Songs with Clever Lines

[DarcyFarrow]

So which lines jump out at you as especially clever or well written?

To start:  "We have to shout above the din of our Rice Crispies" ("Synchronicity II," the Police)

              "Is her power all in her club sandwich?" ("Waitress," Tori Amos)

[BeatleloverKT]

Hey nineteen  Steely Dan. I have always

thought their song lyrics were awesome,

but this song, imo, is their

masterpiece. I’ll go with lines at the end:

The Cuervo gold

The fine Colombian 

Make tonight a wonderful thing

(Say it again)

[MaVolta]

I have to add this song to the list. And who else could think of those lyrics? I remember the first time I heard it, and thinking it was hilarious. Couldn't wait to hear it again!

Margaritaville  -  Jimmy Buffett   🍸  😎

Nibblin' on sponge cake
Watchin' the sun bake
All of those tourists covered with oil

Strummin' my six string
On my front porch swing
Smell those shrimp, they're beginnin' to boil

Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
But I know, it's nobody's fault

Don't know the reason
Stayed here all season
Nothing to show but this brand new tattoo

But it's a real beauty
A Mexican cutie
How it got here, I haven't a clue

Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
Now I think, hell, it could be my fault

I blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home

But there's booze in the blender
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on

Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
But I know, it's my own **bleep** fault

Yes, and some people claim
That there's a woman to blame
And I know, it's my own **bleep** fault

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jimmy Buffett

Margaritaville lyrics © Coral Reefer Music, Kobalt

[Raynyky]

Delta Lady-Leon Russell or Joe Cocker

There are concrete mountains in the city
And pretty city women live inside them
And yet it seems the city scene is lacking
I'm so glad you're waiting for me in the country

[BeatleloverKT]

Gold dust woman  The Mac. All the songs

from the iconic Rumours album rock, but

imo, this one really soars

Rock on gold dust woman

Take your silver spoon

Dig your grave

Heartless challenge

Pick your path and I’ll pray

[BeatleloverKT]

Powerful Stuff  Fabulous Thunderbirds. I had forgotten how much I loved this

cleverly worded song with its catchy,

driving beat

”Her hip shakin’ whip snakin’ cooked my goose

I tell you that babe she’s a fine papoose

I love her mind, but here’s the deal

She’s got the kind of girl who rides the manmobile”

[MaVolta]

Little Boxes  -  Malvina Reynolds

Little Boxes made of ticky tacky

Here's a link to the entire lyrics if you have forgotten it . . . it works best in full context . . . a creative expression for the lack of creativity . . . clever!

http://www.malvinareynolds.com/mr094.htm

[LouLit01]

Roll Over Beethoven

Chuck Berry

You know my temperature's risin'
And the jukebox's blows a fuse
My heart's beatin' rhythm
And my soul keeps singing the blues
Roll over Beethoven
And tell Tchaikovsky the news

[Raynyky]

Keeping with Steppenwolf: Monster/Suicide/America 

Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into the noose
And it just sits there watchin’.

[DarcyFarrow]

Blow Up Your TV (John Denver)

"Well, I sat there at the table and I acted real naive
For I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve"

[BeatleloverKT]

Bennie and the Jets  Sir Elton John. It’s no
secret that the songwriting combo of

Elton and Bernie is magical. This song

puts it on full display tho, imo. Every

line is great but I’ll go with verse two:

Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet

Uh but they’re so spaced out, B-B-B

Bennie and the jets

Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful

Oh Bennie she’s really keen

She’s got electric boots a mohair suit

You know I read it in a magazine

B-B-B Bennie and the jets

[MaVolta]

Forever in rock history as the song that gave us . . . 

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder

Born to Be Wild  -  Steppenwolf

This song was inducted into the R&R HoF. Now if they would just vote in the band that gave it to us! 😖

[BeatleloverKT]

Stairway to Heaven  Led  Zeppelin  This

song is right up there in my top ten best

songs with clever lyrics ever recorded.
The entire song has great lyrics, but this

is the crem de la crem for me:

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow

Don’t be alarmed now

It’s just a spring clean for the May Queen 

Yes, there are two paths you can go by

 But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on

And it makes me wonder 

[Raynyky]

Bungle in the Jungle-Jethro Tull

The rivers are full of crocodile nastiest
And He who made kittens put snakes in the grass.

[BeatleloverKT]

Tunnel of love  Springsteen. Bruce is a

master with his lyrics, this song was

released when his marriage was falling

apart is, imo, one of his best

”Fat man sitting on a little stool

Takes the money from my hand 

While his eyes take a walk all over you

Hands me the ticket, smiles and whispers

Good luck

Cuddle up Angel, cuddle up my little dove

We’ll ride down baby into this

Tunnel of love”

[LouLit01]

Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields

Sold in the market down in New Orleans

Scarred old slaver know he's doing alright

Hear him whip the women just around midnight

Brown Sugar

The Rolling Stones

[LouLit01]

I woke up in a Soho doorway

A policeman knew my name

He said, You can go sleep at home tonight

If you can get up and walk away

I crawled back to the Underground

And a breeze blew back my hair

I remember throwing punches around

And preaching from my chair

Who Are You?

The Who

[cm9889168]

"We Didn't Start The Fire"  by Billy Joel

(this is always my pick for lyrics)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g

[TheGent2U]

From Paul Simon:                                             https://youtu.be/QOvs3rCFI2A

"A Simple Desultory Philippic"

I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored
I been John O'Hara'd, McNamara'd
I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled 'til I'm blind
I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded
A Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed
That's the hand I use, well, never mind

I been Phil Spectored, resurrected
I been Lou Adlered, Barry Sadlered
Well, I paid all the dues I want to pay
And I learned the truth from Lenny Bruce
And of all my wealth won't buy me health
So I smoke a pint of tea a day

I knew a man his brain so small
He couldn't think of nothin' at all
He's not the same as you and me
He doesn't dig poetry, he's so unhip that
When you say Dylan, he thinks you're talkin' about Dylan Thomas
Whoever he is
The man ain't got no culture
But its alright, Ma, everybody must get stoned

I been Mick Jaggered, silver daggered
Andy Warhol, won't you please come home?
I been mothered, fathered, aunt and uncled
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled
I just discovered somebody's tapped my phone

Folk rock

I lost my harmonica, Albert

[BeatleloverKT]

The Ledge (1980)  Fleetwood Mac

This quirky, catchy tune is Lindsey

at his best

Countin’ on my fingers

Countin’ on my toes

Slippin’ through your fingers

Watchin’ how it grows

You can love me baby but you can’t walk out

Someone oughta tell you what it’s really all about

Do you ever wonder

Do you ever hate

Six feet under

Someone who can wait

[Raynyky]

Strawberry Fields Forever-Beatles 

Every line is great!

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever

Living is easy with eyes closed
Misunderstanding all you see
It's getting hard to be someone
But it all works out
It doesn't matter much to me

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever

No one I think is in my tree
I mean it must be high or low
That is you can't, you know, tune in
But it's all right
That is, I think, it's not too bad

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever

Always, no, sometimes think it's me
But you know I know when it's a dream
I think, er, no, I mean, er, yes
But it's all wrong
That is I think I disagree

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever

[LouLit01]

Brain Damage

Pink Floyd

The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me 'til I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key

There's someone in my head but it's not me

And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

[MaVolta]

It's not just the lyrics to this one, but the way Mick sings it just cracks me up!

The Spider and the Fly  -  The Rolling Stones

Sittin', drinkin', sinkin', drinkin'
Wonderin' what I'd do when I'm through tonight
Smokin', mopin', maybe just hopin'
Some little girl will pass on by
Don't wanna be alone but I love my girl at home
I remember what she said (what she said)
She said, "my, my, my, don't tell lies,
Keep fidelity in your head
My my my, don't tell lies,
When you're done you should go to bed
Don't say hi, like a spider to a fly
Jump right ahead and you're dead"

Sit up, fed up, low down, go round
Down to the bar at the place I'm at
Sittin', drinkin', superficially thinkin'
About the rinsed-out blonde on my left
But then I said "hi" like a spider to a fly
Rememberin' what my little girl said

She was common, flirty, she looked about thirty
I would have run away but I was on my own
She told me later she's a machine operator
She said she liked the way I held the microphone
Then I said "hi" like a spider to a fly
Jump right ahead in my web

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Keith Richards / Mick Jagger

The Spider and the Fly lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc

[BeatleloverKT]

Taxman  Fab 4️⃣ Another genius take on

taxes, of all things, who can’t relate?

”If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street

If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat

If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat

If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet”

[LouLit01]

A Simple Desultory Philippic  -  S & G

Thanks for this one, MaVolta.  So many names I haven't thought of in years.

[Raynyky]

Up To No Good Livin’-Chris Stapleton 

Wish I could come home from workin'
And not have ya checkin' my breath
I'm tired of her turning her questions
Into the Gettysburg Address

There's no reason why she shouldn't trust me
The fact that she don't makes me mad
Can't count all the times that I begged her
Honey, just let my past be the past

I used to drink like a fish and run like a dog
Done a whole lotta **bleep** not permitted by law
People call me the Picasso of painting the town
And I've finally grown up
I finally changed from that someone I was to somebody I ain't
But she finds it hard to believe that she's turned me around
Though I'll probably die before I live all mine
Up to no good livin' now

Gave up on bringing her flowers
And that just kept making things worse
I ain't been guilty of nothin'
Of being the man she deserves

I used to drink like a fish and run like a dog
Done a whole lotta **bleep** not permitted by law
People call me the Picasso of painting the town
And I've finally grown up
I finally changed from that someone I was to somebody I ain't
But she finds it hard to believe that she's turned me around
You know I'll probably die before I live all mine
Up to no good livin' now

I used to curse like a sailor and howl at the moon
And I woke up some mornings with I don't know who
But I never dreamed back then that I'd have to pay for it now
You know I'll probably die before I live all mine
Up to no good livin' now
Yeah I'd hate to die before I live all mine
Up to no good livin' now

[DarcyFarrow]

Iris (U2):

"The darkness just lets us see who we are"

[LouLit01]

'Cause I've been rocked into ruin, I've been discoed to death
I've been funk rocked and punk rocked 'til I can't catch my breath
I've been reggaed 'til I'm ragged, I've been new waved 'til I'm blind
But I've got a solution for my funky state of mind

Passing Lane

The Charlie Daniels Band

[MaVolta]

@LouLit01   -  Your post: Passing Lane, Charlie Daniels Band

Reminds me of this amusing little song written by Paul Simon, which is mostly a dig at Bob Dylan's writing style, but he manages to take a swipe at just about everything that was part and parcel of pop culture back in the day. Simon resented comparisons of himself and Dylan. IMO, they were both brilliant and had completely different writing styles. There is no comparison in my mind.

A Simple Desultory Philippic  -  S & G

I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored
I been John O'Hara'd, McNamara'd
I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled 'til I'm blind
I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded
Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed
That's the hand I use, well, never mind

I been Phil Spectored, resurrected
I been Lou Adlered, Barry Sadlered
Well, I paid all the dues I want to pay
And I learned the truth from Lenny Bruce
And all my wealth won't buy me health
So I smoke a pint of tea a day

I knew a man, his brain was so small
He couldn't think of nothing at all
Not the same as you and me
He doesn't dig poetry
He's so unhip that when you say Dylan
He thinks you're talking about Dylan Thomas
Whoever he was
The man ain't got no culture
But it's alright, ma, everybody must get stoned

I been Mick Jaggered and silver daggered
Andy Warhol, won't you please come home?
I been mother, father, aunt and uncled
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled
I just discovered somebody's tapped my phone

Folk rock
I've lost my harmonica, Albert

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Paul Simon

A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission) lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

[BeatleloverKT]

Lucy in the sky with diamonds  Fab 4️⃣

The incredible imagery that is the

Beatles is on full display during this

masterpiece:

”Picture yourself on a train in a station

With plasticine porters with looking glass ties

Suddenly someone is there at the turnstile

The girl with the kaleidoscope eyes”

[LouLit01]

Positively 4th Street

Bob Dylan

I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment I could be you
Yes, I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes
You'd know what a drag it is to see you