# What is truly the worst song you have ever heard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 20, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160 "2005-10-20T23:13:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/261 "2005-10-24T21:28:20Z")
As someone mentioned religious songs, how can we forget [Deck of Cards](http://members.tripod.com/~Synergy_2/lyrics/thedeck.html)? ---
**Author:** ![HeelB4Zod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@HeelB4Zod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeelB4Zod)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/262 "2005-10-24T22:15:44Z")
> [@Feydeau](#): > > \ > > I just googled Rick Astley. :eek: > I swear, I always thought he was a tall, black dude. Just, yknow, from his voice. > > Wow. > > \ Trust me, you weren’t alone. When I found out what Rick Astley looked like (many years ago), I was shocked. That’ll teach me not to have those preconceived notions. A few loathesome ditties from me: - “Oh Sherry” - Journey - “South Side” - Moby - “The Rockafeller Skank” - Fatboy Slim - “After the Love Has Gone” - Earth, Wind and Fire - “Jezabel” - Sade - “Lucky” - Radiohead - “John Barleycorn” - Traffic ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/263 "2005-10-24T22:38:36Z")
> [@HeelB4Zod](#): > > - “Oh Sherry” - Journey Actually a Steve Perry solo effort. ---
**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/264 "2005-10-24T22:38:38Z")
[QUOTE=want2know] [li] **Toby Keith** has done worse than the “Red White and Blue” song–has anyone heard “I Ain’t As Good as I Once Was, But I’m As Good Once As I Ever Was?” JEEEEZ![/li][/QUOTE] The video is freakin’ hilarious. > [@](#): > > _Honorable Mention_: “Three Wooden Crosses” by **Randy Travis** (or, as I call it, “The Dead Hooker Song”) Actually, the only person who survives the bus crash is the Hooker. The story is a sermon told by the Hooker’s son, a Preacher. A Farmer, a Teacher, a Preacher, and the Bus Driver die in the crash. The message of the song is everything happens for a reason. The Preacher had to die in order to introduce the Hooker to God so that she could go on and have a son who would eventually grow up to be a Preacher himself. Sorry, I like it… ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/265 "2005-10-24T23:06:35Z")
> [@Carm6773](#): > > A Farmer, a Teacher, a Preacher, and the Bus Driver die in the crash… This sounds like the setup for a joke. Wow…Paper Lace recorded both **The Night Chicago Died** and **Billy, Don’t be a Hero**. Now, _that’s_ a career. That’s like winning 2 Nobel Prizes, in bizarro world. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/266 "2005-10-25T00:59:21Z")
You mentioned “The Night Chicago Died” and for some reason it reminded me of “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia”, a craptacular song that I seem to recall had a movie made about it that my parents dragged me and my sister to the drive-in to see when we were wee and innocent. And TNTLWOIG makes me think of Reba McIntire (yes, I know whatsherface from “Mama’s Family” did it first), which makes me think of her terrible, horrible, awful, no-good, very bad song “Fancy”. And thinking of Reba makes me think of that stupid “Redneck Woman” song that was so popular a while back, in which the singer does a lot of namedropping and then exhorts the listener to shout, “Hell, yeah!” Geez, it’s like Six Degrees of Suckiness at my house tonight. Wait a minute…Reba was in **Tremors** with Kevin Bacon! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/267 "2005-10-25T01:19:34Z")
“Lights Went Out in Georgia” was, as you noted, Vicki Lawrence. “Redneck Woman,” I believe, is the recent country wunderkinde, Gretchen Wilson. ---
**Author:** ![CowPatty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@CowPatty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CowPatty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/268 "2005-10-25T01:20:53Z")
I must be fairly tolerant (or maybe I just have terrible taste in music) since most of the stuff mentioned so far doesn’t bother me too much. I actually _like_ most of the 70s songs. Once, however, I heard a song so bad that for ages I was afraid to turn on the radio in case it might be playing again. I only heard it one time years ago, but sadly it’s still burned into my brain. I would rather chew broken glass than hear “[Papa Loved Mama](http://countrymusic.about.com/blicqpost7.htm)” again: _Papa loved Mama Mama loved men Mama’s in the graveyard Papa’s in the pen._ If I ever meet Garth Brooks I swear I’m going to demand a personal apology for that one. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/269 "2005-10-25T01:23:45Z")
> [@CowPatty](#): > > I must be fairly tolerant (or maybe I just have terrible taste in music) since most of the stuff mentioned so far doesn’t bother me too much. I actually _like_ most of the 70s songs. Nice to meet you, **CowPatty**. I have bad taste too! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![supervenusfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@supervenusfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supervenusfreak)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/270 "2005-10-25T01:25:38Z")
Play anything that Phil Collins or Lionel Richie recorded in the 80’s, and watch how I react. “Hello” and “Sususudio” are like nails on a chalkboard… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/271 "2005-10-25T01:26:50Z")
> [@CowPatty](#): > > I must be fairly tolerant (or maybe I just have terrible taste in music) since most of the stuff mentioned so far doesn’t bother me too much. I actually _like_ most of the 70s songs. Oh, my. Your username reminded me of one that used to be played by the local morning DJ, Sean McKay, when I was a kid, just to irk his studio partner, Patty Gross. [Yippee iy ay, Cow Patti!](http://www.twin-music.com/azlyrics/s_file/songs/stafford/cow.html) ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/272 "2005-10-25T01:37:18Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I can read. :rolleyes: > You could say the same for every single song mentioned in this thread. Just because the writer has made a lot of money off the song doesn’t make the line suck any less. You are correct. I was just kidding around really. I live in Nashville and am a songwriter myself, so it’s kind of a redundant joke in the songwriter community to hear people complain how Baaadd a hit song is. While we’re complaining, we’re secretly wishing we wrote the dam thing. I don’t think Coward of the County is that poorly wrtten, but it’s an interesting point about how casually gang rape is mentioned. If my wife was gang raped I’m not sure my vengence would be limited to a fist fight. ---
**Author:** ![CowPatty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@CowPatty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CowPatty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/273 "2005-10-25T01:42:52Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > Nice to meet you, **CowPatty**. I have bad taste too! 😃 With names like **Dung Beetle** and **CowPatty** who would have ever guessed we would have similar bad taste in music? I’m honored to know you! 🙂 > [@jayjay](#): > > Oh, my. Your username reminded me of one … > [Yippee iy ay, Cow Patti!](http://www.twin-music.com/azlyrics/s_file/songs/stafford/cow.html) Hey, that’s my personal theme song! If I had a nickel for every time my brother sang that to me when we were kids, I could afford to have Garth Brooks’ roughed up for that “Papa Loved Mama” fiasco. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/274 "2005-10-25T02:42:09Z")
I remembered another one - whatever song is in that car commercial where the guy leaves his house and jumps off of a cliff. My GOD that is irritating. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/275 "2005-10-25T03:35:38Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > Nice to meet you, **CowPatty**. I have bad taste too! 😃 Cow patty by the notoriously bad Jim Stafford. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/276 "2005-10-25T03:39:11Z")
Lick it Up by Kiss, just for the lyrics, as Kiss’ music was always good. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/277 "2005-10-25T03:47:54Z")
okay, I made through all 6 pages, and most of the tunes I would have nominated are already listed. I just can’t believe no one has mentioned “Delta Dawn” by Helen Reddy. Or maybe, like me, you had managed block it out of your memory along with other traumatic events until it played on the freaking Muzak at work! This song prompted me to get a chair and turn off the PA speaker above my cube. Now I never have to listen to anything by Barry Manilow (Barely Man-enough), Bobby Goldsboro, Tom Jones, Olivia Neutron-Bomb, The Cowsills, The Carpenters, Tony Orlando and Dawn, or any of the other “so incredibly bad the royalties are practically non-existent” garbage that my company seems to think is appropriate background music. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/278 "2005-10-25T03:58:57Z")
> [@melondeca](#): > > I can’t believe this thread is five pages and no one has mentioned the monstrosity that is _Pushing up the Daisies_ by **Ween**. Is that the one Beavis and Butthead used to sing all the time? “Push the little daisies and make them come up!” Speaking of songs heard on B&B, what about “Crucified” by Army of Lovers? Has anyone mentioned “I’m a Little Bit Country” by Donny and Marie Osmond? Isn’t there a country song about a little girl whose daddy pulled a murder/suicide on the whole family, and Jesus was waiting for her? Oh, and the Captain and Tenille should be brought up on charges in the Hague. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/279 "2005-10-25T04:06:06Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > IsIsn’t there a country song about a little girl whose daddy pulled a murder/suicide on the whole family, and Jesus was waiting for her? Is that the same song where a little girl tells the story about she saw Jesus behind the couch with her while her parents murdered each other? A fine Saviour he was, hiding behind the couch. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160/280 "2005-10-25T04:09:44Z")
Seasons in the Sun Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves Well, anything by Cher except I’ve got you babe. I’m not enjoying King of the Mountain but it’s not as bad as Wuthering Heights. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-truly-the-worst-song-you-have-ever-heard/327160.md?page=15)