# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/21 "2014-12-12T00:16:55Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Poe, Edgar Allen. American poet. Born in eighteen hundred and nine. He wrote “Cock Robin” and “My Darling Clementine”. I am completely puzzled by this. Is it a reference to a song in which these claims were made? I mean, Cock Robin is like centuries old. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/22 "2014-12-12T00:26:47Z")
Bangkok is the crème de la crème of the Chess world. ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/23 "2014-12-12T00:30:50Z")
If you’re going to travel across the desert, you’d better bring along your photo ID. Mainly because in the desert, you can’t remember your name, 'cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain. ---
**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, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/24 "2014-12-12T00:38:49Z")
> [@jimbuff314](#): > > I am completely puzzled by this. Is it a reference to a song in which these claims were made? I mean, Cock Robin is like centuries old. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne3uh0Dv9\_c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne3uh0Dv9_c) ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/25 "2014-12-12T01:27:16Z")
I made it through a segment on the English Civil War thanks to Monty Python’s “Oliver Cromwell”. Oddly enough, despite the title, the Clash’s song was no help. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/26 "2014-12-12T01:49:55Z")
They’ll kick you, they’ll beat you: _they’ll tell you its_ **fair.** ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/27 "2014-12-12T02:26:53Z")
Men at Work taught me about Vegemite. Not enough to try it, but I felt pretty worldly for a 6th grader. > [@vertizontal](#): > > If you’re going to travel across the desert, you’d better bring along your photo ID. Mainly because in the desert, you can’t remember your name, 'cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain. Things I learned from smart people on message boards: the lyric doesn’t go “to give you no fame.” Thank you for clearing that up so I don’t spend another 40 years getting it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/28 "2014-12-12T02:29:00Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > I made it through a segment on the English Civil War thanks to Monty Python’s “Oliver Cromwell”. Oddly enough, despite the title, the Clash’s song was no help. I learned about it from Elvis Costello. And Mom said that pop music wouldn’t make me smarter. :rolleyes: (I know it’s not necessarily about Cromwell, but it made me look him up) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/29 "2014-12-12T02:37:30Z")
Thanks to Warren Zevon and Linda Rondstadt I know that there’s a _Vieux Carre_ down in Yokohoma. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/30 "2014-12-12T02:55:17Z")
I learned not to be a hero, not to be a fool with my life. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/31 "2014-12-12T02:57:52Z")
I learned that somewhere there’s a city they built on rock & roll. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/32 "2014-12-12T03:16:43Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I learned not to be a hero, not to be a fool with my life. Oh, I think that was only intended for Billy. I’d argue and say you can do whatever you like, but I learned from Mr. Croce not to mess around with Jim. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/33 "2014-12-12T03:21:15Z")
Ha! ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/34 "2014-12-12T03:29:07Z")
When to hold them, when to fold them, when to walk away, and, most importantly, when to run. Okay, “pick your battles” is more succinct, but doesn’t make a whole ballad. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/35 "2014-12-12T03:33:19Z")
> [@tenacious\_j](#): > > Oh, I think that was only intended for Billy. … Oh no, it was directed at Billy, but it was universal wisdom. 😛 I learned that baseball scores were kept 'lectricly. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/36 "2014-12-12T03:36:01Z")
> [@tenacious\_j](#): > > Oh, I think that was only intended for Billy. > I’d argue and say you can do whatever you like, but I learned from Mr. Croce not to mess around with Jim. 😉 And Mr. Croce was totally correct in that you should never start a fight (or play pool for money with) anybody named Slim, or for that matter named for any bodily characteristic, or come to think of it for something like a city. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/37 "2014-12-12T03:38:55Z")
Ooh, another … If you’re not rich, it’s still better than diggin’ a ditch You might meet a movie star or Indian chief at the car wash and the boss don’t mind if you sometimes play the fool. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/38 "2014-12-12T03:41:40Z")
I know that I must do what’s right, sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/39 "2014-12-12T03:51:51Z")
I’m not the only one wondering who wrote the book of love. At least I know what the chapters are. Paula Abdul keeps telling me that she’s forever my girl. But when I show up at her house to say hi, not only doesn’t she recognize me, she calls the police. Go figure. I learned about [Werner von Braun](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJ9HrZq7Ro) from Tom Lehrer, but I wouldn’t call anything by Tom Lehrer stupid. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-stupid-songs-have-taught-you/706950/40 "2014-12-12T03:53:49Z")
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