Songs ruined by cornball lyrics/vocals at dramatic moments

i've grown to love morrison's terrible poetry because it keeps me from taking the songs too seriously. when he starts in on "indian summer on dawn's highway bleeding..." i bust into laughter most times. same with stuff like "there's a killer on the ROAD/his brain is squirming like a TOAD". also his forced enunciation of "take a long holiday" in the next line is classic

lionel richie's "UNNGH!" in "easy" sounds like it's pre-made for the faith no more cover, where mike patton's rendering of it is all-time

kind of surprising that there's already been dead discussion and nobody has talked about donna on live versions of "playing in the band"

i rather like a lot of stuff by the police despite the fact that sting is the absolute worst lyricist in history

and since we're talking live, i don't object to "does anybody remember laughter?", but plant's nonstop gurning on the rest of the song does it no favors.

I am an apologist both for Doors lyrics (which, as someone said upthread, are certainly no worse than those of 90% of his contemporaries and are in some cases quite good) and Donna's banshee wails on "Playing In The Band." I also don't get what's so terrible about Sting's lyrics in the Police.

If we're going to talk about conspicuous "raps" in songs that aren't rap songs, we'll need an entire new thread. That said (and I expect to be crucified for saying this), I thought "The Hook" by Blues Traveler was a totally decent and maybe even enjoyable pop song, but that rap in the middle remains one of the single worst things I have ever heard.

I like some of Morrison's lyrics but the tortured syntax of the first verse does get in the way for me on "Light My Fire". "I'm finding it hard to believe we're in heaven" in Bryan Adams's "Heaven" always seems really off since that phrasing suggests scepticism rather than incredulous wonder to me and I find it hard to believe that that is what he wanted to express.

The first verse of "Light My Fire" was written by Robby Krieger.

Ah

Jimbo only wrote the 2nd verse iirc.

"I'm finding it hard to believe we're in heaven" in Bryan Adams's "Heaven" always seems really off since that phrasing suggests scepticism rather than incredulous wonder to me and I find it hard to believe that that is what he wanted to express.

lol, never thought about that, but you're right. Like "This is it? This can't be it."

My first encounter with "Genius of Love" was having it pop up in the middle of Stop Making Sense. I was maybe 9 or 10 at the time, and even then, the cringe factor was quite intense.

kind of surprising that there's already been dead discussion and nobody has talked about donna on live versions of "playing in the band"

I love Donna's singing in "Playing," always. Of course she's loud: she's the only vocalist on that stage with the ability/knowledge of how to project her voice.

the "why don't you piss off" in "Your Silent Face" is an example of a song *made perfect* by cornball lyric/vocal at a dramatic moment.

Jimbo only wrote the 2nd verse iirc.

On the spot, in that awful film.

That said (and I expect to be crucified for saying this), I thought "The Hook" by Blues Traveler was a totally decent and maybe even enjoyable pop song, but that rap in the middle remains one of the single worst things I have ever heard.

"Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in / If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn"

I always assumed I was mishearing that. Nope, that's what they sing (according to the internet). Brutal.

“A fool who’ll waste his life, GOD REST HIS GUTS.”

Ian Gillan's hysteric wailing in Child In Time although I'm sure many people love that part.