Try singing “You who said…” Sounds sillier than the allegedly gramatically inferior version. Besides, why do so many folks seem to think a song is stupid based on its failure to conform to rules of grammar?
I am not suggesting that people are not entitled to dislike certain songs. You do not like it? Fine. You think it is stupid? Fine. But to say that it is stupid **because ** the artist failed to adhere to the rules of grammar is wierd. To imply that grammar is the measure of stupidity is just strange.
I used to cringe at that one, too, until someone told me that he’s actually saying:
“But if this ever-changing world in which *we’re livin’ * . . .”
I don’t have the album or the official lyrics, but it certainly makes more sense that way, so I’m giving Sir Paul the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.
Wow! That never, ever crossed my mind. A quick Google reveals that you’re probably right, although a few of those lyric websites appear to have misheard it like I did. Man, I wish someone had told me that a long time ago. Could’ve saved about a quarter-century’s worth of cringing.
Naw, I don’t think “you who said” is particularly awkward to sing.
Sure, lots of songs use very informal grammar. Colloquialisms abound - it adds to the earthy, folksy feel of the song. This is not one of those cases. It’s pretty easy to tell when the lyric writer just didn’t know any better.
This one isn’t so bad. While it’s absolutely horrible modern English, it’s perfectly acceptable middle English. Change the spelling and pronunciation, and you have a line that Chaucer (theoretically) could have written.
doomraisin, I can’t believe you brought up the Foreigner song without mentioning the worst part of it
*
It feels like the first time
Like it never did before*
One of my many least favorite songs is Danger Zone
Kenny went through the danger zone, out into the danger zone because he’s gonna take a ride into the danger zone. Or so I gather, and gather and gather.
Yes! And please, what does that mean? “Like it never did before.” I don’t even have the slightest idea what he could be talking about. He just said “it” feels like the first time. So it does feel like it did before - it feels like the first time. Man.
I didn’t want to quote too much of the song because I think there’s some copyright issue involved when you post lyrics in their entirety. But it really is a classic, classic example of inane lyrics-by-numbers.
I wholeheartedly agree on “Danger Zone.” If anyone wants an explanation, in a nutshell, why I hated lots of eighties rock, all I’d have to do is make them listen to that. Dreadful.
I can’t believe I forgot that. I really am surprised that “face-rocking” didn’t catch on like “head-banging.” Oh, how heavy metal has enriched our civilization.
How about
Shot through the heart
And you’re to blame
You give love a bad name
That’s “Turn to Stone”. Although the next line IS “In my blue world”.
Jeff had a thing for the color blue. It was the team color of his favourite football team.
[useless trivia mode on] Out of the Blue was to have been called Out of This World, but their last album was called A New World Record and Jeff didn’t want to confuse anyone.
[useless trivia mode off]
I guess now I have to admit that I was actually listening to it while writing that post. :o Thence the error, I suppose. Misspelt his name above, too.
I make fun of his lyrics, but gotta admit I love the music. Heard them on the radio all the time, of course, and an older brother had the early records. Then got hooked on a friend’s copy of Eldorado. Practically wore out the Out of the Blue lp, which my brother bought, playing it on a crappy phono. Certain tracks from Discovery were party favorites. Abovementioned friend borrowed my copy of Time and never gave it back, damn him.
I’m quite certain that “in which we live in” is the official line. As much as I want to hear the grammatically correct in which we’re livin’, and try to force myself to hear it that way to ease the pain, you can still clearly hear we, not we’re, and the live and in seem so clearly pronounced as if they’re separate words, and I just think make it stop, make it stop!!!
D
Dropping r’s in songs has always been common, and I think it’s easy to confuse livin’ and live in. I don’t give Paul credit for a lot of things, but maybe he did it right here. Someone should slow down the song so it can be better analyzed.
