Good music & bad lyrics, together--Outstanding examples

[GuitarRanger]

There are a few songs out there which have grabbed me with their music, while simultaneously making me shake my head at the
lameness of the lyrics. I can still like the song, if I can shut mind to the lyric (a bit of mental acrobatics).

I can think of 2 examples that stand out in my memory and taste:

#2 Example:

Winger--"Headed For a Heartbreak"
I like the chord progression, basic melody, and those cool keyboard arpeggios. And Reb Beach's
soaring guitar solo is beautiful, IMO. But those lame lyrics (and Kip Winger's rather exaggerated cheesy singing style),
make me cringe. Esthetically-speaking, what a combo of simultaneous pleasure and agony!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrZ4Phk3F-M

#1 Example:

3 (Emerson, Berry, Palmer)--"Talkin' 'Bout"

I love the instrumental work on this track, with fine, majestic K/B work by Keith Emerson that has me
throwing my arms into the air with exuberance.
The lead melody is fine, and the singer's voice is strong, but, oh dear God, save me from those lyrics---Cheeeeeeeeeeeesy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7706-C5pUQ4

Anybody else got some good examples of good music paired with bad, bad lyrics?

[Paulrus]

The entire first Asia album?

[ThomasKDye]

Oh, this one's easy - Dream Theater's "The Count of Tuscany." A nice long epic with multiple moods and interesting movements... all about some stupid dork from Italy making a gullible American wet his pants in fear. I could go on how wrong the lyrics are for the music, but it'd take more time than I'm willing to commit.

[mx20]

Rush - Hemispheres

[bill g]

Its Yourself and Evidence of Autumn are GREAT music, with ordinary (not necessarily bad) lyrics.

[Yanks2014]

Oh, this one's easy - Dream Theater's "The Count of Tuscany." A nice long epic with multiple moods and interesting movements... all about some stupid dork from Italy making a gullible American wet his pants in fear. I could go on how wrong the lyrics are for the music, but it'd take more time than I'm willing to commit.

I love that song and the lyrics. Never got what was bad about the story line or lyrics. Besides, with music that good, they could have been singing about reality TV and I wouldn't care. Good music always trumps bad lyrics, or even good lyrics. The best lyrics in the world can't ever save bad music.

As to Hemispheres, what is wrong with the lyrics exactly? Always thought of it as rather cool sci-fi.

[profusion]

Everything ever recorded by ELP?

[elliottnow]

Marillion - Hard as Love. On the bonus disc you can just hear the music and it's great IMHO.

[GuitarRanger]

Everything ever recorded by ELP?

"Do you believe, God makes you breathe. Why did he lose, 6 million Jews?"

rewrite:
"I must remark, God makes you barf. Why did he lease, 6 cans of grease?"
Nah. (rip! next page...)

2nd rewrite:
"Can you conceive, God makes you weave. Why can't he fit, 6 scarves to knit".
Nope. (rip!)

"God makes you wait, to defecate. Why must you sit, 6 days to shit".
No. (rip!)

"Em,er-son, Keith, plays like a thief. Why did he lose, 6 notes of blues".
(riiip!)

"Old ELP, sounds just like me. Why do folks guess, we sound like Yes".
(riiip!)

[Scott Bails]

Everything ever recorded by ELP?

I always loved "Pirates."

[mx20]

Re: "Hemispheres"

It's just soooo corny, IMO. So much exposition, so little attention given to what it will sound like when sung-- instead, it's as if the only goals were to advance the "story" and rhyme. Cringe-inducing moments include:

I have memory and awareness,
But I have no shape or form.
As a disembodied spirit,
I am dead and yet unborn.

I have passed into Olympus
As was told in tales of old,
To the city of Immortals,
Marble white and purest gold.

I see the gods in battle rage on high,
Thunderbolts across the sky.
I cannot move, I cannot hide,
I feel a silent scream begin inside.

C'mon. Yuck. Very 7th grade English class. And then all that trees business on side two. The music's great, though! Chronologically, it's the first Rush album that I can dig... I just try to ignore those lyrics!

[bp]

Some songs by America exceptionally bad (to the point of comedy).

[progguy]

Kansas -- "Lamplight Symphony." I love Kansas, but after hearing these goopy lyrics, I need to hear some Frank Zappa just to restore my mental balance.

[tormato]

Yes - That That Is and the entire Drama album

Rush- Second Hemispheres and add The Body Electric, Virtuality

[ronmac]

"Stairway to Heaven," anyone?

[Progtopia]

Hemispheres has one of the worst examples of shoehorning a clunky lyric into a musical passage with "But the winter fell upon them and it caught them unprepared, bringing wolves and cold starvation, and the hearts of men despaired."

I've never liked "The Great Deceiver"'s lyrics much, either, but that might not be as universal an opinion as Hemispheres seems to be.

[Trane]

The entire first Asia album?

reverse example really ... Bad music ... and even worse lyrics

Rush - Hemispheres

Indeed, the best track is the instrumental
The Trees is OK, but taken at first degree it's quite corny

As to Hemispheres, what is wrong with the lyrics exactly? Always thought of it as rather cool sci-fi.

Cygnus X-1 was sci-fi, but Cygns X-2 (on Hemisphere) had much more greek mythology than sci-fi, if memory serves

[JKL2000]

Marillion - Hard as Love. On the bonus disc you can just hear the music and it's great IMHO.

The music's not even very good, IMO. I remember when Brave first came out he took a lot of hazing for spelling out "R-A-M" instead of just saying "RAM."

[ThomasKDye]

I've never liked "The Great Deceiver"'s lyrics much, either

I was a bit shocked by "health food faggot" until I learned it meant something different. Still, that's a word that's lost to casual use.

[Man In The Mountain]

If only all of us could write such horrible lyrics, we would all be millionaires!

[Yanks2014]

Re: "Hemispheres"

It's just soooo corny, IMO. So much exposition, so little attention given to what it will sound like when sung-- instead, it's as if the only goals were to advance the "story" and rhyme. Cringe-inducing moments include:

I have memory and awareness,
But I have no shape or form.
As a disembodied spirit,
I am dead and yet unborn.

I have passed into Olympus
As was told in tales of old,
To the city of Immortals,
Marble white and purest gold.

I see the gods in battle rage on high,
Thunderbolts across the sky.
I cannot move, I cannot hide,
I feel a silent scream begin inside.

C'mon. Yuck. Very 7th grade English class. And then all that trees business on side two. The music's great, though! Chronologically, it's the first Rush album that I can dig... I just try to ignore those lyrics!

Sounds kind of cool to me, guess I'm a 7th grader at heart.

[Yanks2014]

Yes - That That Is and the entire Drama album

Rush- Second Hemispheres and add The Body Electric, Virtuality

I agree about Virtuality, the whole "Net boy meets net girl" think is beyond cringe inducing. Thank goodness the song has that monster guitar riff from Lifeson. But "Body Electric"? I love to sing along to that one. Again, it's got this sci-fi vibe that I just love.

[Yanks2014]

reverse example really ... Bad music ... and even worse lyrics
Cygnus X-1 was sci-fi, but Cygns X-2 (on Hemisphere) had much more greek mythology than sci-fi, if memory serves

The first Asia album is pretty awesome musically, never gave much thought to the middle of the road lyrics. Seriously, I think it's a great rock album. I never worrired that is wasn't prog. As to Cygns X-2, the geek in me loves it. Do I have a clue what they were trying to say with those words? Not at all, and that doesn't matter musch. The words sound good when sung, that's the bottom line. I see profound or highly intelligent lyrics (if attached to strong music) as an added bonus, but not something that is always neccessary. Heck, I think I prefer total nonsense lyrics.

[Yanks2014]

I was a bit shocked by "health food faggot" until I learned it meant something different. Still, that's a word that's lost to casual use.

Shocked by the use of faggot in the early 70's? Really? Even if it were meant as you were originally thinking, it's just not shocking for the time period. Shouldn't be shocking today, it's just a word.

[ThomasKDye]

Never got what was bad about the story line or lyrics.

At the least... make a drinking game out of every time "I don't want to die" or some variant is mentioned, and your liver will be leaving your body to save itself by the 2/3 mark. And then, after the big atmospheric section, the stupid moron is still, STILL going on about how "I don't want to die." WE GET IT. SHUT THE HELL UP. And there's nothing in the lyrics that indicates a need for this level of whining, unless that evil "HISTORIAN!!!!!" is going to use his dreaded "HISTORIAN!!!!" powers on him. Oh, that's right, some guy resembles a cannibal curator, I guess. So this guy imagines he's going to be eaten, or something. Okay... I'm getting more depressed about these lyrics than I need to be. I'm done.