# Songs that contain words not commonly found in song lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846 "2007-02-19T19:38:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/161 "2015-07-11T06:57:39Z")
> [@Achren](#): > > The Books. Song: An Animated Description of Mr Maps. So much of the “found audio” in their music makes me curious about its origin. But none more than in this song, particularly the central section in which an FBI-type narrator seems to describe to underlings their quarry (that’s how I interpret it anyhow): > [@](#): > > He is forty two, five-feet-eight-inches tall, normally wears his curly hair long. He has a ruddy complexion, broad shoulders and is barrel-chested, is unusually strong. He frequently wears a full beard and sometimes glasses. He is a college graduate, a talented artist, and sculptor. Now, Maps is a soft-spoken loner, who resents society and all organizations. Maps fancies himself a ladies’ man. He is an avid chess player, smokes cigarettes, and a pipe. He is a beer drinker and loves to eat. Maps is a man of widespread interests, who might very well be living abroad. This is such a fascinating description. If it is from a fiction film or TV show (as is most of their audio), something like _Dragnet_, it’s unusually vivid. I almost wonder if it is from a newscast or something, about a real fugitive; but Googling this description only seems to pull up references to the song. ---
**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:** [July 11, 2015, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/162 "2015-07-11T10:48:07Z")
The title track from Nightwish’s new album, “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” contains some interesting words: Beyond aeons we take a ride Welcoming the shrew that survived To see the tiktaalik take her first walk Witness the birth of flight Deeper down in Panthalassa A eukaryote finds her way We return to the very first one Greet the one we’ll soon become ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/163 "2015-07-11T17:40:35Z")
Returning to Jackson Browne, this must be the most film directors in one verse: _He worked for Walsh and Wyler with the chariot and sword When he rode out in the desert he was quoting Hawks and Ford He came to see the masters and he left with what he saw What he stole from Kurosawa he bequeathed to Peckinpah_ ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/164 "2015-07-12T00:01:23Z")
When this thread started 8 years ago, someone mentioned Blue Öyster Cult, but not that they include the unusual word **purposeful** in their metal anthem _Godzilla_, of all places. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/165 "2015-07-12T01:43:56Z")
The Judybats song “She’s sad she said” contains the line “Her beautiful arse, cantilevered over a table of hors d’oeuvres”. It is not everyday you hear the word “cantilevered” used in a song, or even casual conversation. ---
**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 12, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/166 "2015-07-12T02:04:08Z")
\*Tell me off in a letter, completely ignore me. Gettin’ high off of saying why you don’t adore me. I’m well-versed in how I might be cursed, I don’t need it **articulated**. \* Sara Bareilles _Machine Gun_ ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/167 "2015-07-12T02:14:02Z")
“The Original Wrapper” by Lou Reed _Don’t mean to come on sanctimonious but life’s got me nervous and little pugnacious Lugubrious so I give a salutation_ ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/168 "2015-07-12T02:24:52Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > Ah-ha! I knew I had a really good example, but it eluded me the last couple of days. > > \*Cry me a river > I cried a river over you > > You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head > While you never shed a tear > Remember, I remember, all that you said > You told me love was too **plebeian** > Told me you were through with me and\* Could have saved significant time and not a little irritation by reading the other entries and there at number 49 was your really good example. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/169 "2015-07-12T02:38:35Z")
My guess is that Chuck Berry is the only person to have a top 20 hit with the word “coolerator.” “You Never can Tell” (1964.) ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/170 "2015-07-12T03:32:12Z")
> [@Khadro](#): > > The Nine Inch Nails song Dead Souls has the line > > “ **Conquistadors** that took their share”. > > I have not heard that in another song before. Procol Harum had a great song on their Salty Dog album called Conquistadores I think. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/171 "2015-07-12T06:22:25Z")
“Sugar Tongue” by Indigo Girls is that very rare song that sent me to the dictionary.\* Gilded verses for your **atheling** … Drinking tea with milk and **janjaweed** … Belladonna with her **atropine** \*“Atheling” meant a prince in Anglo-Saxon England. I knew the other unusual words, though I didn’t know what atropine is used for till I looked it up. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/172 "2015-07-12T13:16:12Z")
> [@Wee\_Bairn](#): > > I’ll add the Stones “Sympathy for the Devil” contains the word **politesse**. And, almost two years previously, their “Back Street Girl” has **nonchalant**. Mick playing with French-derived words, to give an air of haughty refinement to these first-person characters: respectively, the Devil and a fellow who likes to keep his working-class second girlfriend in her place in the shadows. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846/173 "2015-07-12T13:50:35Z")
Todd Rundgren taught me the word [onomatopoeia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rGbPtzEB9c). _Onomatopoeia in proximity ya Rearrange my brain in a strange cacophony…_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-contain-words-not-commonly-found-in-song-lyrics/392846.md?page=8)