# Things stupid songs have taught you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950 "2014-12-11T16:51:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/1 "2014-12-11T16:51:39Z")
The song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke taught me how to pronounce “Decatur.” I always pronounced it “Dekka-TER.” Apparently it’s pronounce “Dih-KAY-ter.” ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/2 "2014-12-11T17:04:26Z")
There are nine million bicycles in Beijing. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/3 "2014-12-11T17:05:15Z")
Arguably the song with most potential as a teaching tool is Billy Joel’s _We Didn’t Start the Fire._ I was out of school when it came out, but we’ve all read stories about teachers that used it in class. Even though I had some (in some instances very little) knowledge of most everything that is mentioned, it prompted me to seek out more info on each of the subjects. It also helps as a general history timeline, if you remember all the verses in order. ---
**Author:** ![Idilia\_Dubb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@Idilia\_Dubb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idilia_Dubb)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/4 "2014-12-11T17:41:36Z")
If you knock three times on the ceiling you love me. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/5 "2014-12-11T17:50:33Z")
Bird is the word. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/6 "2014-12-11T18:01:55Z")
There are 50 ways to leave a lover. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/7 "2014-12-11T18:16:14Z")
The song _Orinoco Flow_ made me google the Orinoco river and read about it. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/8 "2014-12-11T18:42:24Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > There are 50 ways to leave a lover. But Paul Simon will only tell you about half a dozen or so - the discovery of rest is an exercise for the listener. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/9 "2014-12-11T21:49:09Z")
> [@BurnMeUp](#): > > But Paul Simon will only tell you about half a dozen or so - the discovery of rest is an exercise for the listener. Maybe Paul only knew six of them. Anyway, “There must be at least six ways to leave your lover” doesn’t work lyrically. IMHO.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/10 "2014-12-11T22:23:11Z")
The Christmas Shoes led me to hear Patton Oswalt’s stand up. His deconstruction of the song is fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/11 "2014-12-11T22:23:45Z")
I’m so vain; I probably think this song’s about me. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/12 "2014-12-11T22:25:15Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > The Christmas Shoes led me to hear Patton Oswalt’s stand up. His deconstruction of the song is fantastic. Shit. I was thinking I’d go through a holiday season without being reminded of that song. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/13 "2014-12-11T22:30:02Z")
Uriah Heep’s _Circle of Hands_ taught me “Today is only yesterday’s tomorrow”. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/14 "2014-12-11T22:35:54Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Maybe Paul only knew six of them. Anyway, “There must be at least six ways to leave your lover” doesn’t work lyrically. IMHO.😃 Fake your own death, Seth Catch the next train, Shane Move to Detroit, Hoyt Just run away, Jay ---
**Author:** ![Abracadebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Abracadebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abracadebra)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/15 "2014-12-11T22:45:42Z")
I shook AC/DC all night long. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/16 "2014-12-11T23:04:47Z")
Muskrats can fall in love. Here’s your earworm, move along… here’s your earworm, move along… ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/17 "2014-12-11T23:34:00Z")
I actually don’t think ‘‘Boys of Summer’’ is a stupid song, but it did teach me what Wayfarers are. For the longest time it sounded to me like ‘‘weight-bearers’’ but I knew that made no sense. Eventually it annoyed me enough to look it up. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/18 "2014-12-11T23:53:29Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Muskrats can fall in love.[…] There’s some kind of little tinkling (?) sound in that song that plays periodically. Every time it did, one of my friends would say “They’re doing it.” ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/19 "2014-12-12T00:07:07Z")
Poe, Edgar Allen. American poet. Born in eighteen hundred and nine. He wrote “Cock Robin” and “My Darling Clementine”. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/20 "2014-12-12T00:10:51Z")
James Ensor was a Belgian painter. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950.md?page=2)