Shoehorned Song Words

[Aschenbach]

What do you think is the worst example of a songwriter putting lyrics in a song that blatantly don't fit the melody?

Mine is Elton John's Sacrifice

It ain't no Sac-er-ifice

[Chinajan]

Can't think of one of those off the top of my head, but I'm reminded of the Belle Stars' mangled lines....

I saw the sign

It opened up my INE

I saw the sign etc etc.

By the way, is your log in a reference to Gustav von.....of Death in Venice? One of my favourite movies.

[paddy_36]

Did ace of base not do this?

I think it's "It opened up my eyes"...

[Chinajan]

Sorry, yes, Ace of Bass it was. I'm referring to one line towards the end of the choon where they definitely sing 'ine' to rhyme with sign. Why in just that one line when they sing 'eyes' during the rest of it is a mystery.....

[THECORBYLOON]

The bit of "The Sign" is

"I saw the sign, I saw the si-e-ine. I saw the sign.
I saw the sign, I saw the sign,
I saw the sign, I saw the si-e-i-e-ine.
I saw the sign, I saw the sign. I saw the sign.
And it opened up my eyes I saw the sign."

They don't rhyme "eyes" wi sign."

[Chinajan]

No it's the bit near the end where they go

'I saw the sign

And it opened up my INE

And I am happy now living without you

Your left me oh woah etc blah blah"

I don't know if it's in the official lyrics but that is definitely what they sing. So be told!

[paddy_36]

Sorry, Chinajan - know which bit you're talking about now. I think I've noticed that before - just my memory that's letting me down! Consider me told!

Example of Sac-er-ifice similar to any England football chant/song, where the word becomes Eng-ger-land. Find that pretty annoying.

One thing that bugs me more than this is corny rhymes, e.g. The Streets - "I got this Stella I bombed from that last cafe; This night's not even begun, yes yes oh yay."

Or Ricky Martin "Her lips are devil red, and her skin's the colour mocha" to rhyme with "livin' la vida loca". Awful!

Just reading this again - I guess I'm pretty easily annoyed!

[Chinajan]

Oh me too! I've just thought of an ancient one that really annoyed me which is more in line with the original question.

Bardo's Eurovision entry One Step Further, from, I think, 1982 contained the lines:

One step further and I could have been there

Coulda tooken one step further.....

And there's no point! Taken has the same number of syllables! It's like that abomination called text messaging where people 'shorten' was to woz. I mean, why?

But that's another rant.

[THECORBYLOON]

Chinajan I'm not long off the 'phone talking to Jenny Berggren one of the Ace of Base singers. Admittedly she wasn't that chuffed at being wakened in the middle of the night mind but anyway, she said you were talking absolute tosh, piffle and nonsense. SO THERE....

[Chinajan]

Somebody doesn't like being wrong do they children?

[THECORBYLOON]

Chinajan Children? Ah'll tell ma mam aff you!