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    The 20 Worst Lyrics Ever: No. 20

    • Posted   by Spinner Staff
    • Comments (991)
    Print |  Email More
    Where have all the poets gone? To pop music, of course. However, judging from our list, some of these esteemed wordsmiths could use a new thesaurus. We'll take your complaints at the end.

    "If I was a sculptor
    But then again, no"

    --Elton John's 'Your Song'
    (lyrics by Bernie Taupin)

    Well, then stop bringing it up already! This line has been wasting our time for three decades.
    Next Lyric
    • Filed under: The Hit List
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    Reader Comments(1 of 50)

    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    David Altschulat 1-26-2008

    WTF? No "Someone left the cake out in the rain"?

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    David Altschulat 1-26-2008

    regarding post 865: the fantasy that MacArthurPark was written by Harris & Newley would be a big surprise to its actual writer, Jimmy Webb (see his Wikipedia entry)

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    yolandaat 2-03-2008

    #11 track lyrics are really pathetic.My laffy taffy cant even withstand

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Marge Holtat 2-13-2008

    What about "Blinded by the light. Wrapped up like a .......in the ....of the night." Never could understand those last few words.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Boonerat 9-22-2009

    "Blinded by the light! Wrapped up like a deuce in the runner in the night." Written by Bruce Springsteen, who was writing about illegal nighttime street racing.

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    BozakGuyat 9-27-2009

    Springsteen's actual lyrics from the 1973 Greetings from Asbury Park LP are "Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night." Manfred Mann's Earth Band took lots of liberties in its 1977 rendition. The original lyrics are amazing street poetry of restless young life on the Jersey shore.

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Kaylaat 11-10-2009

    It's actually "Revved up like a deuce another runner in the night."

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Mitchat 2-18-2008

    Be-bop-a-lula she's my baby..

    Steve Allen used to do a routine making fun of rock and roll songs taken out of context. The joke was on him, because it's meaningless to do so. "You aint nothin' but a hound dog.." "But then again, no.."

    These are great songs. But, yes... sometimes you hear something that's gonna make you cringe ("if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with"- sorry, miss- my wife is out of town and I'm sure she'd understand.."). Hippie Macho!

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Angieat 11-30-2009

    I always HATED that song "Love the One You're With!" One of those songs that just left me with a bad feeling.

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    aimeeat 3-11-2008

    from "With You" by Jessica Simpson..."it's like a private joke, just meant for us to know."

    As opposed to a private joke you let everyone know...otherwise known as a joke! But this song did come out during Newlyweds...so maybe she was just playing up that "I'm an idiot," thing...but I doubt it!

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Robat 3-21-2008

    March 27 2007? I thought this looked familiar.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Jamesat 3-21-2008

    Oh, come ON!! John/Taupin's "Your Song" is really about "coming out" as a gay guy deeply in love. The line is part of a list of things the singer is contemplating to express his feelings for his new love. The joke is that Elton is singing, but the words are really by Taupin to EJ. He's imagining if he could create some impressive image of the other guy in the style of Michaelangelo. "But then, again, no..." is the thought that makes him reconsider that bad idea. You see, he's already SEEN the guy nude, which in Elton's case doesn't make this seem like such a good idea! It's a great line in a very great song which was Elton/Bernie's first big hit. ;-)

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    Brigat 3-22-2008

    Move over #1! How about Kiss? "Let's put the "x" in sex. Love is a muscle and you make me want to flex."

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    fritz owensat 4-21-2008

    Where did this come from?
    Fish and rice
    That's very nice
    Whoa tide
    Whoa tide
    Foodalackasackey
    Want some seafood mama

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Fritz Owensat 4-21-2008

    More words:
    They swam and they swam
    all over the dam

    can't remember the title or the rest of the words

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    Lisaat 4-21-2008

    I would have to say Spice Girls, Wannabe has one of the most meaningless lyrics ever.

    "Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
    So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
    I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
    So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
    I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
    really really wanna zigazig ha."

    What is it that you want?

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Dave Bat 4-28-2008

    The lyrics can't be pulled out of context, the whole song is a rambling thought of love, the verse it is pulled from; "If I were a sculptor, but then again, no
    Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
    I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
    My gift is my song and this one's for you", demonstrates how insignificant the product is no matter who makes it, but rather the work and the gift. In detail, from the thought of a rambling poet/songwriter whether he was a sculptor or potion man, the 'but then again, no' was a walk through on how he couldn't sculpt, fancied making a potion, didn't do those things, but wrote a song.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    echolynneshadow4at 7-22-2009

    i agree. the lyrics are beautiful when their put together. when u take a single part it's not gonna sound right no matter what. it's like taking 1 part out of a beautiful story and judge the entire book based on 1 piece. take the time to look at the entire thing before making any type of decision... ^-^

    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Johnat 5-04-2008

    Wow Michael Franks has gotta be right up there. How can a bright dude write such assinine lyrics? "Popsicle toes.
    Popsicle toes are always froze" "Whenever I explore the land of Yen
    I always take one on the chin
    And now this lioness has almost made me tame.
    I can't pronounce her name but Eggplant is her game." It has gotta be result of too much weed?

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    J-9at 5-06-2008

    Here's a real "good" one-
    "Oh, remember me, my darling, when Spring is in the air; When bald-headed birds are whispering everywhere; when you see them walking southward in their dirty underwear, it's the Tennessee Birdwalk (cheep,cheep!) :D

    Reply
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