# Worst rock&roll lyrics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918 "2004-04-19T23:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/1 "2004-04-19T23:21:54Z")
Sure, there’s the classicly bad, like “Look what you’ve done to this rock ‘n’ roll clown”, or pretty much any random line from “Sister Christian”. And then there’s stuff like… “When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself.” (The _hell_ you say!) or… “I cannot forget from where it is that I come from.” (The preposition so nice, I said it twice!) Faves? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/2 "2004-04-19T23:48:54Z")
And I love this song. It’s just that this line is so stupid. From the Chi-lites **Have You Seen Her** _Why, oh why did she have to leave and go away?_ As if she could leave and stay. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/3 "2004-04-19T23:53:01Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > And I love this song. It’s just that this line is so stupid. From the Chi-lites **Have You Seen Her** > _Why, oh why did she have to leave and go away?_ > > As if she could leave and stay. She could leave AND stay AND be half-alive AND half-dead, at least according to quantum mechanics. Probably. ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/4 "2004-04-19T23:55:54Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > And I love this song. It’s just that this line is so stupid. From the Chi-lites **Have You Seen Her** > _Why, oh why did she have to leave and go away?_ > > As if she could leave and stay. Could it mean that she left him - dumped him - then left town? ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/5 "2004-04-19T23:56:04Z")
Post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd came up with quite a few howlers, and to me the most egregious has always been: _The rain fell slow Down on all the roofs of uncertainty_ Err … the _roofs of uncertainty_? A classic example of a writer who knows what metaphor _is_ while having no idea what it’s _for_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/6 "2004-04-20T00:16:46Z")
“Squeeze my lemon, baby, until the juice runs down my leg.” ---
**Author:** ![Roberta\_Plant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c89c15/32.png) [@Roberta\_Plant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roberta_Plant)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/7 "2004-04-20T00:21:10Z")
OH MAN, the rock-n-roll clown… EXCELLENT EXCELLENT PICK! Anything with an obvious RHYME to “down on my bended knee(s)”/“please”… ugh. I can’t think of specifics at the moment, but I know there are _at least_ THREE offenders out there… in Rock-n-Roll Hell (as opposed to Rock-n-Roll Heaven, where at least THEY have a Helluva band, if not a decent lyricist). And so bad it is ALMOST good: Let me brush your Rock-n-Roll Hair Let the Good Times Roll (RIGHT?! That IS what The Cars are singing, isn’t it?) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/8 "2004-04-20T01:10:01Z")
Jefferson Starship’s “Miracles” gave us this line (which was cut for the radio edit): “I got a taste of the real world When I went down on you, girl” ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/9 "2004-04-20T01:10:43Z")
[QUOTE= And then there’s stuff like… “When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself.” (The _hell_ you say!)[/QUOTE] Whoa. Got to disagree. Imho, that is one of the greatest lines in R&R history. I think a person who’s done some heavy drinking in his/her life would understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/10 "2004-04-20T01:26:45Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > “Squeeze my lemon, baby, until the juice runs down my leg.” Umm, that line is not by Led Zep, it is by Robert Johnson, the master himself. Shame on you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Squonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squonk)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/11 "2004-04-20T01:36:05Z")
Here is my heart Waiting for you Here is my soul I eat at chez nous from “Love Will Find A Way” by Yes (written by Trevor Rabin) Do you want to be the pillow where I lay my head, Do you want to be the feathers lying in my bed? Do you want to be a colour cover magazine; create a scene. Every day a little sadder, A little madder, Someone get me a ladder. from “Still You Turn Me On” by ELP (written by Greg Lake, I think) ---
**Author:** ![Misha77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Misha77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misha77)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/12 "2004-04-20T01:46:06Z")
I agree about the knees/please thing. That rhyme sets my teeth on edge. In the same vein: I hate it whenever an artist rhymes “fire” and “desire”. The Backstreet Boys and Bruce Springsteen immediately come to mind, but I know there have been many others. I’m no songwriter, but c’mon, try a little harder. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/13 "2004-04-20T02:58:44Z")
I actually like America, but this classic from “a Horse With No Name” is about the worst line ever. 'Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain Although this misplaced modifier ruins one of the true greats: Gotta get down to it Soldiers are gunning us down Should have been done long ago. Neil Young’s “Ohio” of course. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/14 "2004-04-20T05:02:45Z")
“Rocket ship burnin’ fuel, so fast, As up into the sky, we blast” Black Sabbath [presumably written by a 5yo boy] “At Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender, oh yeah [oh no he didn’t!] And I have met my fate, in quite a sim’lar way The history book on the shelf Is kinda repeating itself …” Abba. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/15 "2004-04-20T05:18:10Z")
Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas You know he knows just exactly what the facts is He ain’t gonna let those two escape justice He makes his livin’ off of the people’s taxes ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/16 "2004-04-20T06:32:09Z")
You’ve got to include Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die”: _But if this ever-changing world in which we live in_ I love the song, but that line makes me cringe. I force myself to hear _in which we’re livin’_ to make it through the ordeal. D ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/17 "2004-04-20T07:01:23Z")
Go for rock bands from non-English speaking countries singing in English. One example is Japanese metal act, Loudness. To wit: _We are the Loudness guy Feel in the sky_ and: _Sing a song and step on dance_ ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/18 "2004-04-20T07:43:25Z")
several 70’s rock bands’ songs include the lyrics “she kept her motor clean”, or variations thereof, i.e. “he didn’t keep his motor clean”, or what have you. I hate that. It’s gross. ---
**Author:** ![satu\_largi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@satu\_largi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satu_largi)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/19 "2004-04-20T07:59:31Z")
…and that '50’s classic of bad taste, by Nervous Norvus…"“Transfusion”" Transfusion…transfusion… I’m one solid mass of con-tusions I’m never, never, never gonna speed a-gain… Put a gallon in me, Allen… ---
**Author:** ![epepke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@epepke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epepke)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918/20 "2004-04-20T08:13:14Z")
Everybody was kung-fu fighting Those cats were fast as lightning In fact it was a little bit frightning But they fought with expert timing [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-rock-roll-lyrics/240918.md?page=2)