Music and lyrics that don’t match

    I was listening to We Can’t Dance the other day. I always find it a mixed experience- some of their best stuff - Fading Lights, Spike and No Son spring to mind- and some workaday filler tracks- Living Forever for example. The one that struck me this time as a wasted opportunity was ‘Tell me why.’ Taken separately, not a bad set of lyrics, if a little obvious, and not a bad tune. But they don’t feel as if they belong together to me. I think if they had written a straightforward and upbeat love song lyric and worked on the tune to make it even more jaunty, they could have had what they used to call a big big hit on their hands. As it stands they have a mostly upbeat sound which doesn’t quite get there and a very serious set of words. It sort of falls between two stools.

    Just wondering if anyone else feels that way or maybe even have other band or solo songs where the lyrics and music seem to clash a bit.

    I know Epping Forest is always cited as having too many lyrics for the backing track but I’m thinking more of tone and feel here.

    The track that immediately came to mind when I saw the title of this thread was Snowbound — a gentle, sweetly sung track about children playing with a frozen corpse.


    Regardless, it's one my favourite songs on the album so this perceived contrast in tone and content has never bothered me or influenced my feelings for it.

    Quote from Witchwood

    The track that immediately came to mind when I saw the title of this thread was Snowbound — a gentle, sweetly sung track about children playing with a frozen corpse.


    Regardless, it's one my favourite songs on the album so this perceived contrast in tone and content has never bothered me or influenced my feelings for it.

    Good choice, I’ve always liked it as well and somehow the darkness of the lyrics added to my enjoyment even though, as you say, they are disguised by the sweetness of the music

    In a way the same could be said about Inside and Out. As a non-native speaker I just liked the music of this song, then I found out what the lyrics are about. Quite a contrast, I did not expect such a depressing story set to this gentle sweet music (the first half of the song) but I saw it as an intentional contrast.


    I guess the point of this thread is rather finding bad mismatches that don't work. I don't have any examples at hand, maybe I'll find some.

    Quote from Schrottrocker

    I guess the point of this thread is rather finding bad mismatches that don't work. I don't have any examples at hand, maybe I'll find some

    Not at all, what you have said is exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of.


    A mismatch is not necessarily bad either, some people would say it's a juxtaposition and adds to the song. I think in the case of Inside and Out, there is a wistful melancholy that goes with the idea of being locked up and then a bit of a maelstrom at the end that might reflect the trauma of the story, but I know what you mean. I also think the case of alleged rape and alleged wrongful allegations would be avoided today and probably rightfully so in a short, 'pop' song. In much the same way that the lyrics of Back in NYC might well be different if written now.

    Quote from Thelawnmower

    I think in the case of Inside and Out, there is a wistful melancholy that goes with the idea of being locked up and then a bit of a maelstrom at the end that might reflect the trauma of the story

    On the back of the original vinyl EP the lyrics were headed 'INSIDE' and have 'OUT' after the end so I always took that as the instrumental representing the lead character's mass of confusing emotions on being released back into the world.


    As to the overall topic the only one that occurs is possibly Supernatural Anaesthetist as it has a kind of jaunty feel while being about someone thinking they're about to die.

    Abandon all reason

    We can't dance is a strange album, it has some great stuff and also some stuff that is weaker than the B-Sides they left off.


    Song choices were clearly done to please everybody and it made the album weaker.


    Nick Davis (producer) said not long ago, that they recorded way too many songs for that project and the album would have been stronger had they cut it down.

    I always found Dodo a bit odd. The lyrics are basically off-the-wall stream of consciousness centred on certain themes. But then you get this big dramatic music that sounds like the sort of thing they would have put a bit dramatic story to in the past. I can remember when I couldn't make out the lyrics on Three Sides Live, I always assumed there was some meaning or story there I wasn't quite getting. "I'M BACK IN THE SEA!" *huge dramatic chords*

    Quote from raelway siding

    I always found Dodo a bit odd. The lyrics are basically off-the-wall stream of consciousness centred on certain themes. But then you get this big dramatic music that sounds like the sort of thing they would have put a bit dramatic story to in the past. I can remember when I couldn't make out the lyrics on Three Sides Live, I always assumed there was some meaning or story there I wasn't quite getting. "I'M BACK IN THE SEA!" *huge dramatic chords*

    It is by any means one of their strangest lyrics. When I first heard it on Three Sides Live I was somehow sure it has to be about animals in zoos that live under miserable conditions and dream of going back to their old natural habitats. I couldn't make out that message when I was only reading the lyrics, it needed the music to fill the words with meaning.

    Quote from Schrottrocker

    When I first heard it on Three Sides Live I was somehow sure it has to be about animals in zoos that live under miserable conditions and dream of going back to their old natural habitats.

    It's not as specific as that but it certainly has a general theme of treatment of animals. But I don't get any sense of music/lyrics mismatch.

    Abandon all reason

    Interesting thread. I never really thought about that.

    Then, you have stuff like Steam, and that track has a completely different version, Quiet Steam, and here, indeed, the lyrics don't really fit.


    The one track where mhsic and lyriocs fit 100% is of course Who Dunnit? :)

    cheers

    Christian


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    Haha 1
    Quote from Thelawnmower

    Just wondering if anyone else feels that way or maybe even have other band or solo songs where the lyrics and music seem to clash a bit.

    For now I can't think of other Genesis/solo ones but outside that universe I'm thinking of John Grant. I don't know much of his work but always tend to like what I hear, and I gather he has a knack of setting quite dark lyrics to very catchy music. A recent review of his latest album said that generally the more catchy the song, the more disturbing the lyrics tend to be.

    Abandon all reason

    Quote from Backdrifter

    For now I can't think of other Genesis/solo ones but outside that universe I'm thinking of John Grant. I don't know much of his work but always tend to like what I hear, and I gather he has a knack of setting quite dark lyrics to very catchy music. A recent review of his latest album said that generally the more catchy the song, the more disturbing the lyrics tend to be.

    I see it's in the Genesis music board, but I can't add any new observations, which I suppose mean they were very good at creating a vibe between the music and lyrics. The music to Home By The Sea sounds like the music you'd write about a haunted house by the ocean! Tonight tonight tonight similarly.


    Along the lines of the quoted post, the best outside example that comes to mind is The Living Dead by Suede. The guy who wrote the music (Butler) complained because the lyricist (Anderson) took his beautiful, melodic music and put lyrics about shooting up heroin and track marks to it! "I've seen the hole in your arm is the needle a much better screw?"

    Quote from thewatcher

    I see it's in the Genesis music board, but I can't add any new observations, which I suppose mean they were very good at creating a vibe between the music and lyrics. The music to Home By The Sea sounds like the music you'd write about a haunted house by the ocean! Tonight tonight tonight similarly.


    Along the lines of the quoted post, the best outside example that comes to mind is The Living Dead by Suede. The guy who wrote the music (Butler) complained because the lyricist (Anderson) took his beautiful, melodic music and put lyrics about shooting up heroin and track marks to it! "I've seen the hole in your arm is the needle a much better screw?"

    Golden Brown by the Stranglers is supposed to be about heroin - another pretty melody. Then there is Same Girl by Randy Newman (covered by Glenn Frey) - absolutely gorgeous melody, lyrics about a prostitute who yes, has 'a few more holes in your arm'.