Lyrics That Are Good, Bad, or Otherwise Questionable (7,850 views)

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

Peter Steele definitely had his fair share of questionable and controversial lyrics, to say the least. But today I was reminded of just how uncomfortable this section of the Type O Negative song "Stay Out of My Dreams" is:

"With your straight black hair and emerald green eyes,
Hippies pointing - 'That's Pete's sister in disguise'.
Maybe you had uttered those words as a jest;
I don't mind the allegations of incest.

At the time I thought I could love no other...
'Till I heard you say I was your brother.
In your e-mail said how much we look like twins,
How it turned you on just knowing it's a sin."

[Deleted]

The entirety of The Hot Wind Blowing by Jamie Christopherson and Ferry Corsten has very thoughtful lyrics on the nature of soldiering.

The hot wind blowing
Jagged lines across the sand
The crumbling buildings
In our minds are all that stand

Just like the buffalo
Blindly following the herd
We try to justify
All the things that have occurred

I don't know what I’ve been told
But the wishes of the people can’t be controlled
I don't know what I’ve been told
But the wishes of the people can’t be controlled

Heat of the desert
Dust settles on my face
Without a compass
The soldier knows no disgrace

Out of the ashes
The eagle rises still
Freedom is calling
To all men who bend their will

Here I am
Dirty and faceless
Waiting to heed your instruction

On my own
Invisible warrior
I am a wind of destruction

All men who bend their will

We fight for justice
In a forgotten place
Fulfill our duty
Then vanish without a trace

Don’t need a medal
For all the men we kill
Freedom is calling
To all men who bend their will

Wind of destruction

While the whole song is sung enthusiastically, the lyrics switch between enthusiasm at his duty and craft, and sober recognition of the treatment of soldiers by even the most just of causes. He recognizes that he is seen as a faceless killing machine, and likely won't be recognized for his efforts. But he also expresses enthusiasm for his cause. There is also implied camaraderie with his fellow soldiers in the use of plural words like "we" (though, because he fights against you alone, there is also recognition that he lacks his comrades now).

This is why this song is one of, if not the, best songs in the game.

[scub]

some of the most classic songs have meaningless lyrics - honkytonk woman
all right now
etc etc
the clues in the title - it's music - not poetry!
while I love lots of music with relevant lyrics, if the tune was crap it wouldn't be of any interest to most people!
only my opinion 🤷‍♂️

[saki]

Although it isn't so much questionable, this one line off of Arctic Monkeys "I Wanna Be Yours" is so funny to me.

"I wanna be your vacuum cleaner
Breathing in your dust"

youtu.be/fJLQCf4mFP0?t=18

[analC***fan1000]

An absolute underrated banger of a line from Eminem's verse on Last One Standing:

"Almost like recreatin' a feelin' of 9/11 when the second plane hit the building *plane crash sound effect*"

[Tetra]

Feb 21, 2023 22:09:57 GMT @analC***fan1000 said:

"Almost like recreatin' a feelin' of 9/11 when the second plane hit the building *plane crash sound effect*"

why, eminem :very_sad:

[Homelander]

Barry Gibb's entire rap verse from "This Is Your Life" is laughably bad:

Define ourselves
As something in space
Not enough for everyone
Everyone and as we speak
The enemy is the mind
I see the future coming for you
All the lonely days and the lonely nights
You've been searching for a love so right
It's a tragedy just stayin' alive
Stayin' alive
And all that

Jive talking
What you doing on your back
Jive talking
More rap less crap
Times are bad, money is tight
Ain't too much heaven on
A Saturday night
Tell me now how deep is your love
The heart is soft
But the brain is tough

The enemy is the mind
Don't let the future fall apart
This is my world too, just run to me
If you ever wanna mend that broken heart
I have seen those nights on Broadway too
Blaming it all
What about you
This is your life

[growskull]

how has there not been ANY throbbing gristle lyrics mentioned yet? Even though i know its commentary and not genesis' genuine thoughts, stuff like Persuasion makes me feel so gross listening to it. eg "look in my eye, under your covers, i touch you, and tell you what to do. do it because I tell you, do it because I love you, and I persuade you".

Additionally, its not a real lyric but a line from Cassandra Gemini by the Mars Volta, "I'll scratch my itchy teeth" is often miswritten on alot of lyrics sites as "I'll scratch my itchy sheath"... which conjures up a much more disturbing image...!

[Osmosis]

I always thought the lyrics in "While My Gutiar Gently Weeps" are particularly weak and mar an otherwise good song.

I look at the floor
And I see it needs sweeping

I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you

The former is laughably dull and the latter is pure laziness - rhyming for the sake of rhyming with nothing new to say. More creative then singing "say", "way", "stay", "day" but it is still hard to laugh when it is juxtiposed with such a rousing melody

[Homelander]

Here are some questionable lyrics from the last chorus of Robin Gibb’s 1983 song “How Old Are You”

”You say you were seventeen, but you were somewhere in between
That leads me on

Run away to open arms, you’re just a girl with woman’s charms
That turns me on

Ask a girl what’s right or wrong, but when you’re young, you’re not young for long
So get on top of me”

[Homelander]

Not necessarily bad or questionable, but just an amusing line from "Dimensions", by the Bee Gees:

"She got me climbing the walls, got me hard as a rock."

[Yojojo]

I love Weezer but damn

"F*g of the year who could beat up your man" - Dope Nose
"Sex-making is a family tradition" - Where's My Sex? (that whole song is weird TBF)
"Pump it into me, please daddy" - 1 More Hit
"I'm not the others, I'll be like a brother..." closely followed up with "But if you need love, then I'll be here to sex you" - Cold Dark World

And this isn't even mentioning Pinkerton (looking at you, Across the Sea)

[Yojojo]

Also the lyric "Only the dead have seen the end of war" from Ninja Sex Party's Galaxy Hamster is the equivalent of the "Do you think God stays in heaven because he too lives in fear of what he's created?" line in Spy Kids 2.

[Baronessa]

"The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers annoys me. No particular lyric to showcase, Kenny just wants to be really cool.

[Homelander]

Feb 12, 2024 0:54:21 GMT Baronessa said:

"The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers annoys me. No particular lyric to showcase, Kenny just wants to be really cool.

That is true, lol. He has so many better songs, I have no idea how that became his most popular.

[Homelander]

From Closer than Close, this is probably my favourite line in any Bee Gees song:

"She'll suck you dry, but look at how much I drip."

[halloweenjack95]

"Put out the Fire" by Queen has some chunky lyrics: You know a gun never killed nobody
You can ask anyone
People get shot by people
People with guns

I always thought it's kind of hilarious lol.

[Rodney Blazershorts]

Mar 2, 2024 16:53:34 GMT halloweenjack95 said:

You know a gun never killed nobody
You can ask anyone
People get shot by people
People with guns

[BAZanine]

Gonna hit you with a lyric I really dislike and then close with a lyric I really like.

Texas is a landlocked state - Mitski, "Texas Reznikoff"

Mitski. Mitski, Mitski, Mitski. I like your music. Honestly, I do. One of the few 21st century artists for which I've developed a particular liking. But Texas is not a fucking landlocked state. Have you ever SEEN Texas? Is the Gulf of Mexico nothing to you? And apparently this is a common misconception; many people don't realize Texas isn't a landlocked state. Just because it isn't along the Atlantic (proper) or Pacific oceans must mean that it's completely shut out, right? Is it a cultural thing? Does Texas just give off that much of a bumfuck nowhere vibe that people assume it's as far inland as Nebraska? Do you need an allotment of preppy neoliberal cityscapes within eyeshot of a shoreline for people to even register that, hey, there's a fucking OCEAN right there??? Is South Carolina a landlocked state, Mitski??? Did you give that lyric so much as a second glance before you cut that song, dawg??? I swam in the Gulf of Mexico, Mitski. It was kinda gross, but it was there. It exists. It's begging, pleading with you to recognize your fatal error and give it the recognition it deserves. Sorry guys, just preparing for my inevitable upheaval to become a real estate agent in Galveston.

Anyway:

Talking on the phone is not my speed
Don't send me no letter, 'cause I can't read - Fats Domino, "I'm Ready"

Tremendously based, Fats.

[IhateMana]

[BAZanine]

My ass done been cooked!

[Baronessa]

But why do people actually believe that is what I wanna know.

[Yojojo]

Jul 7, 2024 23:25:48 GMT Baronessa said:

But why do people actually believe that is what I wanna know.

stupidity

[123]

This song really speaks to me. Great lyrics.

[KaizoKazoo]

Just look at my signature. Now, does it fall under good, bad, or questionable? That's probably up to interpretation.

For real though, the lyrics in "Burning Men's Soul" are something to behold.