Paradox Rocks

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In "Rocket Man," Bernie wrote and Elton sang these words:

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact, it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them
If you did.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if you are on Mars raising your kids, aren't YOU there to raise them?

Please explain or provide similar paradoxical lyrical food for thought.

― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

To all fellows Yanks on the list, have a good holiday.

― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

"If you did" doesn't even make grammatical sense. "If you're dead" would be marginally better. Is your source authoritative?

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Not sure if it's paradox or just preposterous:
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Mind you I don't know what I'd take to be an authoritative source. Even lyrics printed in the inlay can be wrong. Someone ask Bernie.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Google gives 359 hits for "if you did" 0 for "if you're dead".

― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah yes, I forgot Google knows all.

― ledge (ledge), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

dave225 wronnnnnnnng. "my back pages" lyrics are in NO way preposterous.

― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Not preposterous as in silly, but as in the end comes before the beginning. Synonym please.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah yes, I forgot Google knows all.
No, in fact it's kind of a dodgy verification tool, but I think in this one case it gives a clear winner.

"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"
That's paradox enough for this thread. Of course, you can interpret it quite easily as something like "he dropped his square way of thinking and now sees the world with new eyes," but that doesn't detract from the surface conundrum.

― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

in the end comes before the beginning. Synonym please.
Well, we could make up a Latin term, in termina res, for a story that starts at the end, like Lawrence of Arabia.

― Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

besides being nonsensical and grammatically incorrect

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact, it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them
If you did.

doesn't even rhyme!

all these problems are solved by changing the lyric to

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact, it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them
If you smell.

elton, call me some time, we'll talk.

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

these guys:
http://blog1.musicfield.jp/du_ds8/archives/PARADOX%20HERESY.jpg

― gnarly sceptre, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 23:03 (seventeen years ago)

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