Just Bitchin' to Hear My Own Voice

[Michael Brown]

First, let me say I love Lady Gaga’s brashness and admire the power evidenced in Adele’s voice, but what’s with the crazy metaphors? One is gonna “Marry the Night” and the other “Set Fire to the Rain.” I’m not getting any images here. Well, I had one when I thought Adele was singing, “I threw up into the flame,” and it wasn’t very pretty, but then I learned the lyric was actually “…threw us…” These two songs are played an awful lot on various media, and more than the enjoyment I get from hearing them, they make me want to throttle both. Don’t even get me started on Pink for throwing a fuck into a title that makes perfect sense without the profanity because I’m wondering, “Is this what originality has come to?”

[Jamie Hogan]

I watched Justin Bieber perform on The Voice last night, and thought of this. And then Tony Lucca didn't win. Not time well-spent.

[Bill Floyd]

Possible solution: Don't listen to the radio.  Commercial music always plays to the bland and inoffensive, or the fashionably, palatably offensive (see: GaGa.)  Meanwhile, originality runs wild in a thousand different underground bands making indie rock, downhome folk, avant metal, euro-techno, even dance and pop music that's actually interesting.  Check pitchforkmedia.com, find a blog you trust, or ask your students to make you a mix.  Chronic lyrichosis is much more tolerable when you're mishearing decent musicians, and there's a whole world of them out there awaiting discovery for those willing to look.    

[Brad Rose]

I thought the lyric should be I set fire to my BRAIN. 

[Angela]

Well, I've turned into my father, god help us all.  Just like him, I can't understand what the fuck anyone is saying, so I don't know if I'm listening to a metaphor or not.  I'm sticking with Motown.

[Kristine_ES]

i guess i know what you mean, michael. i guess i look at them this way, so they don't bother me, perhaps?

if you set fire to the rain, it would hurt EVERYONE in its fall. sometimes when a woman hurts she wants everyone else to hurt with her.

as for "marry the night"... not sure what gaga really intends for the song, but for me, evening conceals. better to be in shadow than shadowless at noon.  magic behaves better in the moonlight. the night is the better part of the day. if the personification of Day and Night stood before me and i wanted to pick one to marry... then you know who it would be.

[Jamie Hogan]

A hundred thanks for the first real laugh I've had today. Wait until my eight year-old hears me sind "And I threw uuuuuuuup into tha flames!" You just made dad a comedian tonight.

This is all true, of course. I hate to sound like a music-snob, but everything on the radio is cotton candy. If I could make a suggestion - Ray LaMontagne.

 

"Jolene, I ain't about to go straight.

It's too late.

And I found myself face down in a ditch.

Booze in my hair, blood on my lip.

A picture of you, holding a picture of me,

In the pocket of my blue jeans."

[Javed Baloch]

Hello Michael, long time. And well, yes, I am afraid this is exactly what the original has come to. Really loved the way u have penned this one down.

[Sandra Davies]

link for Bon Jovi,  - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-yTqn_Ihmk

and Elvis C http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhqIKAE7jrA

[Sandra Davies]

On the subject of misheard lyrics, my youngest told me that Elvis Costello really does sing "you were a spoilt child then with a rectal plug" and I can never hear Bon Jovi without hearing 'Terror pork chops"

As Gita says, good to see you here.

[Gita]

Dave Barry has a whole book about mistaken lyrics. Someone has a photo of me laughing while I read the book.  It looks like my jaw was about to unhinge.

It's great to see you here. Just had to come back and say it.