Ongoing History of Rock, Worst Lyrics. Ever.
byBefore bed last night I was setting my alarm and caught Alan Cross on the radio. Alan does a weekly show, which is played on CFOX and available in podcast form, about The Ongoing History of New Music. Every week there is a theme, whether it be about the music business or musicians themselves. Last night’s was posing the question, did artists in the 60s and 70s scoop up all the possible (good) riffs? He then played The Beatles’ “Ob la di Ob la da” compared to The Offspring‘s “Get a Job”, The Rolling Stones “Brown Sugar” vs The Dandy Warhols “Bohemian Like You”, and Iggy Pop “Lust for Life” vs Jet “Are You Gonna be my Girl?”. Just to give us a taste of what he was getting at.
I decided to hit the website to check out these new fancy podcasts they’ve been promoting lately. It seems as though they finally got the go ahead to produce these as long as they did not include any of the music. I’ve subscribed now so I guess we’ll see how the shows sound without the audible comparisons and snippets.
While on the New Music Geek Blog, which is what they’re calling Alan’s portion of the CFOX website, I came across a post about the worst lyrics, ever. The BBC and Rolling Stone Magazine have each compiled what they and their public have deemed the worst lyrics in music. The differences in the two lists are kind of amusing.
The BBC audience seems to dislike Razorlight, ABC, Oasis, Duran Duran and Human League lyrics
“Before he leaves the camp he stops,
He scans the world outside,
And where there used to be some shops,
Is where the snipers sometimes hide.”
While Rolling Stone is harder on the Thong Song,
“I like it when the beat goes
Duh dun duh
Baby make your booty go
Duh dun duh”
I have to say I’ve heard some pretty lame lyrics in my time and they’re usually by someone whose name rhymes with Bitney Peers. I know that’s probably a given, but for lack of being able to think of some of my most despised lyrics on the spot, I have to default to some of those pop-punk bands and all their “sha na na nas” which make up entire choruses. *shudder*.
There are some pretty good suggestions in the comments of the Rolling Stone Mag post, and you can check out the Ongoing History of New Music on 99.3 the Fox, Wednesdays @ 11pm and Sundays @ 6pm.
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On the same subject, I remember thinking that Christina Aguilera’s lyrics stunk in the song “What a Girl Wants”
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever makes me happy, sets you free
And I’m thanking you, for knowing exactly,
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
I mean seriously!
Before I even hit the part where you talk about the bands, “Oasis” popped into my head. I remember them once admitting that their lyrics really didn’t mean anything, and were just sort of meant to rhyme..
Alan Cross! I remember listening to his shows on 102.1Edge in Toronto …
He also used to do the afternoon drive on CFNY/Edge, and sometimes hosted “Live in Toronto” from their studios …
Oh, the lilting voice of Maie Pauts!
Brother Bill’s humour … George Strombo doing host duties on “Live …” …
couple of things. Alan Cross is still at the Edge, and they have all of the shows archived. the podcasts of the shows offered are the two minute snippets that you get on CFOX and other stations to promote the show. It’s a byte. It’s not the show, and if you want to listen to the whole show, you have to go to the edge and get it from there. You can’t download them, which drives me bananas (ba.na.na.s) but i listen to them at work while working on mindless stuff that I can afford part of my brain to.
End result? I HEART Alan Cross, he’s a complete sweetheart, and the show is worth tracking down.
I’d heard Alan Cross had gone down the Horseshoe to work in Hamilton for awhile, and then I lost track …
Colleen’s comment got me to looking up the ol’ Edge, and he’s now their P.D.! I also think his programs are worth listening, if only to give a more thorough and varying historical perspective on some of the great music in the last couple of decades. Great stuff …
Years ago in an interview Keith Richards proclaimed all rock as “rehash”
Bare Naked Ladies consistently have the worst lyrics