# Why did they do that? - Stupid details ruining good songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885 "2008-04-25T19:19:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/21 "2008-04-26T15:43:10Z")
[QUOTE=freekalette] You’re WHAT?! Hennnnn-ry! Restin’. Is how I always heard it. Makes sense considering they’ve been screwing so much, and now she needs a break. But I never bothered to look up the lyrics, so I’m probably way off. [/QUOTE] [Nope.](http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=692) > [@](#): > > Towards the end, the music stops and Cindy Wilson wails: “Tin Roof, Rusted.” The line is commonly misheard… > Cindy’s “tin roof, rusted” line has commenly been inturpreted as a southern euphimism for being pregnant, but she claims it means nothing. Fred simply looked at her, during the recording and suddenly sang “you’re WHAT?”, and she replied the said line. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/22 "2008-04-26T15:50:51Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] I’m still trying to figure out the Your WHAT? /Tin roof rusted at the end of Love Shack. 😕 [/QUOTE] A partial explanation is that the [Love Shack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Shack) is inspired by an actual tin-roofed cabin where Kate Pierson once lived. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/23 "2008-04-26T16:16:57Z")
Garland Jeffreys sublime ["Matador](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA1_K-ZatQo)" is nearly ruined by the pointless and totally out of place with the rest of the song “Di-Di Dip Dips” he yells at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/24 "2008-04-26T16:21:16Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Isn’t that closer to how it goes? I seem to recall that in the first couple of choruses he DOES say very, then the last one/two is when the fucks start a-flyin’. [/QUOTE] Now that you mention it, I think you may be right. I think I’m going to have to dig it up now to find out. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/25 "2008-04-26T16:41:59Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] I’m curious why this ruins it for you? I think it’s a very powerful and necessary part of the song. It establishes how controlling the guy is over her. [/QUOTE] I agree with this. It’s especially evident in the (otherwise awful) video, where she stands up and screams those lines in a crowded theater while the asshole boyfriend shrinks down in his seat, humiliated. As to the OP, the thing that immediately jumped out in my head was the cringe-worthy rap section of Rush’s “Roll the Bones”. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/26 "2008-04-26T16:44:29Z")
[QUOTE=zagloba] A partial explanation is that the [Love Shack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Shack) is inspired by an actual tin-roofed cabin where Kate Pierson once lived. [/QUOTE] > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Named one of the 365 Songs of the Century in a report by the United States Senate Subcommittee on the Department of the Interior… What the hell? Anyway, the conventional wisdom is that “my tin roof rusted” is slang for pregnant. After lots and lots of sex, (“bang, bang, on the door, baby,” repeated), the the guy is shocked the girl is knocked up (“Your what!?”). The one flaw in this theory is I haven’t been able to find a single use of the phrase antedating “Love Shack.” Maybe it was extremely local slang. ETA: Well, I see the theory was debunked before I bunked it. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/27 "2008-04-26T17:40:54Z")
[QUOTE=TWDuke] What the hell? [/QUOTE] Well, you have to admit that if any one group could be known for their superior appreciation of modern popular music, it would have to be the U.S. Senate. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/28 "2008-04-26T18:12:15Z")
Joni Mitchell singing the last line of _Big Yellow Taxi_ in a deep voice, I’m okay with. Her idiotic laughing at herself for doing so…not so much. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/29 "2008-04-26T18:51:04Z")
I believe I have THE definitive song to match the OP. _Hooked on a Feeling_ preceded by that horrendous chorus of “Ooga Chagga, Ooga Chagga, Ooga Ooga…”. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/30 "2008-04-26T22:24:48Z")
Sonic Youth’s “Mote” is a nifty little tune except for the minutes of guitar feedback tacked onto the end. Of course, in this case, it’s very easy to answer the question of why they did it – it’s because they’re Sonic freakin’ Youth! Guitar feedback is their reason to live. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/31 "2008-04-26T23:40:20Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde] Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire” has a weird sounding instrument in the background that doesn’t fit with the mood of the song. That’s one reason I prefer the alternate version on the recent release of _Songs from a Room_. [/QUOTE] The instrument is a [Jew’s harp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew%27s_harp). In my opinion, it’s an instrument that’s rarely used well, but I actually don’t mind it too much in “Bird on a Wire.” It’s more of a background drone there. For a song where it really works, check out “Black Girls” by Violent Femmes. I hate the rap part of Blondie’s “Rapture.” The part of the song before that is pretty and kind of spooky, but then it gets trashed by the terrible, terrible lyrics about men from Mars eating cars. I don’t want the rap part to be cut out entirely; I just wish Debbie Harry had found something less idiotic to rap about. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/32 "2008-04-27T00:08:24Z")
Agreed 100% about “Rapture” ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/33 "2008-04-27T00:13:47Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] As to the OP, the thing that immediately jumped out in my head was the cringe-worthy rap section of Rush’s “Roll the Bones”. [/QUOTE] Admittedly, hard to argue. In interview’s Ged has said they had several versions of that including a woman and a true rap artist from Toronto. Instead they chose to just let Ged do it with his voice phased way down. I’ll back Rush against most anyone. But that’s one BAD call, guys. That’s a song that needs an alternate take, badly. Or maybe a special release with the alternate performers giving it a go. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/34 "2008-04-27T01:25:42Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] I believe I have THE definitive song to match the OP. _Hooked on a Feeling_ preceded by that horrendous chorus of “Ooga Chagga, Ooga Chagga, Ooga Ooga…”. [/QUOTE] I’m surprised at myself, as I usually hate it when sombody does a stupid version of a song I like, but I do love this one. It’s just so goofy. It’s almost like a whole different song, with a whole different attitude. Makes me laugh every time. Also makes me wonder what the heck they were thinking. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/35 "2008-04-27T01:32:37Z")
[QUOTE=Jonathan Chance] > [@neutron star](#): > > As to the OP, the thing that immediately jumped out in my head was the cringe-worthy rap section of Rush’s “Roll the Bones”. Admittedly, hard to argue. In interview’s Ged has said they had several versions of that including a woman and a true rap artist from Toronto. Instead they chose to just let Ged do it with his voice phased way down. I’ll back Rush against most anyone. But that’s one BAD call, guys. That’s a song that needs an alternate take, badly. Or maybe a special release with the alternate performers giving it a go. [/QUOTE] If you think that bit of the song is bad, you should see what they did in the video. I never imagined that a dancing, rapping skeleton with a mohawk could look so dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/36 "2008-04-27T01:34:38Z")
Can I vote for the U2 song (Vertigo, Wikipedia tells me) that begins with “Unos… Dos… Tres… CATORCE!” Being that I can actually count to four in Spanish, this intro always annoyed the irrational hell out of me, inspiring me to sing along whenever I heard it on the radio as “Uno… Dos… Tres… FOURTEEN!” Wiki also tells me that the sole explanation for that is that “there may have been some alcohol involved”. So that’s actually kinda funny, but the song itself pisses me off. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/37 "2008-04-27T01:56:37Z")
I don’t really mind U2’s miscounting. Nor Feist’s similar miscounting, “One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, ten.” ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/38 "2008-04-27T02:08:43Z")
Or Sam the Sham? “Uno! Dos! One-Two-Tres-Quatro!” ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/39 "2008-04-27T02:13:24Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] If you think that bit of the song is bad, you should see what they did in the video. I never imagined that a dancing, rapping skeleton with a mohawk could look so dumb. [/QUOTE] And they’re so proud of it that you can see it on the backscreen when they play it live. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885/40 "2008-04-27T02:14:44Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] I believe I have THE definitive song to match the OP. _Hooked on a Feeling_ preceded by that horrendous chorus of “Ooga Chagga, Ooga Chagga, Ooga Ooga…”. [/QUOTE] Heh. [The Hasselhoff rendition](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi2CfuqcUGE) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-they-do-that-stupid-details-ruining-good-songs/446885.md?page=3)