I'm definitely not by any means knowledgeable on the art of songwriting or crafting lyrics, but there are some stinkers out there. We've all heard them, particularly in the rock/metal genre.
You know when you hear a song, it may be a great song, but if you listen really well you are transported back to room where the lyric was written and the conversation goes something like this:
Singer: "Dudes, I've got this cool love song, but I'm stuck on the 3rd verse, anyone got anything that ryhmes with 'I'll still love you when your beauty fades'?
Guitarist: "Dunno man!"
Bassist: "I'm out"
Drummer: "I know, now stick with me! How about 'I'd still love you if you gave me AIDS'?
After 2 days of the band calling the drummer a total tool, he gets his writing credit on a hit.
Here are 2 less extreme examples where you can feel the desperation of the songwriter:
Des'ree hit "Life"
'I don't want to see a ghost
It's a sight that I fear most
I'd rather have a piece of toast'
Toto hit "Africa" - you can even hear the singer struggling to squeeze in the extra syllables.
'The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti'
I love hearing stuff like this, it shows that even a massive hit can have lyrics that sound like a first attempt.
I would love to hear ones you guys have noticed...
You know when you hear a song, it may be a great song, but if you listen really well you are transported back to room where the lyric was written and the conversation goes something like this:
Singer: "Dudes, I've got this cool love song, but I'm stuck on the 3rd verse, anyone got anything that ryhmes with 'I'll still love you when your beauty fades'?
Guitarist: "Dunno man!"
Bassist: "I'm out"
Drummer: "I know, now stick with me! How about 'I'd still love you if you gave me AIDS'?
After 2 days of the band calling the drummer a total tool, he gets his writing credit on a hit.
Here are 2 less extreme examples where you can feel the desperation of the songwriter:
Des'ree hit "Life"
'I don't want to see a ghost
It's a sight that I fear most
I'd rather have a piece of toast'
Toto hit "Africa" - you can even hear the singer struggling to squeeze in the extra syllables.
'The wild dogs cry out in the night
As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what's right
As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti'
I love hearing stuff like this, it shows that even a massive hit can have lyrics that sound like a first attempt.
I would love to hear ones you guys have noticed...