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Readers' 20 Worst Lyrics Ever: No. 7


"Someone left the cake

Out in the rain

I don't think that I can take it

'Cause it took so long

To bake it

And I'll never have that

recipe again -- oh no!"

--Richard Harris' 'MacArthur Park'
(lyrics by Jimmy Webb)

Who in the hell leaves the cake out in the rain? --Sharon Clower, Normal, Ill.

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StavinChain

This is one of the most amazingly brilliant lyrics in the history of rock. If this had never been written or sung, there would have been no November Rain (which might have been a good thing!).

Bake a cake. It's beautiful. Give it to a friend. Where is the friend? Arrgh! It's starting to rain. Run for shelter. Leave the cake in the rain. It's ruined. Dingbat!

Kiss a friend. It's beautiful. Go forward. Your friend is gone. Arrgh! Your whole life has died. Run to home. Let your friend go. The whole friendship is ruined.

Does NO one get the point of this lyric? Number one on my top 100 rock/pop lyrics ever. Look at it before you trash it, people!

December 30 2011 at 9:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
skankin

I think this is a great lyric - thought provoking - surreal - just fantastic. In it's true context it's very cool. No doubt. Maybe someone did actually leave a cake out in the rain and that meant something to the writer and he couldn't leave that line out. Yea - that's it for sure!

March 31 2010 at 4:48 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CG

STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 26 2009 at 11:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Goofy

Hahah! Too late, I already stole it.

November 23 2009 at 8:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
glory25420

Beautiful song, interesting metaphor. It isn't meant to be literal, dummies!

June 04 2009 at 6:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
schytzodonnie

Agreed. Quite stupid.

December 31 2008 at 2:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Maia

If this song was about losing a loved one, why didn't he write it about a loved one instead of a cake?

I'm not trying to be critical, I'm genuinely curious. ^^,

Plus, we truly don't know what's going through peoples minds when they write these songs... or if anything's going through them at all...

December 18 2008 at 3:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Litenin

Jimmy webb also wrote ' Galveston ' about a guy in Nam Remembering H'is sweetheart "I clean my gun and dream of Galveston .

December 13 2008 at 7:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cybergraz

The entire song is written metaphorically regarding a lost love due to neglect. Keep in mind that the period in which it was written (the '60's)is replete with similar song lyrics. "Strawberry Fields", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", etc. In addition, "American Pie" (1971)by Don McLean is a very good example of the use of symbolism to tell a story of rock and roll.

October 21 2008 at 10:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mike

This song was written by a guy named Jim Webb. Richard Harris only sang it & anybody who equates a cake melting in the rain to a lost love needs serious help. Too much medication or not enough.

October 18 2008 at 9:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply