Those Cringe-Inducing Lyrics
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For every song that somebody dislikes the lyrics, there is somebody that likes those lyrics. I like the abstract and surreal nature of "However Absurd" but agree with that Paul does get a bit cute or lazy with lyrics at times (Feet in the Clouds could had been a great song but it seems unfinished). I have heard some critics say that things like Band on Run are ruined by weak lyrics but I think those lyrics are great (my wife does not like the lyrics however). To each their own.
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Bruce M.:
BOYCIE:
favoritething:
1-2-3-4-5! Let's go for a drive!
As much as i love Paul's music his judgement on what songs and lyrics are up for public consumption is very inconsistent indeed. Fans will always love different lyrics and songs, but there's some in Paul's canon that no sane individual could love and the Driving Rain chorus is one such, bloody appalling. I think when Paul marries a great melody and lovely lyrics he's the best, but too many times his standards have slipped over the years and a great tune has been marred by substandard words.
I've always thought the Driving Rain chorus is rather charming. It's not trying to be profound, fer chrissakes. I do think the live version on Back in the U.S., which has something of a call-and-response feel, works better than the original. For my money (cue the howls of anguish), the lyrics of Long Haired Lady or The Back Seat of My Car are vastly more cringe-inducing. No accounting for taste.
You know, I might have found that "Driving Rain" chorus charming if there were something ? anything ? in the rest of the lyrics for me, but there just isn't . The music is great, though!
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Kathryn O:
Bruce M.:
BOYCIE:
favoritething:
1-2-3-4-5! Let's go for a drive!
As much as i love Paul's music his judgement on what songs and lyrics are up for public consumption is very inconsistent indeed. Fans will always love different lyrics and songs, but there's some in Paul's canon that no sane individual could love and the Driving Rain chorus is one such, bloody appalling. I think when Paul marries a great melody and lovely lyrics he's the best, but too many times his standards have slipped over the years and a great tune has been marred by substandard words.
I've always thought the Driving Rain chorus is rather charming. It's not trying to be profound, fer chrissakes. I do think the live version on Back in the U.S., which has something of a call-and-response feel, works better than the original. For my money (cue the howls of anguish), the lyrics of Long Haired Lady or The Back Seat of My Car are vastly more cringe-inducing. No accounting for taste.
Back Seat of my Car I wouldn't say made me cringe....because for some reason I thought it was a tongue in cheek parody of a 50's dating song......now if he really meant it, I'd be embarrassed.....
Yes, that's exactly how I see "Back Seat Of My Car".
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Distractions is a lovely song slightly spoilt by the line: LIKE BUTTERFLIES ARE BUZZING 'ROUND MY HEAD, Erm....do butterflies buzz? I mean, bees tend to buzz but butterflies? They might flutter but they certainly don't buzz.
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Kestrel:
Distractions is a lovely song slightly spoilt by the line: LIKE BUTTERFLIES ARE BUZZING 'ROUND MY HEAD, Erm....do butterflies buzz? I mean, bees tend to buzz but butterflies? They might flutter but they certainly don't buzz.
No, you're right, but I guess he didn't want to sing "Like butterflies are fluttering 'round my head"
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This topic reminds me of something I read by Alistair Taylor: John invited him to listen to a record, which was "World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon. John played the opening, and went into laughing hysterics. He kept playing it over and over, and laughing harder and harder. John said: "What a terrible opening line: please lock me away! Only Macca could get away with that!"
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Thisbe211:
This topic reminds me of something I read by Alistair Taylor: John invited him to listen to a record, which was "World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon. John played the opening, and went into laughing hysterics. He kept playing it over and over, and laughing harder and harder. John said: "What a terrible opening line: please lock me away! Only Macca could get away with that!"
In the 1980 Playboy interviews John still ridiculed that line! Lennon said of the song that "I think that was resurrected from the past....I think he had that whole song before the Beatles....That has the line 'Please lock me away' that we always used to crack up at." Paul didn't think it was good enough for The Beatles, offered it to Billy J, who declined it then Peter and Gordon finally did it - got it to number 1, and it is now one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 songs that "shaped rock n roll." Pretty good going for a throwaway...
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thrillington:
For every song that somebody dislikes the lyrics, there is somebody that likes those lyrics. I like the abstract and surreal nature of "However Absurd" but agree with that Paul does get a bit cute or lazy with lyrics at times (Feet in the Clouds could had been a great song but it seems unfinished). I have heard some critics say that things like Band on Run are ruined by weak lyrics but I think those lyrics are great (my wife does not like the lyrics however). To each their own.
And for the record -- since I seem to be resident dissenter on this thread -- I LOVE "Feet in the Clouds," and I think the lyrics are perfect. Really.
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Bruce M.:
thrillington:
For every song that somebody dislikes the lyrics, there is somebody that likes those lyrics. I like the abstract and surreal nature of "However Absurd" but agree with that Paul does get a bit cute or lazy with lyrics at times (Feet in the Clouds could had been a great song but it seems unfinished). I have heard some critics say that things like Band on Run are ruined by weak lyrics but I think those lyrics are great (my wife does not like the lyrics however). To each their own.
And for the record -- since I seem to be resident dissenter on this thread -- I LOVE "Feet in the Clouds," and I think the lyrics are perfect. Really.
I love Feet in the Clouds too. I love all of MAF except for Gratitude and Nod Your Head
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Kathryn O:
I love Feet in the Clouds too. I love all of MAF except for Gratitude and Nod Your Head
I love it too...except for this: But I find it very very very very very very hard Yes I find it very very very very very very hard
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I love "Little Woman Love," "Biker Like an Icon" and "Great Day," and "Ebony and Ivory" for their overall effect, not just because of, or despite the lyrics. The overall sound.
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Bruce M.:
thrillington:
For every song that somebody dislikes the lyrics, there is somebody that likes those lyrics. I like the abstract and surreal nature of "However Absurd" but agree with that Paul does get a bit cute or lazy with lyrics at times (Feet in the Clouds could had been a great song but it seems unfinished). I have heard some critics say that things like Band on Run are ruined by weak lyrics but I think those lyrics are great (my wife does not like the lyrics however). To each their own.
And for the record -- since I seem to be resident dissenter on this thread -- I LOVE "Feet in the Clouds," and I think the lyrics are perfect. Really.
I love the line "I'm not a square as long as they're not around." I can identify!
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oobu24:
Kathryn O:
I love Feet in the Clouds too. I love all of MAF except for Gratitude and Nod Your Head
I love it too...except for this: But I find it very very very very very very hard Yes I find it very very very very very very hard
That's the best part of the song! Seriously, that he uses this thoroughly goofy line as the entrance point for about a minute's worth of exquisite vocal/vocoder chamber music is the most inspired moment on the album. When that little interlude ends and the main melody comes back for a final, rousing ending, it always, always puts a grin on my face. Though I hate it when other people make statements like this, I do truly wonder how any McCartney fan can not love this.
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Bruce M.:
oobu24:
Kathryn O:
I love Feet in the Clouds too. I love all of MAF except for Gratitude and Nod Your Head
I love it too...except for this: But I find it very very very very very very hard Yes I find it very very very very very very hard
That's the best part of the song! Seriously, that he uses this thoroughly goofy line as the entrance point for about a minute's worth of exquisite vocal/vocoder chamber music is the most inspired moment on the album. When that little interlude ends and the main melody comes back for a final, rousing ending, it always, always puts a grin on my face. Though I hate it when other people make statements like this, I do truly wonder how any McCartney fan can not love this.
Keep wondering...
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Bruce M.:
thrillington:
For every song that somebody dislikes the lyrics, there is somebody that likes those lyrics. I like the abstract and surreal nature of "However Absurd" but agree with that Paul does get a bit cute or lazy with lyrics at times (Feet in the Clouds could had been a great song but it seems unfinished). I have heard some critics say that things like Band on Run are ruined by weak lyrics but I think those lyrics are great (my wife does not like the lyrics however). To each their own.
And for the record -- since I seem to be resident dissenter on this thread -- I LOVE "Feet in the Clouds," and I think the lyrics are perfect. Really.
I am also loving songs that people are mentioning here...
Bruce M.:
oobu24:
Kathryn O:
I love Feet in the Clouds too. I love all of MAF except for Gratitude and Nod Your Head
I love it too...except for this: But I find it very very very very very very hard Yes I find it very very very very very very hard
That's the best part of the song! Seriously, that he uses this thoroughly goofy line as the entrance point for about a minute's worth of exquisite vocal/vocoder chamber music is the most inspired moment on the album. When that little interlude ends and the main melody comes back for a final, rousing ending, it always, always puts a grin on my face. Though I hate it when other people make statements like this, I do truly wonder how any McCartney fan can not love this.
I agree with you Bruce... I LOVE Feet in the Clouds too!! I also really love that minute's worth of the most beautiful Chamber Music and I agree that it is the most inspired moment on the album!! Beautiful There is only one song that I don't really care for the lyrics and that is Boil Crisis... I get that it's a joke, but that boingy twangy bit after he says Boil Crisis and then "prick the blighter" ewwwwww Cringing at the thought!!
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Nancy R:
Kestrel:
Distractions is a lovely song slightly spoilt by the line: LIKE BUTTERFLIES ARE BUZZING 'ROUND MY HEAD, Erm....do butterflies buzz? I mean, bees tend to buzz but butterflies? They might flutter but they certainly don't buzz.
No, you're right, but I guess he didn't want to sing "Like butterflies are fluttering 'round my head"
yes,the difference one syllable can make. Perhaps he should have written 'Like bumble bees are buzzing 'round my head'? .
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Bruce M.:
oobu24:
Kathryn O:
I love Feet in the Clouds too. I love all of MAF except for Gratitude and Nod Your Head
I love it too...except for this: But I find it very very very very very very hard Yes I find it very very very very very very hard
That's the best part of the song! Seriously, that he uses this thoroughly goofy line as the entrance point for about a minute's worth of exquisite vocal/vocoder chamber music is the most inspired moment on the album. When that little interlude ends and the main melody comes back for a final, rousing ending, it always, always puts a grin on my face. Though I hate it when other people make statements like this, I do truly wonder how any McCartney fan can not love this.
Love it too it breaks the song- up.. a line not expected...
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Paul has used the "counting" or "repetition" technique a few times: All Together Now You Never Give Me Your Money Feet in the Clouds Driving Rain there is probably more. For the most part, they work because it adds a sense of charm or silliness that fits the song. Feet in the Clouds is a great example of this, imo. I agree with the poster here that it doesnt work for the song Driving Rain. The rest of that tune is so banal that the counting just amplifies how bad a tune it is!
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She makes me feel glad I want her so bad My heart is beating madly for her If you ask me why I'm not gonna lie I'll have to say that I adore her Ooo look what you do to me baby You're making me feel so fine (So fine, so fine) Step out in front of me baby They want you in the front line They wanna see your sunshine What a pile of pap.