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Anybody got any nominations for the worst or weakest Rats song lyrics. The vast majority of the bands songs had great to very good words but occasionally some of the lyrics were a letdown.
I have always found the lyrics to Kicks to be a bit well aimed at the adolescent vote, coming across as a bit false. Having said that at just reading them here, they're not bad-maybe it's just knowing Geldof was pandering deliberately to teenage angst.
Charmed Lives lyrics seem trivial and most people consider it a weak song by the Rats high standards. 'I think I'll do my hair today/ 'cos it's ok, it's ok'
A Storm Breaks lyrics aren't great, while the lyrics for Rain are a bit confusing. I've actually gone through all the songs and b sides and the songs I mention are the only real lyrically weak ones for me. All the others stand up pretty well for me, and I am someone who absolutely hates bad song lyrics. and there's certainly enough of those around.
Off top of my head I'd say Charmed Lives a clear winner (loser?), but joined by Mood Mambo and, perhaps harshly, Watch Out for The Normal People. Was always faintly embarrassed by the lucky bugger line in particular. Bit 'naughty' in the punky era, but just lame.
Agree Storm Breaks not his best by a long way, Keep it Up somehow has good and bad in one song, and don't really get Please Don't Go. Happy to be re-educated on latter.
By and large the lyrics were great, and a major factor in my fanning
Agree wholeheartedly with Please don't go, Mood mambo and Charmed Lives. Never really liked Nice n neat totally - good in parts but some of it doesn't scan right to me 'you said you spoke to God etc etc' to the end sounds a little clumsy.
I loved Watch Out... and think the 'normal can and normal will' refrain is intensely catchy and clever which generally sums up Geldof's lyrical talents for me and was a major draw for me too.
Lisa wrote:Reading between the lines , and you have tried hard to disguise it, but I'm guessing that Another Piece of Red isn't one of your favourites, ArrGee!!
You think so
I struggle to think of a more badly conceived and executed song. An Irishman lamenting the demise of the British Empire, give me strength.
It's not even as if there is any hint of irony in it like Great Song of Indifference. It's as if he is truly saddened by the loss of the empire. The interlude of Rule Britannia, just beggars belief. And that verse is just the most crass verse ever. It's not like these countries were wiped off the earth, it's simply that thay are no longer under a colonial power, and now with self determination they are all the better for it.
I'm still amazed they stuck a live version on the re-releases. As if one rendition of this piece of sh!t wasn't enough. I remember the first time I heard Mondo Bongo. Three tracks in and it all seemed OK. Maybe Mood Mambo was a little self indulgent, but Straight Up and This Is My Room sounded good. And then this. The moment the infallibility of The Rats disappeared. Life was never the same again.
-- Edited by ArrGee on Wednesday 12th of September 2012 12:22:16 PM
A total no brainer for me. It has to be Another Piece of Red...
It's so long Hong Kong and no more Singapore Those steaming nights of Malta Goodbye Gibraltar I'll give you arms for Africa I'm hungry for India The sun's set on Australia And vive le Canada
The most cringeworthy, cliched and embarrassing verse. By anyone. Ever. And the chorus is as lame.
They're breaking up an empire, nobody's buying British Calling for an umpire, it really isn't cricket The flags are coming down, there's a minimum of looting Somewhere in the distance I can see somebody shooting And another piece of red left my atlas today.
I can't believe the rest of the band didn't tell Geldof it was total tripe.
Of all the songs the Rats ever did, this is the worst on every level. Lyrically, musically (why oh why have Rule Britannia in it?), and the singing is totally tuneless and uninvolved. Charmed Lives is a masterpiece in comparison.
I truly hate this song and find it embarrassing to listen to.
Reading between the lines , and you have tried hard to disguise it, but I'm guessing that Another Piece of Red isn't one of your favourites, ArrGee!! Have to agree with you though. Mind you, at risk of being controversial, would say that after the first 3 albums, wasn't as interested in any of the later lyrics, but that may have been as the music generally didn't seem to reach me in the same way. I know in the early days, I would sit and read the album lyrics over and over again and really enjoy getting to know them and what the song was saying and picturing the scene.
Last verse of Elephants' Graveyard ("you don't pay death duties when your on death duty... Taken years off your life when you've no years left to give").
All of Under Their Thumb ("Squashed and squeezed like a dried-up, rinsed out worm... Revenge is sweet but it's sugar free").
In other song parts, I wish there _had been_ lyrics: "nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh" fits the catchy bit of no less than three songs on V Deep!
Lisa wrote:Reading between the lines , and you have tried hard to disguise it, but I'm guessing that Another Piece of Red isn't one of your favourites, ArrGee!!
You think so
-- Edited by ArrGee on Wednesday 12th of September 2012 12:22:16 PM
No I'm really not convinced that you don't like it - you're protesting too much. Reckon it's your guilty secret and you listen to it all the time ....
Lisa wrote:Reading between the lines , and you have tried hard to disguise it, but I'm guessing that Another Piece of Red isn't one of your favourites, ArrGee!!
You think so
I struggle to think of a more badly conceived and executed song. An Irishman lamenting the demise of the British Empire, give me strength.
It's not even as if there is any hint of irony in it like Great Song of Indifference. It's as if he is truly saddened by the loss of the empire. The interlude of Rule Britannia, just beggars belief. And that verse is just the most crass verse ever. It's not like these countries were wiped off the earth, it's simply that thay are no longer under a colonial power, and now with self determination they are all the better for it.
I'm still amazed they stuck a live version on the re-releases. As if one rendition of this piece of sh!t wasn't enough. I remember the first time I heard Mondo Bongo. Three tracks in and it all seemed OK. Maybe Mood Mambo was a little self indulgent, but Straight Up and This Is My Room sounded good. And then this. The moment the infallibility of The Rats disappeared. Life was never the same again.
-- Edited by ArrGee on Wednesday 12th of September 2012 12:22:16 PM
I think Geldof's tone throughout that song is pretty neutral, one of an observer just observing a changing world, and how his school atlas was changing. I doubt he was particularly concerned about the fall of the British Empire- equally he had absolutely no truck with the IRA (heroes going cheap these days, price a bullet in the head) or any warped/romantic version of Irish nationalism. One of Geldof's well known attitudes is his distain for all forms of nationalism.
I think the song is more about a way of life changing (nobody's playing cricket) than a heart cry for the continuation of the British Empire. After all what he says about Ian Smith (I was thinking they were lucky to be rid of that ****) is hardly taking the Ex Rhodhesian leaders side, so that's an anti Empirist statement in itself.
The song doesn't bother me too much, either words or tune.
Off top of my head I'd say Charmed Lives a clear winner (loser?), but joined by Mood Mambo and, perhaps harshly, Watch Out for The Normal People. Was always faintly embarrassed by the lucky bugger line in particular. Bit 'naughty' in the punky era, but just lame.
Agree Storm Breaks not his best by a long way, Keep it Up somehow has good and bad in one song, and don't really get Please Don't Go. Happy to bere-educated on latter.
By and large the lyrics were great, and a major factor in my fanning
I really love Please Don't Go as a song, but the lyrics just seem quite surreal and as if the are recounting a dream- more stream of consciousness than sense making, logical or linear. Dream imagery ' I was walking down the street/ with the Queen of Hearts'. Works for me anyway.
Same with Mood Mambo, kind of a made up on the spot feel, but if you or anyone else have read the Beat Poets (Ginsberg, Kerouac, Burroughs etc) that's what Geldof was aiming for.
Lisa wrote:Reading between the lines , and you have tried hard to disguise it, but I'm guessing that Another Piece of Red isn't one of your favourites, ArrGee!!
You think so
No I'm really not convinced that you don't like it - you're protesting too much. Reckon it's your guilty secret and you listen to it all the time ....
I repeat it when it comes on. So glad they put two versions on the CD so I could shuffle between them.
NOT!!!!
The problem with really really bad songs is they are totally unforgettable. Whereas the lyrics of many songs can wash over me, the bad ones seem to stick. Someone only has to mention Kylie and "I Should Be So Lucky" come to mind. Then I just can't get it out of my head. Boom Boom!
I doubt he was particularly concerned about the fall of the British Empire...
...
After all what he says about Ian Smith (I was thinking they were lucky to be rid of that ****) is hardly taking the Ex Rhodhesian leaders side, so that's an anti Empirist statement in itself.
Then why bother writing a song about it? Music has to mean something, it has to reflect where you come from (now who wrote that?). It should not be some half baked cliched observation on something you have no particular opinion on.
Another piece of red is certainly not in my top ten of theirs, but I think I agree with Noel, it's just a rather cliched observation on the fall of empire and I can just take it or leave it. I can see however it can provoke stronger views!
Just struggle to understand the comment that music has to mean something, reflect where you come from and not be a banal, cliched observation on events so to speak. This to me is what Guilty is all about and to some extent Mondays and Geldof is simply reflecting on events in San Diego or Miami - although he was in the US to see/hear media output/ these events, how could they reflect where he comes from, like Rat Trap etc?
"Meanwhile We can watch the come Dancing competitions From the Midlands International Danceband Orchestra."
And didn't really like any of Mood Mambo when I first heard it - I can now see some of the lyrics are "clever" maybe but doesn't really mean much to me. I agree with ArrGee that the music has to mean something - to somebody at least, and even if that's not going to be every listener, it should come across as meaning something to the person who has written it/sings it. That's why Rat Trap is so brilliant, you can really feel it/believe it. And personally find the Kinks' "We are the Village Green Preservation Society" means far more to me than Another Piece of Red - not that I care about village greens any more than empires, so don't know exactly why! I can even listen to some Kylie songs - but again "Where the Wild Roses Grow (with Nick Cave) means more than "I should be so lucky". Combination of good lyrics plus the haunting story.
Personally I quite like "Taken years off your life when you've no years left to give". (EG) And "Squashed and squeezed like a dried-up, rinsed out worm..." (UTT) as it's sung with passion and good for singing along!! But guess that might have ruined the song for anyone who's heard me
I guess most Rats songs hit the mark anyway, so I guess we are so lucky (!).
A total no brainer for me. It has to be Another Piece of Red...
It's so long Hong Kong and no more Singapore Those steaming nights of Malta Goodbye Gibraltar I'll give you arms for Africa I'm hungry for India The sun's set on Australia And vive le Canada
The most cringeworthy, cliched and embarrassing verse.
Maybe I've got bad taste but I think that verse is quite clever! Try it yourself: take, say, the member states of the European Union then write a poem (doen't have to be rhyming couplets) taking a stance (e.g. looks ugly) not necessarily your own, name-checking one country per verse. That's gotta be someone's idea of fun, right? :)
And whoever said it was lacking irony: really? I can't imagine the line, "It really isn't cricket" was intended seriously!
jamieuka wrote:Try it yourself: take, say, the member states of the European Union then write a poem ..
OK (to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory) .and at the risk of offending many readers ..
The French eat snails and onions, the Poles feet smell like cheese Italian cars go backwards and the Greeks have no pot to pee. The Dutch are all on reefers, Spain is stony broke. Irish girls are Catholic, but still they like a poke.
I struggle to think of a more badly conceived and executed song. An Irishman lamenting the demise of the British Empire, give me strength.
It's not even as if there is any hint of irony in it like Great Song of Indifference. It's as if he is truly saddened by the loss of the empire. The interlude of Rule Britannia, just beggars belief.
I've always held view that Geldof is being ironic bordering on sarcastic.
"The people here can still believe in stiff lips and stiff collars They're speaking deals in English But they're making deals in dollars. They're breaking up an empire Nobody's buying British They're calling for an umpire Nobody's playing cricket The flags are coming down everybody stands saluting But somewhere in the distance, I can hear somebody shooting"
In other words, hold your blinkered imperial values while the world around shifts currency, trading etc and pretend all is as was. Cry foul that it's not very sporting behaviour but still stand defiant in the face of a crumbling power being shot away.
Has to be a massive piss take surely? A sort of none so blind as those who will not see statement.
Not my favourite song, but lyrically it's pretty incisive and quite clever for me
I struggle to think of a more badly conceived and executed song. An Irishman lamenting the demise of the British Empire, give me strength.
It's not even as if there is any hint of irony in it like Great Song of Indifference. It's as if he is truly saddened by the loss of the empire. The interlude of Rule Britannia, just beggars belief.
I've always held view that Geldof is being ironic bordering on sarcastic.
"The people here can still believe in stiff lips and stiff collars They're speaking deals in English But they're making deals in dollars. They're breaking up an empire Nobody's buying British They're calling for an umpire Nobody's playing cricket The flags are coming down everybody stands saluting But somewhere in the distance, I can hear somebody shooting"
In other words, hold your blinkered imperial values while the world around shifts currency, trading etc and pretend all is as was. Cry foul that it's not very sporting behaviour but still stand defiant in the face of a crumbling power being shot away.
Has to be a massive piss take surely? A sort of none so blind as those who will not see statement.
Not my favourite song, but lyrically it's pretty incisive and quite clever for me
Think ArrGee has lost his wicket here. The general consensus is that Geldof is being somewhat ironic and the words are quite apt and clever. Can't see a punk icon having much sympathy for the misdeeds of the British Empire- the song perhaps in a minor way acknowledges a changing world, and for me it's quite balanced and who could resist rhyming Malta with Gibraltar, no more than rhyming moon and June.
ArrGee perhaps you meant Irish girls are Catholic and they like the Pope.
The song was released in 1981 before the Falklands had become an issue. Not sure if Bob could come up with a rhyme or get a Falklands reference in if he had written the song a year later?
Goodbye Gibraltar ?- hasn't happened yet. Malta and Gibberalter, what's that called 'false rhyme', the saviour of so many poets and songwriters.
noelindublin wrote:Think ArrGee has lost his wicket here. The general consensus is that Geldof is being somewhat ironic and the words are quite apt and clever. Can't see a punk icon having much sympathy for the misdeeds of the British Empire- the song perhaps in a minor way acknowledges a changing world, and for me it's quite balanced and who could resist rhyming Malta with Gibraltar, no more than rhyming moon and June.
ArrGee perhaps you meant Irish girls are Catholic and they like the Pope.
Fcuking cricket! For gawd's sake, it makes it even worse. What has all this got to do with punk rock, eh? I just hope the next time Geldof tours, you're all in the audience and he plays it. Twice. That'll teach you.
Ah yes, that's what I meant. The pope. Rather than a poke on facebook. They all love the pope!
-- Edited by ArrGee on Friday 14th of September 2012 08:52:46 AM
ArrGee, I sincerely thank you for your effort, I like it! Though I must point out you too failed to avoid resorting to cliché ;)
I should like to go on record (no pun intended) as not thinking that much of the song in the context of a Rats album track. Fall Down makes it two 'piano' tracks on the follow up album to the one with Mondays on it and at least one too many IMHO!
-- Edited by jamieuka on Friday 14th of September 2012 12:57:21 PM
All of Under Their Thumb ("Squashed and squeezed like a dried-up, rinsed out worm... Revenge is sweet but it's sugar free").
I never saw the point of this song at all, and it epitomises the lazy carelessness pervading through a lot of Mondo Bongo (and V Deep).
The shame of both albums (particularly Mondo, knowing they had House on Fire and Up All Night in reserve) is that with some decent quality control, there could have been a very good album made.
ArrGee, I sincerely thank you for your effort, I like it! Though I must point out you too failed to avoid resorting to cliché ;)
I should like to go on record (no pun intended) as not thinking that much of the song in the context of a Rats album track. Fall Down makes it two 'piano' tracks on the follow up album to the one with Mondays on it and at least one too many IMHO!
-- Edited by jamieuka on Friday 14th of September 2012 12:57:21 PM
What do you think of This Is My Room then Jamieuka? I really love it. Is that not a 'piano track' or keyboard track or whatever? I don't see why all the songs should be just guitar based, though the guitar sound is the basic building block of the Rats sound. Mixing things up a bit instrumentally helped to make the songs perhaps not too predictable.
However looking back the overuse of brass backing on V Deep almost involved a new band ( House On Fire, Storm Breaks,Charmed Lives) leaving the Rats a bit redundant, almost looking on. Europe Looked Ugly and No Hiding Place were good enough to be on V Deep, dropping A Storm Breaks and Charmed Lives to b side status.
What do you think of This Is My Room then Jamieuka? I really love it. Is that not a 'piano track' or keyboard track or whatever? I don't see why all the songs should be just guitar based
It was once one of my favourite Rats tracks, alas no more. Lyrically I think it walks that thin line between clever and stupid e.g. "I wake from sleep with little rest / it's 10 by 9 and in a mess"** Yet another to file under 'wish there had been more lyrics rather than "nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh"'. But mainly because the keyboard sound is dated.
But I would say this is a multi-instrumental track e.g. good bass riff, nice rhythm guitar (though presumably lead guitarist mainly propping up the Ibizan bar). What I meant by 'piano track' was a Mondays derivative i.e. piano-driven quiet ballad. Methinks Geldof was in 'attempt to repeat surprise success' mode at the time of Mondo Bongo, rather than 'albatross around our necks'. This Is My Room is no Mondays and I'm grateful for that :)
** Incidentally, and off topic, it reminds me of my top placed 'worst lyric by a favourite artist', being Joni Mitchell, Hissing of Summer Lawns (title track of that album): "He gave her his darkness to regret / And good reason to quit him / He gave her a roomful of Chippendale / That nobody sits in" (where "quit him" and "sits in" are forced to rhyme).
And in case anyone is interested, the worst ever is Rainy Day by Brownie McGhee (as seem in the film Angel Heart), supposed to be a traditional blues 'my baby left me' lyric: "She had two cups of coffee / I had one small cup of tea / She just walked out of my life..."
What do you think of This Is My Room then Jamieuka? I really love it. Is that not a 'piano track' or keyboard track or whatever? I don't see why all the songs should be just guitar based
It was once one of my favourite Rats tracks, alas no more. Lyrically I think it walks that thin line between clever and stupid e.g. "I wake from sleep with little rest / it's 10 by 9 and in a mess"** Yet another to file under 'wish there had been more lyrics rather than "nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh"'. But mainly because the keyboard sound is dated.
But I would say this is a multi-instrumental track e.g. good bass riff, nice rhythm guitar (though presumably lead guitarist mainly propping up the Ibizan bar). What I meant by 'piano track' was a Mondays derivative i.e. piano-driven quiet ballad. Methinks Geldof was in 'attempt to repeat surprise success' mode at the time of Mondo Bongo, rather than 'albatross around our necks'. This Is My Room is no Mondays and I'm grateful for that :)
** Incidentally, and off topic, it reminds me of my top placed 'worst lyric by a favourite artist', being Joni Mitchell, Hissing of Summer Lawns (title track of that album): "He gave her his darkness to regret / And good reason to quit him / He gave her a roomful of Chippendale / That nobody sits in" (where "quit him" and "sits in" are forced to rhyme).
And in case anyone is interested, the worst ever is Rainy Day by Brownie McGhee (as seem in the film Angel Heart), supposed to be a traditional blues 'my baby left me' lyric: "She had two cups of coffee / I had one small cup of tea / She just walked out of my life..."
Keyboard sound dated? What about all those bands that use 'retro synths'? Seems to be fairly common and yet these are seen as trendy and cool. I'm no expert but I notice a lot of happening dance tracks can very quicky seem dated, even though they were only recorded a few years back. Like Pro tools as the Gutenberg Press.
Re lyrics my favourite bad or simply annoying lyric is 'Are we human or are we dancer?' from The Killers. I always think of Santa's reindeer called Dancer.
** Incidentally, and off topic, it reminds me of my top placed 'worst lyric by a favourite artist', being Joni Mitchell, Hissing of Summer Lawns (title track of that album): "He gave her his darkness to regret / And good reason to quit him / He gave her a roomful of Chippendale / That nobody sits in" (where "quit him" and "sits in" are forced to rhyme).
And in case anyone is interested, the worst ever is Rainy Day by Brownie McGhee (as seem in the film Angel Heart), supposed to be a traditional blues 'my baby left me' lyric: "She had two cups of coffee / I had one small cup of tea / She just walked out of my life..."
Doesn't quite dethrone Des'Ree for me, with the classic lines from Life...."I don't want to see a ghost/It's the sight that I fear most/I'd rather have a piece of toast"
Seems I'm not alone if the number of online polls quoting that one is any guide.
