Great Songs with Unintelligble Lyrics

This thread has really answered some old questions for me.

Thanks for posting the lyrics to Long Cool Woman - that must have been a fun dinner! If I may, I would like to suggest a one-word change to the lyrics. Instead of:

"I saw her headin' to the table/Well a tall walking big black cat"

To:
"I saw her headin' to the table/With a tall walking big black cat"

What do you think?

 

I often get confused by "Bennie and the Jets".

 

First-thanks for the "Long Cool Woman" lyrics.I too,have spent the last 32 years trying to figure this out.That is,when I'm not trying to translate-
MISSISSIPPI QUEEN by Mountain!!!!

 

I know what you mean.

 

Hard Headed Woman - Elvis Presley

 

My wife thought it was Betty for years.

If you think Elton's version is tough, try the version Biz Markie backed by the Beastie Boys.

 

Legendary Stardust Cowboy - Paralyzed - if anybody can decipher Mr. Odom's tune they must speak Martian!

 

Some singers just seem notorious for garbled lyrics.

You can add "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones. I like the scene in the movie of the same name with Whoopi Goldberg trying to decypher the lyrics.

How about "Fame" by David Bowie?

"Delta Lady" by Joe Cocker?

 

You know, for me it is not as much sound quality as dialect. But spend some time with some good transcriptions (like those that come with the Revenant box) and those songs just come to life. On the other hand, the way Patton constructed his songs, it takes some fierce intelligence to make sense of so many strung together verses that don't seem to relate to each other....

I agree that they are wonderful...

 

And here I always thought that it was:

"I saw her headin' to the table/Like a tall walking big black cat"

It made sense to me given the full title of the song.

Joel

 

Half the words in Somewhere by P J Proby are indecipherable. Perhaps he'd had a few when he recorded it.

 

Anything from the Cocteau Twins.

Joel

 

Lisa Marie Presley singing Lights Out. For the life of me I can't figure out what the hell she's singing bar a few words in the chorus.

 

Ah very true. I've listened them quite a bit lately. My favorite song is "Carolyn's Fingers". I have no clue what she's singing but she sure sounds excited about something!

 

Of course, the winner of this category should be "Anything by Can while Damo Suzuki is in the band."

He's the king of the "well, I know what the first three words in the sentence are, but..."

 

I think Sir Mick wins this category - hands down.