Badfinger's "Baby Blue" is a song-length study in a lame non-apology that shifts most of the actual blame onto the love interest for not giving him more credit: "Didn't know you'd think that I'd forget," "Did you really think I'd do you wrong," "Thought you'd realize that I would know," "How can I show you? Show me the way" -- all kinda standard stuff, but when piled up in succession you realize he basically hasn't said anything else and we're supposed to be real impressed by this. In this light, the last verse beginning with "Guess that's all I have to say" becomes downright hilarious.
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 21 May 2015 15:21 (eight years ago) link
Stroke 9, "Little Back Backpack" - for the entire plot, but especially the climactic outburst Your mind is lined with layers of lead / HAVE YOU HEARD ONE THING THAT I SAID?!
― here i am in the land of large breakfasts (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 27 June 2015 19:45 (eight years ago) link
Richard Marx - "Hold on to the Nights". mostly "Well, I think that I've been true to everybody else but me" - aw someone hates monogamy
― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Sunday, 26 July 2015 14:00 (eight years ago) link
A sub-genre of this: 70s singer-songwriter types devoting whole songs to telling an acquaintance (usually male) how they're living their whole life wrong or in a phony dream world, or in an insufficiently liberated fashion. E.g. Hall and Oates "Laughing Boy" and "Lazyman," or Billy Joel "Angry Young Man," "James," "Captain Jack" sorta, etc.
― Gorefest Frump (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 27 August 2015 02:55 (eight years ago) link
(Obviously, all descendants of "Nowhere Man" and by extension, "Ballad of a Thin Man"-type Dylan. Simon & Garfunkel must have a couple of these that aren't coming immediately to mind.)
― Gorefest Frump (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:00 (eight years ago) link
Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime
although it's such a braindead song I'm not sure you can say the speaker "means" to be anything
― five six and (man alive), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:05 (eight years ago) link
"Don't Think Twice It's Alright" is one where I really have a hard time sympathizing with the speaker -- he sounds like such a mean and bitter person beneath all the maudlin self-pity.
― five six and (man alive), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:10 (eight years ago) link
I think Dylan totally means to be a dick though
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:17 (eight years ago) link
A lot of those "I'm an early mornin' lover and I must be movin' on" songs fit into this: "Goodbye Stranger" etc.
― ... (Eazy), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:19 (eight years ago) link
Xp For sure but I always took it as self-righteous or justified dickery in the speaker's eyes.
― five six and (man alive), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:30 (eight years ago) link
I always sort of assumed that the speaker in "Goodbye Stranger" was recognizing his dickishness but maybe I'm projecting.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:36 (eight years ago) link
A lot of Dylan songs could be retitled "You're So Dumb"
― five six and (man alive), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:43 (eight years ago) link
lol yes
― carl agatha, Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:45 (eight years ago) link
hahahaha
― Gorefest Frump (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 27 August 2015 16:46 (eight years ago) link
Dumb ones got it in for me,You're printin' dumb stuff in the preeeeeeeess
btw this is slightly off-topic but I recently discovered that a fun way to enjoy listening to the song "You're So Vain" is, after she sings "You're so vain!", you ad-lib a sexy "How vain am I, girl?"
― Heroic melancholy continues to have a forceful grip on (bernard snowy), Thursday, 27 August 2015 17:03 (eight years ago) link
lol
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Thursday, 27 August 2015 17:10 (eight years ago) link
If God was here, He'd tell you to your face,Man, you're some kinda sinner!
― Gorefest Frump (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 26 September 2015 15:52 (eight years ago) link
To be fair, that protagonist spends the entire running time of the song coming off as a dick.
― Sitting In The Ape Chair (Old Lunch), Saturday, 26 September 2015 17:11 (eight years ago) link
I feel like he's at least in a gray area in certain moments. I mean, whoever sat down and wrote out the sign saying "Long-Haired Freaky People NEED NOT APPLY!" was kind of asking for it. But it's definitely true that the character is trying to troll these people so maybe "not meaning to" is off base.
― Gorefest Frump (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 26 September 2015 17:17 (eight years ago) link
Queen - 'Don't Try Suicide'
― Turrican, Saturday, 26 September 2015 17:22 (eight years ago) link
Stevie Wonder's "Superwoman(Where were you when I need you)" fits right in here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-ohttPIqco
The first part of the song is all just belittling Mary/Syreeta for her ambitions, and the second part is whining about how she's become successful and left him on his own. Aw, boo-hoo mate.
Despite the sentiments I still think it's a great song, though
― Pheeel, Sunday, 27 September 2015 15:03 (eight years ago) link
I feel a similar tension with a number of Beach Boys songs (e.g. 'Caroline, No') that are simultaneously gorgeous and lyrically dickish.
― Sitting In The Ape Chair (Old Lunch), Sunday, 27 September 2015 15:24 (eight years ago) link
Hi, I just thought of one;
Are You Sure - The Allisons
This was the british eurovision entry in 1958 or whatever. The singer/protagonist has basically been given his marching orders, so to amuse himself he says goodbye in a number of different languages in an off-hand manor, and then tells the girl that she's bound to have regrets by the following day, and how miserable she will be. On the other hand, he's indifferent to it all but is basically giving her one last chance to change her mind. See, Phil in "Don't you want me" is casting himself as the swine, whereas in this they are casting themselves as concerned but mature fellas. But they are actually dicks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_9L2XZ-0Xk
― Mark G, Thursday, 8 October 2015 11:32 (eight years ago) link
1961, beg puddin'
The whole of Pet Sounds is passive-aggressive dickishness, isn't it? I think that's one of the reasons I've never really liked it.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 8 October 2015 12:44 (eight years ago) link
There's a strain of conservative chauvinism running through the entire Beach Boys catalogue. 'Hey Little Tomboy' is another example that immediately comes to mind.
― Skin Boherts (Old Lunch), Thursday, 8 October 2015 12:47 (eight years ago) link
"Ballad of Ole' Betsy" has got to be the worst of those:
"Betsy was a lady and that she will remain/Betsy took some beatings but she never once complained"
Yes I realize Betsy is just a *car*, but the implications couldn't be any more obvious
― Lee626, Thursday, 8 October 2015 13:55 (eight years ago) link
(and that would have otherwise been such a nice song in that campy, corny, yet lovable early Beach Boys style)
― Lee626, Thursday, 8 October 2015 13:57 (eight years ago) link
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, October 8, 2015 7:44 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah, I do like it, but there's something a little bit M'lady about the speaker in most of the songs, and it kind of walks the line between coming of age and just sexual/relational stuntedness, which is also maybe hard for me to separate in my mind from Brian Wilson's own persona.
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Thursday, 8 October 2015 14:03 (eight years ago) link
You could also read "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" as slightly dickish.
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Thursday, 8 October 2015 14:05 (eight years ago) link
Again, fine line between the romance of silence and "I don't feel like listening to you, woman"
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Thursday, 8 October 2015 14:06 (eight years ago) link
There's a strain of conservative chauvinism running through the entire Beach Boys catalogue. 'Hey Little Tomboy' is another example that immediately comes to mind.― Skin Boherts (Old Lunch), Thursday, October 8, 2015 8:47 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Skin Boherts (Old Lunch), Thursday, October 8, 2015 8:47 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
How had I never heard of this until now? Wow, this is the dregs.
― the cuddling of the american behind (how's life), Thursday, 8 October 2015 14:39 (eight years ago) link
TBF, the bulk of their post-Love You discography is pretty much the dregs, if for generally less creepy reasons.
― Skin Boherts (Old Lunch), Thursday, 8 October 2015 14:56 (eight years ago) link
How Deep Is Your Love is pretty unpleasant.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 9 October 2015 09:24 (eight years ago) link
Bee Gees or Calvin Harris?
― niels, Friday, 9 October 2015 11:16 (eight years ago) link
Bee Gees (although it was hearing the Take That cover that made me mention it).
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 9 October 2015 11:48 (eight years ago) link
Paul Simon - "Something So Right"
I guess Simon is going for a humble and self-aware persona but ends up sounding conceited imo:
When something goes wrongI'm the first to admit it...when something goes rightwell it's likely to lose me
― niels, Friday, 20 November 2015 13:10 (eight years ago) link
Drake's whole lyrical persona on his weepies sort of rides that "the dickishness is meant to be visible here" line, but "Hotline Bling" really is just gross as all hell.
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 25 November 2015 14:55 (eight years ago) link
38 Special - Second Chance
the smug "why can't we forget about the past" when it is significantly more work for the wronged party
"please forgive me, and forget it, I was wrong and I admit it" - wow, how big of you
"this heart needs a second chance" - most annoying chorus ever
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 2 July 2016 16:03 (seven years ago) link
red house painters, "cruiser", due to this verse:
Won't you whisper in my ear?You look so good against my mirrorAnd you're my baby full of joyYou're my erotic brown eyed toyYou're my exotic black haired toy
― akm, Sunday, 3 July 2016 02:32 (seven years ago) link
'Are you sure?' By The Allisons might be the earliest one here.
She wants to break up, he's very 'oh well never mind' and telling her she might want him back tomorrow. Its the non-committal lyric and delivery (and the 'funny' way of saying goodbye in various ways and languages) that add to the unintended dickishness
― Mark G, Sunday, 3 July 2016 07:55 (seven years ago) link
Strange that "You Were Always On My Mind" is mentioned upthread. Isn't the entire point of the song an admission of guilt?
― Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Sunday, 3 July 2016 08:10 (seven years ago) link
Yes.
― Mark G, Sunday, 3 July 2016 08:28 (seven years ago) link
"The Dangling Conversation," Simon & Garfunkel. Maybe more of a douche than a dick.
― Chris L, Sunday, 3 July 2016 16:05 (seven years ago) link
I would say "Take Good Care of My Baby" is pretty sweet until this o_O line:
"So, take good care of my babyBe just as kind as you can beAnd if you should discoverThat you don't really love herJust send my baby back home to me"
― Charles "Butt" Stanton (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 26 April 2017 01:26 (six years ago) link
Oh yeah, that's a good one.
― ✓ (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 26 April 2017 02:05 (six years ago) link
prolly mentioned, but 10cc - i'm not in love
― Unchanging Window (Ross), Thursday, 29 June 2017 00:26 (six years ago) link
"Into The Night" by Benny Mardones comes to mind. "She's just sixteen years old, leave her alone, they say." I had to google him to see if he wound up in prison.
― Rod Steel (musicfanatic), Thursday, 29 June 2017 02:07 (six years ago) link
Christ, it gets even worse as the song progresses:
She's just sixteen years oldLeave her alone, they saySeparated by foolsWho don't know what love is yet
But I want you to knowIf I could flyI'd pick you upI'd take you into the nightAnd show you a loveLike you've never seen - ever seen.
It's like having a dreamWhere nobody has a heartIt's like having it allAnd watching it fall apartAnd I would wait till the end of time for youAnd do it again, it's trueI can't…
― Rod Steel (musicfanatic), Thursday, 29 June 2017 02:08 (six years ago) link