Hands down, for me it's REO Speedwagon's "Can't fight this feeling"

Here's some of the worst bits:

"And I can't fight this feeling anymore,
I've forgotten what I started fightin' for,
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars forever... "

Okay... what kind of ship has oars? A cannoe has oars, so does a row boat, but a ship? It immediately conjures up this image of one of those huge ancient slave ships with all the prisoners in schackles on benches working the dozens of oars. It's ridiculous! No matter how stuck you are for a rhyme, there is never an excuse to resort to using the term "Oars" in a love song! What's he doing on a ship anyway? It's just comical!

But the verse continues...

"And if I have to crawl upon the floor,
Come crashin' through your door, baby,
I can't fight this feeling anymore"

So now that he's gotten off his slave ship and gone over to her house, he proceeds to crawl *upon* the floor at such astonishing speed, that he can crash through a door! The image is almost creepy... like something out of the exorcist or the shining... this rapidly crawling slave ship captain smashing through a door!

Why was this song a huge hit? And if it was... why am I killing myself to write decent lyrics?

...killing yourself to write decent lyrics is definately the way forwards - it's no longer the 70s, when you could get away with singing any old piece of Tat into a microphone (shining examples of this are unfortunately most of the bands I really like...
Pink Floyd (Mostly Syd Barrett songs...and yes, I know it was 60s...)
T-Rex (for a guy who didn't do drugs, this is remarkably 'out there', but still musically brilliant!)
Bob Dylan (suprisingly - the Master songwriter himself occasionally goes 'off on one'...)

I could go on...

Even Dar Williams occasionally comes out with something that makes me think 'a child of ten could have written that' - however, Dar has a record deal and several albums under her belt (and put on a great live show) so what do I know.
Hooray for Dar!

"Why was this song a huge hit? And if it was... why am I killing myself to write decent lyrics?"

I think that most people don't pay attention to the lyrics at all when they listen to a song - the music and the feeling of relaxing becomes more important. It's exhausting and for most people, even annoying, to bother with lyrics. That's why many songs become hits, although they don't carry a real statement apart from bla bla bla. The German charts are full of this sh*t - I hate to listen to the radio these days, because it's so manipulating. They say: "This is the new hit by the No Angels (German casting band)" and everybody listens to it! I can't understand why, but I really think most people don't question things anymore.

Cheers,
Annika

...then people think you're being a snob for not watch 'Pop Idol'...

Cheers,
A very Pop Idle Ian...

ian Wrote:"then people think you're being a snob for not watch 'Pop Idol'"

Are you talking about "American Idol" or "American Juniors"? I gotta say, those shows kill me too. It should be called "American Kereoke Ham"

...very similar program. Stupidity loves company...

It's funny, in a few of these other threads where we talk about serious honest lyrics, we seem to get lost in a philosophical whirlpool, where meaning and truth, mood, intention, and the very essence of communication all blend together and are called into question.

But pop media never fails to deliver a product we can all easily agree is absolute crap.

Well, I do like some pop music, like Nelly Furtado, Evanescence, and others, but for the most part, the lyrics are shallow and after a while they all begin to sound the same. Which would be why I like Suzanne Vega's music.

okay, so this one is interesting.

First of all the song is a classic - major classic

and lyrically, well it's fine

EXCEPT

there is one line in HAPPY TOGETHER that
drives me crazy

here it is

"the only one for me is you, and you for me"

the line is saying the same thing twice

the proper wording would be

the only one for me is you, and ME for YOU

but hey, they sold a bizillion records and
I have always loved the song.

But whenever I hear that line my head begins spinning.

FJ in SF in a Tizzy

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If nothing ever changes then.....nothing ever changes

well, sometimes lyrics shouldn't make sence. why not? everything else in the world makes sence, it's only logical for music not to.

Ah, the terrible lyrics that make me cringe are in Elton John/Bernie Taupin's first hit, "Your Song." What really gets me is remembering how much I liked it for the first few YEARS! Then I HEARD Bernie's honest admission in the lyrics saying, basically, hey, I know it's lame, but it's all I have. What would it have taken - another day - to make it great? (Well, "great" is relative.)

Other songs that I switch off are those which the composer apparently didn't know how to end, such as "Let It Be" and "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. For the love of God, FADE OUT!

Worst lyric line ever comes from MY HEART WILL GO ON, it actually includes this gem:

Love is when I loved you

This kind of thing has to be stopped.

Although I am also a fan of K.D. Lang's lyrics, yet she uses the word "unthaw" in a song, when she clearly means "thaw"; someone should have caught that!}

My second runner-up is the line from Kenny Rogers SHE BELIEVES IN ME

I try to get undressed without the light

Jeez, how hard was that to do? What next? "I try to touch my nose with my right index finger, without the light"? "I try to raise the spoon to my mouth, without the light"?

"Billy Mac is a detective down in Texas.

You know he knows just exactly what the facts is." -Steve Miller.

Yeouch.

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"The future has a brilliant future in it."

I know this will expand my hate-club, but...

"The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little pray for you
While combing my hair, now,
And wondering what dress to wear, now,
I say a little pray for you"

Aretha Franklin

I can't stand this song... it sets an awful example to young women, and it sounds plain ridiculous. The least she could do would be saying a huge/major/heartfelt pray for him. but no, it's a little one, no time - must put on make up, comb hair, and get out of her lair.

As a positive note, I have a friend who makes this soung sound really catchy in karaoke. 

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- Are you serious?
- Yes, i am. I'm your guardian angel.
- Amazing!I've never believed in that.Am i dead?
- No. You're just hallucinating.