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Worst lyrics ever: My lovely lady lumps

Posted: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 10:54 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

We've just discussed the best and worst commercials, but how about spending a day or two on another "worst" -- worst song lyrics? A friend sent me this link from Spinner.com, which is chock full of fun music lists -- saddest songs, monumental flops, best opening lyrics, worst band photos and more. But the list that caught my eye was their list of the 20 worst lyrics ever.

Although you might argue with some of the lyrics, (I'm actually a fan of the lyrics they place at #11), the choices are pretty solid -- and horrifying.

50 Cent promises "I love you like a fat kid loves cake."  

America tells us "There were plants and birds and rocks and things."

I'm kind of thankful I have no idea what Slayer is getting at.

And I'm not even going to comment on #4, because that's a picture I don't need in my head, thanks.

The site also let readers share their worst-lyrics nominations, and allowed other readers to diss or support those offerings. Some are quite defensive of their favorite tunes and artists. Sniffs one: "A partial line, taken out of context, from the complete lyric. In context it makes complete sense. An exceptionally stupid choice for this list." If you say so, Mr. Seger.

And some even find it in their hearts to defend the infamous "someone left the cake out in the rain" line from "MacArthur Park." Just goes to show you there's somebody for everybody, and somebody loves every lyric out there.

The list got me thinking, and here are some of my picks for worst lyrics of all-time, some of which appear on the two Spinner lists. Note: I even like some of these songs, but I can't defend all of the lyrics.

"And no one heard at all, not even the chair." --"I Am ...I Said," --Neil Diamond (The chair, it must be said, does not really pay attention even on its best days.)

•  "Bawitdaba da bang a dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogy said up jump the boogy" -- "Bawitdaba," Kid Rock (I actually like this song quite a bit, but it's not like I can't admit it's pretty goofy. "All my homies in the county in CELL BLOCK SIX" is one of those lines that just begs to be shrieked at the top of your lungs while banging on a car roof.)

"New York to East California, there's a new wave comin', I warn ya." --"Kids in America," Kim Wilde (EAST California? So...like...Susanville?)

"My hump, my hump, my lovely lady lumps, in the back and in the front."  --"My Humps," Black-Eyed Peas (Slate called it "proof that a song can be so bad it veers toward evil.")

"Having my baby, what a lovely way of saying how much you love me..."  --"Havin' My Baby," Paul Anka (Ask any pregnant woman what's wrong with this song. And this isn't really the most bizarre lyric, the song is full of 'em.)

I know you can do better than me. Submit your own favorite worst lyrics in the comments, and be sure and comment on why they bug you. I imagine most will be quite self-explanatory.

UPDATE: Here's an (admittedly limited) poll of some of the most popular bad, bad lyrics, just for fun.

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From Air Supply:

"The beating of my heart is a drum, and it's lost and it's looking for a rhythm like you."

"Every star in the sky is taken by your eyes like a spotlight."
Head-scratcher lyrics in songs didn't just happen overnight.  How else to explain the popularity of The Merry Macs' World War II-era ditty, "Mairzy Doats and Doazy Doats and little lambs eat ivy.  A kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?"
dumbest one I know is from Elvis' "I'm stuck on you"
the line goes:
 "I'm gonna take the tiger from your daddy's side,
   mmmmmm that's how our love's gonna keep us tied"

 'course is was ELVIS, so no one cared
I'm  not a perfect perrrssonnnn.
Vomworthy.
Pass the ducci to the left hand side - what in the world???  That was from some time in the 80's - I might have spelled ducci wrong  sounds like dooochie
Simple, I can't get no satisfaction , hey hey hey, do what i say, i cant get no , satisfaction, no no no.

it just plain sucks
Missy Elliott's "Work It" still haunts me:
If you're a fly gal, get your nails done. Get a pedicure, get your hair did.
My biggest pet peeve are repetitive lyrics that seem to go on ad nauseum.  Paul McCartney comes to mind, but the most annoying is "Jump" by Van Halen. They evidently couldn't come up with anything better than, "Jump! Might as well jump.  Jump! Ah, go ahead and ju-ump. Jump!"  Cue organ...scream a little... repeat.  End with Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump!
Billy Don't Be a Hero
You already mentioned my most hated lyric: "New York to east California....." (Kids in America)

I am a Californian and I have never heard anyone use the term 'East California.' Sounds like they wanted to write, "New York to California" (which makes more sense) but they needed an extra syllable so they added the word 'east'. It always bugs me when I hear it.
Madonna's "I love New York"
"I don't like cities, but I like New York.
Other places make me feel like a dork"

No need to explain why this one is stupid!!
"Suicide is Painless" the theme song for Mash

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please

now that is messed up.
how about:
don't be concerned/ it will not harm you/it's only me pursuing something I'm not sure of/ across my dreams /   with nets of wonder/ I chase the bright elusive butterfly of love

The one that really makes me cringe is Foreigner's "Hot Blooded"

"But you've got to give me a sign (c'mon girl) some kind of sign, are you hot mama, you sure look that way to me."

or how about this:

"Are you old enough, will you be ready when I call your bluff"

creepy, dude
She's like the wind through my tree? I cringe every time I hear this song! How can you start a song with that lyric.
Pretty much any sounds that comes out of Britney Spears mouth.....
Bonnie Raitt: "I can`t make you love me...if you don`t".  DUH!
pompitice isn't a word and he made it up to fit the song.  that part always gets me too.  everytime it's playing, i make a point to ask my fiance if he knows that pompitice isn't a word he hates it!!!  
I vote for the Doors:

"We want the world and we want it now!"

Actually that is the best lyric ever.
How could we ignore magical song choices of George Thorogood? He has recorded some of the most mind numbing lyrical concotions of all times..
Though he didnt create them, he recorded them..

" And we drank alone, yeah, with nobody else.
We drank alone, yeah, with nobody else.
Yeah, you know when I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself."

"Peepin through the window
 watchin grandma do the rock n' roll"
"Muskrat Susie and Muskrat Sam do the jitterbug in muskratland" has to be some of the worst lyrics of all time.  This is somewhat followed by " My baby takes the morning train.  He works from 9 to 5. He takes the train back home again. To find me waiting for him." Wow- a genius of a man, to be able to do that!  
"I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind." Snoop Dogg sure doesn't have lyrics on it.
Worst lyrics ever do belong to the Police: Doo doo doo, dah dah dah, its all I want to say to you.

God I hated that song.
the worst is "my baby does the hanky panky".  would you want your friends to know?
I have loathed "My Humps" since the first time I heard the song on the radio and listened to the lyrics with slack-jawed disbelief.
p.s.

My Humps - WORST... SONG... EVER...
Doo Doo Doo Na Da DA Da
nuff said!
Yes:  Close to the Edge

A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace,
And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace,
And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar,
Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour.
And assessing points to nowhere, leading ev'ry single one.
A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun,
And take away the plain in which we move,
And choose the course you're running.
Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daughter
"In the days we worked hard,
and at night time we were tard.
Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak":

"Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak
Somewhere in this town"

Somewhere?  The jailbreak's gonna be at the jail!  Where else would a jailbreak be?
Pompatus of love?  (Also a movie!)  Where it may have come from:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_065.html
Hilary Duff. Stranger. Enough said. The beat is great, sped up, but the lyrics...dear Lord.

"Did I ever do anything that was this cruel to you?
Did I ever make you wonder who was standing in the room?
You made yourself look perfect in everyway,
So when this goes down, I'm the one that will be blamed.
Your plan is working so you can just walk away,
Baby your secret's safe."

If somebody was doing that to me, I'd be for taking him DOWN. Not let him "just walk away." And I'd completely blow his cover.
the worst is "my baby does the hanky panky".  do you want your friends to know?
Who over 50 can forget: "yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got love in my tummy" from the late 60s.  Who sang that anyhow?
"That umbrella, we employed it, by August she was mine." Courtesy of The Hollies
Although I love Billy Ray, Achy Breaky Heart Has to be the worst:
"And if you tell my heart, my achy breaky heart, he might blow up and kill this man"....and on...
Rufus Wainwright - "Vibrate"

My phone's on vibrate for you
Electroclash is karioke too
I try to dance Britney Spears
I guess I'm getting on in years

My phone's on vibrate for you
God knows what all these new drugs do
I guess to have no more fears
But still I always end up in tears

My phone's on vibrate for you
But still I never ever feel from you
Pinocchio's now a boy
Who wants to turn back into a toy

So call me
Call me in the morning
Call me in the night
So call me
Call me anytime you like

My phone's on vibrate for you
For you

The new will.i.am song "I Got It From My Mama (Genetics)" is one of the most atrocious songs I've ever heard.  It's so repetitive and inane.  

Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
Baby where’d you get your body from?
Tell me where’d you get your body from.
I got it from my mama.
I got it from my mama.
I got it from my mama.

That's pretty much the entire song.
Clay Aiken, Invisible...

If I was invisible
Then I could just watch you in your room

Um, kinda creepy? Everytime I hear this song I go into a tirade about that line. And he also says he wants to be a fly on the girl's wall...yeah. Just slightly stalker-esque.
"Hips don't lie"

"My Humps" is without a doubt the single biggest sign ever of the decline of Western civilization, and that young people today have the worst taste in music in the history of bad music.  It's stupid, it's repetitive, it's monotonous and above all, it's insipid.

But if you want a really good laugh, check out Alannis Morissette's parody version on YouTube.com.  It's silly, but it's still a big improvement over the original.
One of my personal favorites is the complete gibberish that Anthony Freidis (sp?) spills out before the last chorus in "Soul to Squeeze".  Has anybody ever figured out if this was either intentional or drug-induced?!  :)
the entire song "summer girls" by lfo has THE worst lyrics.  they're entirely random and incohesive.  but i guess that's what makes the song good- it's hilarity.
Burt is saying we dont need more of those things, we need more love.
It all begins with:

Muskrat susie, muskrat sam
Do the jitterbug out in muskrat land
And they shimmy
And sammys so skinny

And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed
Singin and jingin the jango
Floatin like the heavens above
It looks like muskrat love

Nibbling on bacon, chewin on cheese
Sammy says to susie honey, would you please be my missus?
And she say yes
With her kisses

Enough said!
In the bad grammar category, I have to nominate John Cougar Mellencamp.  
"No, I cannot forget from where it is that I come from..."
Hello, Department of Redundancy Department?
The lyrics to Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" are truly horrendous, and these are just examples:

"I've spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free."

"I've been undressed by kings and I've seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see."

Whatever.
Can somebody explain to me what "Sussudio" is by Phil Collins.  Its been over 20 years and I still can't figure that one out!
"Someone's knocking at the door/Somebody's ringing the bell/Someone's knocking at the door/Somebody's ringing the bell/Do me a favor: open the door, let 'em in."  This is a 2 AM lyric.  Paul McCartney must have been up late at night looking at a deadline, so he knocks out this "gem".
Probably one you've never heard of, which makes sense.  The group is called "They Might be Giants" (And because of the tune, it's one of my favorite songs, but PLEASE even ATEMPT to explain this to me:)

"I'm your only friend, I'm not your only friend,
But I'm a little glowing friend, but really I'm not actually your friend,
But I am,
Blue Canary in the outlet by the light switch,
Who watches over your?
Make a little birdhouse in your soul,
Not to put too fine a point on it,
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet,
Put a litle birdhouse in your Soul."

Say What?  (Song is called "Birdhouse in your Soul."


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