Terrible Lyrics by Great Lyricists

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Is anyone else irritated when otherwise great lyricists write lyrics that are really bad? Not "Nickelback bad," but bad enough to make you check the lyrics again to make sure you heard them correctly? Just thought I'd list a few examples.

Elliott Smith- "The Biggest Lie"
"Oh we're so very precious, you and I
And everything that you do makes me want to die
Oh I just told the biggest lie"

Bob Dylan- "Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35"
"Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good"

Creedence Clearwater Revival- "Sinister Purpose"
"When the sky is gray
And the moon is hate"

Bruce Springsteen- "You're Missing"
"Shirts in the closet, shoes in the hall
Mama's in the kitchen, baby and all"

[Le_Big_Mac]

Chuck Berry- "My Ding-A-Ling"
My Ding-A-Ling-A-Ling

When I was a little biddy boy
My grandma bought me a cute little toy
Two Silver bells on a string
She told me it was my ding-a-ling-a-ling

My Ding-A-Ling My Ding-A-Ling won't you play with My Ding-A-Ling
My Ding-A-Ling My Ding-A-Ling won't you play with My Ding-A-Ling

When I was little boy In Grammar school
Always went by the very best rule
But Evertime the bell would ring
You'd catch me playing with my ding-a-ling

Once while climbing the garden wall,
Slipped and fell had a very bad fall
I fell so hard I heard birds sing,
But I held on to My ding-a-ling

Once while swimming cross turtle creek
Man them snappers right at my feet
Sure was hard swimming cross that thing
with both hands holding my dingaling

Now this here song it ain't so bad
Prettiest little song that you ever had
And those of you who will not sing
must be playing with your own Ding-a-ling

[Kevin Lockard]

With all due respect to the singer, or the songwriter, I could really care less what the lyrics of songs are, or what they are supposed to be about.

As long as the lyrics go good with the music while they are being sang, I don't really pay a whole lot of attention to what is actually being said.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

We're talking about choice of words here. Rhyming words like "cry" and "die" and things of that nature, not so much living on a Yellow Submarine.

[Homyrrh]

MF DOOM on Rhymes Like Dimes - "Classical slapstick / rappers need chapstick..."

Of course, when he shows up on Dangerdoom's 'Sofa King', its all good - "Keep your streets / We got the city needing conquered / Discreetly with the CD 'til they be completely bonkered"

[fixedMind]

Bob Dylan- "Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35"
"Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good"

Creedence Clearwater Revival- "Sinister Purpose"
"When the sky is gray
And the moon is hate"


I find nothing terrible in these words. It is after all, just a matter of opinion.
I try not to judge others, only myself.

[Ex-Hendrix]

I find nothing terrible in these words. It is after all, just a matter of opinion.
I try not to judge others, only myself.

Aw, well isn't that precious? Repent, everyone! Repent! :rolleyes:

Honestly, I think the Dylan one is passable as it's only really one line taken out of context. The Credence one does kind of suck, though.

Anyway, here's one of mine:

And you, you can be mean
And I, I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers, and that is a fact
Yes we're lovers, and that is that
--David Bowie, "Heroes"

One of my favorite songs of all time, but I always hated that verse. When I heard the album version for the first time rather than the single version, I was just like "What the fuck, Bowie?" But then I remembered that he also wrote "Space Oddity" and "Station to Station" and "A New Career in a New Town" and I forgave him because he's a god. Still a shitty verse, though.

Also, "Fill Your Heart" has some pretty shitty lyrics, too. Gay little song overall. But once again, he's Bowie so I forgive him.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

I find nothing terrible in these words. It is after all, just a matter of opinion.
I try not to judge others, only myself.

Have fun going your entire life without having opinions or anything interesting to say.

[The Heart Collector]

With all due respect to the singer, or the songwriter, I could really care less what the lyrics of songs are, or what they are supposed to be about.

As long as the lyrics go good with the music while they are being sang, I don't really pay a whole lot of attention to what is actually being said.


This is a tremendously boring and borderline insulting interpretation of art, fyi.