You don’t get to pick the defnition that suits you. If there is a definition of ironic that makes sense in context, you don’t get to pick the definition that doesn’t make sense and then say the song is wrong. It would be foolish to insist that is what is meant but it would be just as foolish to insist that is not what is meant when it is a valid definition in context. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/63 "2010-01-27T22:10:07Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > The OP did not know that the word “ironic” was in the song, which means that your post has the irony of 10,000 spoons. I prefer steely, or in a pinch plasticy, spoons to irony spoons. The irony ones leave rust spots in the dishwasher.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/64 "2010-01-28T02:31:17Z")
Maybe the whole joke is that the answer to the question “Isn’t it ironic?” is “No.” ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/65 "2010-01-28T20:53:58Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Thank you for supporting my point. You don’t get to pick the defnition that suits you. If there is a definition of ironic that makes sense in context, you don’t get to pick the definition that doesn’t make sense and then say the song is wrong. > > It would be foolish to insist that is what is meant but it would be just as foolish to insist that is not what is meant when it is a valid definition in context. Puh-leez. You’re the one who’s scrambling to find some definition — any old way of defining “ironic” – that would justify the song. To do so, you’re forced to rely on a particular definition of “congruous.” In other words, you’re the one who’s picking a definition that suits you. I’ve already cited a usage panel which overwhelmingly affirms that mere disappointment or unexpected results are not enough to constitute irony. Heck, this should be pretty much common sense. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/66 "2010-01-28T23:44:29Z")
**Gary Baldy** said: > [@](#): > > If only there was a search engine where I can put in the couple of lyrics that I know to find which song it belongs to… ## There is. It is called “SDMB”, where you can tap into the accummulated knowledge of dozens\* of people. Oh, you meant a software driven search engine, not a human brain search engine. \*What, there are how many posters here? ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/67 "2010-01-29T15:01:21Z")
This thread makes my brain hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/68 "2010-01-29T15:17:40Z")
> [@BomTek](#): > > This thread makes my brain hurt. Hopefully, you’re an aspirin salesman, or a neurosurgeon, 'cause then it might be, …y’know. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/69 "2010-01-29T17:18:52Z")
> [@BomTek](#): > > This thread makes my brain hurt. Just ignore them when they’re getting overly pedantic - it’s what I do. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/70 "2010-01-29T18:53:03Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Hopefully, you’re an aspirin salesman, or a neurosurgeon, 'cause then it might be, …y’know. Ha! Thanks for the laugh! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/71 "2010-01-30T12:53:25Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Puh-leez. You’re the one who’s scrambling to find some definition — any old way of defining “ironic” – that would justify the song. To do so, you’re forced to rely on a particular definition of “congruous.” In other words, you’re the one who’s picking a definition that suits you. > > I’ve already cited a usage panel which overwhelmingly affirms that mere disappointment or unexpected results are not enough to constitute irony. Heck, this should be pretty much common sense. I wasn’t clear in my point apparently. The various definitions are valid in some context. The person who wrote the item is the only one who knows which definition they were thinking of. No third party, neither you nor I, can say definitively what was meant when there are multiple meanings that make sense in context. The quote you copied in your message does support the idea that the use of ironic in the song is not the most common. But, the definition at the top of the page you cited includes a definition of ironic that doesn’t require interpretation of “congruous”. I’m not so much defending the correctness of the lyric as I am criticizing the pedantic selection of one definition to state with conviction that there is no irony in the song. ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/72 "2010-02-08T18:39:35Z")
[I R O N I C](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiK4I4M6eyM) ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/73 "2010-02-08T19:11:45Z")
maggots … rice-irony [sub]_a San Francisco Treat_[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/74 "2010-02-08T23:05:18Z")
> [@Rafe\_Hollister](#): > > [I R O N I C](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiK4I4M6eyM) Yeah, but Alanis’ is the iconic version. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/75 "2010-02-08T23:11:13Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > It was Moose? And squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/76 "2010-02-09T00:17:58Z")
"_Irony,_ in addition to all that, to a Texan, is an aging golfer whose fans are called an “army.” i.e. Arnie Palmer ---
**Author:** ![Rack-a-Bones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rack-a-Bones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rack-a-Bones)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/77 "2010-02-09T01:28:29Z")
I am quite tickled that there is a web site called [isitironic.com](http://isitironic.com) AND even more tickled to find they have a separate section just for that song. > **[Ironic Alanis Morissette - The Song Has No Irony](http://www.isitironic.com/alanis-morissette.htm)** > > Ironic by Alanis Morissette - it's not ironic and here's exactly why ---
**Author:** ![nd\_n8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/439d5e/32.png) [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/78 "2010-02-09T12:14:37Z")
My favorite part of that song is the irony. Much like my favorite part of a ham and cheese sandwich is the chocolatey filling. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/79 "2010-02-09T14:14:01Z")
Bah, I think the definition of “irony” should be extended, at least a little. The idea that it’s just a synonym for sarcasm (asserted in a previous thread on this issue on this very board) annoys me. A lot. I don’t know why. It just does. ---
**Author:** ![ikerosoft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a587f6/32.png) [@ikerosoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ikerosoft)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429/80 "2010-02-09T15:35:35Z")
There are usually two parts which help to define the irony…most of this song only includes the first part…however: If you find yourself always looking for a spoon and only finding a knife, it would then be ironic when looking for a knife to find 10,000 spoons. If you always take others advice, and it steers you astray, it would be ironic that the one time someone gives you GOOD advice, you dont take it. If in O’Henry’s The Gift of the Magi, it wouldnt be considered ironic that the woman cutoff her hair to buy a watch chain if you didnt know the other half of the story. Essentially, the whole song could be ironic if you knew the missing part…which would make for a long and tedious diddy. In the end, its a catchy song people are still talking about and debating…much like Don Mclean’s American Pie. Somewhere, Alanis is having the last laugh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-title-lyric-is-its-like-rain-n-n-n-on-your-wedding-day/526429.md?page=5)