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Great lyrics that are rubbish when written down.

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I was reading the "Rubbish lyric" thread, and someone quoted Lou Reed's "Rock 'n' Roll". Now, I love that song, I love that lyric. But when you see it written down, it looks pants. Hence this thread.

Here is an extract of a great lyric from a great song, that looks rubbish.

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
She is wearing rags and feathers from salvation army counters
And the sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers.

Suzanne by Leonard Cohen

See what I mean? Let's get some more.

I'm young, I know.
But even so.
I know a thing or two.
I learnt from you.
I really learned a lot.
Really learned a lot.
Love is like a stove
Burns you when it's hot.

Love Hurts by Gram Parsons

Even the king of lyrics is not immune.

Johnny's in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
I'm on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says he's got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off

Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan.

Sorry to rant, but I have a serious point here - something to do with the fact that bad lyrics do not equal bad songs, and great lyrics, when seperated from the music, often turn into big piles of poo.

No-one need respond. Just something I had to get off my chest.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I would say all of them.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Imagine sounds like horse poetry when written.

― jm (jtm), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

It actually sounds that way when sung too, but, y'know... melody...

― jm (jtm), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Lou Reed rules this thread:

"I guess that I'm dumb, 'cos I knows I ain't smart"

― Dadaismus, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Song lyrics /= poetry.

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

A lot of Felt lyrics are this way... They sound great when you only listen to them a line at a time .. but you put them together and they're trite.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"The way that I feel when you laugh is like laughing. The way that I feel when you cry is so bad."

- Yo La Tengo, "The Crying of Lot G"

― Sean@tangmonkey (Sean M), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

oh you've green eyes oh you've blue eyes oh you've got grey eyes

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

awop-bop-alubop-awop-bam-boom

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

its.a.lon.don.thing.
its.a.lon.don.thing.
its a london thing
this is a london thing
its a london thing
this is a deejay thing
its.a.lon.don.thing.
its a london thing

― Nik (Nik), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 21:14 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hey Peter, where you going with that axe in your hand?
Hey Peter, where you going with that axe in your hand?

I'm gonna kill my lady cos I caught her screwing around with
some other men
I'm gonna kill my lady cos I caught her fucking around with
some other men

Hey Peter, you know I heard you cut your woman down
Hey Peter, you know I heard you cut your woman down, cut her down to
the ground

Last night I killed my lady cos I caught her screwing around
with every guy in town
Last night I killed my lady cos I caught her screwing around
all over this town, over this town

Hey Pete, where you gonna run to now?
Hey Pete, I said where, where you gonna go?

I'll take that D-train, take it down to Brighton Beach, to bay 7
I'll take that D-train, take it down to Brighton Beach, Brighton Beach
I'll see my baby, my baby to heaven
I'll see my baby, my baby to heaven"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

sex & violence,
sex & violence,

sex & violence,

sex & violence,
sex & violence,

― Savin All My Love 4 u (Savin 4ll my (heart) 4u), Thursday, 24 April 2003 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

i think almost all lyrics look stupid written down

― robin (robin), Thursday, 24 April 2003 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Does rap hold up on paper? If not in general, comparison between rap and rock lyrics? Can one be made? Am I babbling?

― Adam Harrison-Friday, Thursday, 24 April 2003 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Adam, rap lyrics CAN hold up very well on paper.
If it's a good, clever MC you can see the little
riddles and tricks that you never catch in a rapid
fire delivery.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Thursday, 24 April 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

If i read the lyrics before hearing the record I usually cringe

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Thursday, 24 April 2003 03:42 (twenty-two years ago)


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