Songwriters that make liberal use of big/obscure words

Cafe Society
1

Someone else might title this thread “Pretentious Wanker Artists,” but I, for one, like hearing fifty-cent-words in music. I think it’s pretty cool when someone can shove a giant word into a song and make it fit.

The first such songwriter I discovered was Neal Peart of Rush. It was like this wonderful kind of nerd rock, with songs about technology and other varied subjects that I’d never heard musicians broach.

Another band I started listening to more recently is Bad Religion. It’s punk rock with big words and a social conscience. Check out these lyrics from “Kyoto Now”:

They’ve been at it for a while, too. Consider these gems from their 1988 album “Suffer”:

Needless to say, these guys have made me break out my dictionary on more than one occasion.

2

Frank Zappa

I wanted to include Roger Waters here too, but that would take up too much space, so someone else can do it.

3

Thanks for the Bad Religion quotes, but they misuse “myriad,” so I’m a little less impressed: they seem to be reaching a bit beyond their capabilities; using big words for the sake of using big words.

Now, Shriekback: can you think of any other band, anywhere anytime, who used–and rhymed!–‘parthenogenesis’?

4

I was surprised to hear that “The Message,” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, uses the word “sacroiliac.”

5

While this doesn’t exactly fit in, this always bugged me. It’s this 98 degrees(boy band) song called “The Hardest Thing.” At one point, he’s comparing his strong love to Dr. Zhivago. I quote

Like Dr. Zhivago
On a love I’ll be sending…

My question is this: How in the names of all things sacred do these songwriters expect their target audiences…15 year old girls…to know ANYTHING about a 1960s movie about Russia??? For crying out loud, some of these kids have never even heard of Atari…I’m only 22 and I’m feelin old

6

Sting always uses strong imagery…undoubtedly because he was an English teacher once.

“…Caught between the scylla and charybdis.”
“…I will turn your face to alabaster.”
“…Just like the old man in that famous book by Nabokov.”

7

Good old Will Oldham.

“The beautiful lunatic’s mind was mercurial”

“I am a cinematographer” (6 syllable word in song title)

“Yes I saw a dependence, an inherent weakness
Within walls which hid sunlight and hindered all frankness”

“he asks that we allow the sex
to make us unrecognizable;
that we allow slow violence
to prove us rebaptizable.”

All totally serious and graceful.

8

The Tragically Hip’s “The Bastard” includes a reference to “crepuscular rays.” Had to look that one up.

(It means having the properties of twilight.)

9

Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” always made me think someone had just given him a Word-of-the-Day calendar.

10

Jethro Tull songs always sent me running to the dictionary. I remember learning ‘Beltane’, ‘lowing’ and probably a few other words from those guys.

11

The Grateful Dead’s lyricist Robert Hunter threw a cool, sly, little phrase into their tune West L.A. Fadeaway .

I had a steady job
Hauling items for the mob
I had a steady job
Hauling items for the mob
Y’know the pay was pathetic
It’s a shame those boys couldn’t be more copacetic

I always liked that one. The whole tune really. Has a humorous, juvenile feel to it.

12

I had the same impression with Prince’s “Manic Monday” sung by the Bangles.
It sounded like he learned a new word and just had to write a song using it.
“Just another Manic Monday
I wish it were Sunday
Cuz that’s my fun day
The I don’t have to run day.”

Gimme a break :rolleyes:

13

I’d have to say Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, otherwise known as Steely Dan, get(s) my vote.

(from “Any Major Dude Will Tell You”)
Have you ever seen a squonk’s tears? Well, look at mine
The people on the street have all seen better times.

A squonk is a mythical woodland creature in Pennsylvania (at least that’s where the story started) that is ashamed of its appearance to the point of crying itself into a puddle.

(from “Doctor Wu”)
Katy tried
I was halfway crucified
I was on the other side
Of no tomorrow
You walked in
And my life began again
Just when I’d spent the last piaster
I could borrow
All night long
We would sing that stupid song
And every word we sang
I knew was true

Admittedly, this passage makes better use of eloquent speech than big words, the sole example of which being piaster, which in this context could mean the Vietnamese? denomination, slang for a buck, penny, or God knows what else. <takes a breath, spits at “grammar”> This group is well known for obscure references in their songs. There are many more examples availiable i their songs, past and present.

14

Well, there’s Christine Lavin’s Amoeba Hop:

But the first person I thought of was Andrew Ratshin. From Another Fat Song:

From Happy Endings (Romeo and Juliet)

And as soon as I think of some good Tom Lehrer examples, I’ll post them too.