Having already been voted in several polls as the worst song lyrics ever, "MacArthur Park" is perhaps too easy of a target - but the lyrics are just soooo bad, how can you not pick it. Jimmy Webb is a great songwriter... which makes this all the more puzzling. It's supposed to be a metaphor for love, and (like the music accompanying it) to be taken seriously, but instead lyrically it comes off as a novelty song, the kind that Ray Stevens might write. In the context of a novelty song, it wouldn't be so bad, but it's implied levity is ultimately what crushes the song, lyrically speaking.
"Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants"
It was originally meant to be part of a 22-minute cantata that ended with this seven-minute coda... that's the context of a serious piece of music, indeed. Richard Harris' recording of it was a highly dramatic (ie, serious) reading and charted as high as #2 in the U.S. About a decade later, Donna Summer recorded a disco version of it which went to #1. Now disco... not so serious.
An easy target for parody, the song was redone by Weird Al Yankovic as "Jurassic Park," detailing the plot to the Speilberg movie. It's been inexplicably covered more than fifty times, including versions by Glen Campbell, Liza Minelli and Waylon Jennings. But my favorite cover, however, is a version by the band The Negro Problem, who changed the word "cake" to "crack" better reflecting MacArthur Park's drug-dealing existence today. In that humorous context, the lyrics don't seem so bad. Seriously.
Selected by Drake of Thus Spake Drake
4. "Fix You" by Coldplay from the album X & Y - 2005
While we have come not to expect too much in the way of lyrics from Mr. Martin, progress had certainly been made from the Let Your Fingers Do the Walking inspired "Yellow" to the "Guessing at Numbers and Figures" in "The Scientist." Plus, along with the improved lyrics we had more developed and varied music to accompany. So, big expectations for the next installment in the progression of a pop band who perhaps deserves all the attention thrown at it. Unfortunately, this one is going to have to go down as a disappointing setback as lyrics like:
"When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need"
as the opening two lines on the track that the band describes as the seed from which the rest of the album bloomed just don't cut it.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Tan The Man
Anything Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson ever did...
2 - wallybangs
Barry Manilow didn't write "I Write The Songs" - Bruce Johnston of Beach Boys fame did. I think he won a Grammy for it. It's still a horrible tune.
3 - Keith Sikora
"The Crown & The Ring [Lament of the Kings]"- Manowar...oh, wait, I thought this was 10 best song lyrics...
4 - The Proprietor
Apologies for the long comment, but perhaps the best reasons for making oldies radio stations go away are songs like Jimmy Gilmer's horrid "Sugar Shack"
and even more insipid, if possible, The Bobettes' Mr. Lee:5 - John Bryson
Alanis Morrisette - "Ironic" - My God, none of the examples she sings about is ironic! How is rain on your wedding day ironic? It makes me crazy whenever I hear the song...
6 - Eric Olsen
I always thought it was "isn't it bubonic, don't you think?"
7 - Rob
IRONIC by Alanis Morissette.
She keeps giving so-called examples of ironic situations which are NOT ironic !
"A traffic jam when you're already late" - that's not ironic. That's just a pain in the ass. There is nothing ironic per se about being stuck in a traffic jam when you're already late. If you were a town planner and you were late for a seminar at which you were going to give a talk on how you had solved the problem of traffic congestion in the area but you were late for the presentation because of the traffic, THAT would be ironic.
"A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break" - that's just inconsiderate office management. A no smoking sign in a cigarette factory would be ironic.
"It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife" - that's not ironic. That's just stupid. How big is your sink, Alanis ?? Who the hell has ten thousand spoons ?? And what is this knife for ?? To stab the guy who keeps leaving spoons all over your house ?!
"It's like rain on your wedding day" - no, that's NOT irony ! It would be ironic if it rained on your wedding day and you were marrying a weatherman, and he set the date.
The only ironic thing about that song is that it's called "Ironic" and it is written by a person who does NOT know what irony is.
8 - Victor Plenty
"... ten thousand spoons, when all ya need is a knife..."
Yeah, well, it's probably a good idea not to have a knife too handy when that song comes on the radio.
My favorite commentary on Alanis Morrisette's song is from Sarah Vowell, if I recall correctly: "Irony isn't black fly in your chardonnay. Irony is naming your national airport after the president who fired all the air traffic controllers."
9 - Eric Olsen
all Alanis knows is YOU OUGHTTA KNOW
10 - Eric Berlin
What ought we know though bro?
11 - visualsimplicity
I'm going to have to give worst lyrics to "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies:
None of the regular lyrics of the song had anything to do with the chorus (which I think is about apologizing???). Here's an example:
Chickity China the Chinese chicken
You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'
Watchin' X-Files with no lights on
We're dans la maison
I hope the Smoking Man's in this one
Like Harrison Ford I'm getting frantic
Like Sting I'm tantric
Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy
Like Kurasawa I make mad films
Okay, I don't make films
But if I did they'd have a Samurai
Gonna get a set a' better clubs
Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs
Just so my irons aren't always flying off the back-swing
Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon
'Cause the cartoon has got the boom anime babes
That make me think the wrong thing
Huh?
12 - Duane
Poor Alanis. She just wanted to say
"Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right.
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up in your face."
and provided a few examples. Pretty simple, really. The original title was "Isn't Life a Pain in the Ass?" but someone talked her into the "Ironic" title.
The lyrics were
"And isn't it a royal pain in the ass...dontcha think?"
But it didn't flow right, so ...
I wouldn't think that Alanis's overreaching attempt to sound intelligent should qualify as one of the worst lyrics of all time.
There's some truly bad shit out there. How bout this gem from one of the biggest hitmakers, Barry White?
Uh...
Oh, baby
Oh, baby (Keep on)
Come on, baby (Keep on doin’ it, right on)
Mmm, mmm, mmm (Right on doin’ it)
You got it together (Baby, keep on)
Oh, you got it together, baby (Right on, keep on doin’ it)
Not yet, baby, oh, not yet
Mmm, mmm (My-my baby, keep on)
I swear you got it together, baby (Keep on, keep on)
etc.
13 - Victor Plenty
"One Week" is brilliant and entertaining. You can read deep meanings into the lyrics if so inclined, or just relax and enjoy the ride on their chaotic stream of consciousness.
Apology is, among other things, an attempt to transform conflict into a shared experience. The lyrics outside the chorus in "One Week" express how difficult it can be to create any shared experience when we are all steeped in a popular culture crowded with such vast diversity of images and references.
Also they're hilarious.
14 - Phillip Winn
Clearly, Robert, you've mastered the skill of drawing attention to your posts. You make ludicrous claims, and people can't seem to help themselves -- they must respond!
Seriously, man, the John Mayer song rises above cliche to achieve near-perfection. But I'm guessing you know that. :-)
15 - Mike
Well, originally I had suggested "MacArthur Park," but Drake nabbed it.
So my runner-up vote is "Doo Wah Diddy." Which is just as stupid as "MacArthur Park," except that "MacArthur Park" tried and failed to be good, profound lyrics. "Doo Wah Diddy" doesn't try to be either good or profound, the words just suck. Apart from the obvious (the chorus), how can the girl in the song be both walking down the street AND shuffling her feet? And even if you're the horniest guy on Earth, isn't it a little creepy to have a strange woman suddenly holding your hand and walking next to you?
Did the lyricist suddenly think, "Hmmm, I bet I can write lyrics even MORE meaningless than "Da Doo Ron Ron"?
(By the way, Robert, I really enjoyed contributing to your last group list. Please do keep me in mind for future ones.)
16 - Robert
"ludicrous claims"
hmmm... don't know about that.. Just opinion. According to dictionary.com (which I checked just to be certain) a "ludicrous claim" would need to make a "statement of something as a fact" which I don't think I have done.
17 - Andrew Ian Dodge
There are lots of excruciating lyrics...most of the songs from the 50s for example. As far as really shite ones I can think of...'Stand' by REM comes to mind.
18 - Andrew Ian Dodge
A great song but awful. "Give her inches...feed her well."
Anyone know what song I mean?
19 - Lono
the Rolling Stones, with this gem
She blew my nose, and then she blew my mind
20 - Paul
Andrew, you're thinking of "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by The Scorpions - a pretty good song if you don't notice the lyrics.
But if you're making a Worst Lyrics list, you've got to include some Foreigner:
"Fill my eyes with that double vision
No disguise for that double vision"
"Yeah, he's gotta keep rockin'
He just can't stop
Gotta keep on rockin'
That boy has got to stay on top"
"I'm gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me"
"But I know, yes I know, how to treat you right
That's why you call me in the middle of the night"
21 - godoggo
What I like best about skid row in L.A. is that it's actually identified by a sign there that says "Skid Row." Is this a common phenomenon.
22 - Tan The Man
Alanis wasn't that special.
23 - Marty Thau
How about YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY
(I got love in my tummy)
24 - uao
I always enjoy when Robert posts these because I look forward to seeing what the others have posted, and what suggestions appear in the thread.
Although I made my pick for worst lyric, I'd like to also mention this immortal line from George Harrison's "The Lord Loves The One Who Loves The Lord"
"The leaders of nations/They're acting like big girls"
25 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
""Falling Down", of course, is bullshit."
Uao, THANK YOU
god almighty, someone else who agrees, i think. offensive right-wing trash. as is One In A Million.
this is a grand post, robert.