This week we tackle the songs we love with lyrics that confound us. Less, “what’s he saying???” and more “what do they mean?!” We’re sure you have a song in mind. One of Christine’s favorite singers, Bob Dylan, was full of confuddling lyrics. But you can feel what he means. Right?
Christina selected this theme with a song in mind–“Swingin’ Party” by the Replacements. The tender yet confusing lyrics, “Bring your own lampshade… somewhere there’s a party,” might refer to singer and songwriter Paul Westerberg’s social anxiety and tendency to drink to alleviate jitters. And some folks think the lampshade trope alludes to “the obnoxious drunk trying to be funny—and failing.”
Christine’s pick comes from classic trickster Sabina Sciubba, whose lyrics not only confuse and delight but could be in any of the six languages she speaks. The polyglot baffles us, lyrically, with poetic lines like “Asked a man for a light and he caught on fire…I drank a lot of coffee only to be tired.” Her brilliance delighted us in Baskets alongside funnyman Zach Galifianakis. And we certainly loved her mercurial brilliance as the lead singer of Brazilian Girls.
As always, we’d love for you to join the party. Cruise over to our Instagram to comment on our most recent post about your favorite lyrically confusing songs!
Stereothematica 