"King Midas in Reverse" is one of the most braindead songs I've ever heard

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Cookary02, Oct 12, 2018.

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  1. Cookary02

    Cookary02 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    For Christ's sakes, didn't these boys understand the meaning of the tale of King Midas - that all he touched might as well have turned to dust, for it was useless and worthless given his unending affliction? It's a pretty simple concept to grasp, and yet these utter morons chose to effectively repeat, without the clever subtext regarding the devaluation of treasure in abundance, for some ineffable reason. Removing its one powerful asset and calling it "in reverse" doesn't work, lads! It's a great song, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of the worst lyrics I've ever encountered.
     
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  2. SoundDoctor

    SoundDoctor Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    This song is even more braindead:



    And I say that as a Kanye fan.
     
  3. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    It's astonishing the things that people here stress over. Most people would know the full context of the King Midas story, but it's the aspect of turning things into gold by touching them that has become part of popular culture. "The Midas touch" is a very common expression for someone who apparently makes everything they come into contact with become better and more valuable. The guy in the song does the opposite. that's all it signifies.

    I'll take "King Midas In Reverse" over "Jennifer Eccles" any day, music-wise and lyric-wise.
     
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  4. bobc

    bobc Bluesman

    Location:
    France
    Like a lot of Graham Nash lyrics it's naive and rather childish, but it's only pop music.
     
  5. Cookary02

    Cookary02 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    The point of the Midas Touch is that its original concept is corrupting, no matter how alluring it may seem. There may well be a misuse of the term prevalent in popular culture, but that doesn't justify it. I like the song a bit, but the lyrics are dire. Even Jennifer Eccles has wittier lines.
     
  6. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    "I love Jennifer Eccles (cue whistle)
    I know that she loves me"

    Wittier? Whatever you say.
     
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  7. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Next time we're gonna discuss how the allusion between Tiresias and Romeo & Juliet in the Genesis song 'The Cinema Show' is an example for british-imperialist ways of interpreting antique mythology... (hey, actually, that'd be great :D )

    There are so many misusages of terminology and metaphors around in pop (or art in general, that is) I stopped thinking about them. Surely a song like 'King Midas in reverse' wasn't written with closer lyric inspection in mind :laugh:
     
  8. Sear

    Sear Dad rocker

    Location:
    Tarragona (Spain)
    I love some Hollies songs (Bus stop..) , but others are horrible to me (Jennifer Eccles, King Midas..)
     
    bobc likes this.
  9. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Ive always noticed the misuse of the Midas myth as identified by the OP, and it’s always bothered me a bit but not too much, I guess cos as others have said it works when referring to the more general usage ‘The Midas Touch’. Of course an entirely accurate ‘King Midas In Reverse’ would be able to turn statues of gold into living creatures, a power which itself could be debilitating in certain contexts.

    On a side note, and seeing it’s already been mentioned disparagingly in this thread, I don’t understand why so many people (inc the Hollies themselves) are so down on ‘Jennifer Eccles’. The bridge section is STELLAR!
     
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  10. Cookary02

    Cookary02 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    That'd be a much better concept to write the song around for sure.
     
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  11. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    ^^ The bridge section of Jennifer is the only bit I like.
     
    ajsmith likes this.
  12. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    For a song where the lyrics are so obviously wrong they clearly have not been thought out, try this:

    (The Real Thing - You to Me Are Everything)

    This is a love song - but what this line actually says, if you read it carefully, is that the singer would prefer the object of his affection to wait as long as possible before giving him her love.
     
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  13. Jeff W. Richman

    Jeff W. Richman The Richman Curse www.soundclick.com/qoquaq

    This thread reminds me of how someone uses the phrase "Enemy Of The People" as an insult.
    The fact is, in the play, the title character is the hero.
     
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  14. El Rich-o

    El Rich-o Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Yeah and I hate it when people use 'hopefully' to mean 'with luck' too.
     
  15. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    You kids in Australia need to put on some serious music from your homeland and chill out ...

     
  16. Kingsley Fats

    Kingsley Fats Forum Resident

    And the reason for shouting at a cloud that drifted by 50+ years ago is ?
     
  17. Jack o' the Shadows

    Jack o' the Shadows Live and Dubious

    Location:
    Bergen, Norway
    Isn't that what we do around here?
     
  18. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    This.
    It's a very nice song.
     
    Comet01, Jarleboy and Folknik like this.
  19. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    Braindead thread.
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2018
  20. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Well, hopefully no one around here does that.
     
  21. Spaceboy

    Spaceboy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Edinburgh, UK
    Actually if everything you touch turns to s**t it kind of puts a different perspective on it.
     
  22. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    Jeez, I could care less.
     
  23. rpc_2_uk

    rpc_2_uk Forum Resident


    :yikes: Can't have anybody knocking this song - My uncle co-wrote it and did very well out of it

    He'll be pleased someone took the time to analyse the profound lyrics.
     
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  24. Spaceboy

    Spaceboy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Edinburgh, UK
    Was that supposed to be ironic?
     
  25. ajsmith

    ajsmith Senior Member

    Location:
    Glasgow
    I think Sesame Street or The Electric Company should have done a parody of this called ‘King Minus In Reverse’ to teach kids basic Addition.
     
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