Lyrics or lines that made you cringe! — Page 3

Carole Bayer Sager wrote some fine lyrics in her day...too bad she didn't use them in the song "Working It Out" from THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG. Here's two examples

Leon want one thing, he wants another
I just wanna run and take cover

He wants words that are witty and clever
Leon and me, we spent five years together

Bad rhyming AND bad grammar in the same verse!

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I heard a lyric today from "Ladies Who Lunch" that bugs me.

"Let's hear it for that invincible bunch. Those dinosaurs surviving the crunch."

Sondheim must have been on the happy juice when he wrote that.

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i agree with you :)

We're born to hate
Soon as we leave
Our mother's wombs

We love to hate
Hatred's the third word that we learn
Mama, Papa
And after that it's hatred's turn

They say I'm very young, I'm going through a phase
And I must learn to curb my adolescent ways

I will make the perfect groom
I love your child and I am rich
So rich, give her to me

My dear friend, control your lust
Take a deep breath, you're overwrought
In short, when one's aroused
I am afraid mistakes are made

I doubt he's the type
That I'd choose for a mate

They are not kings, just a bunch of old fools

They eat the fat and they toss us the bones

They think they're smart, but they're really quite dumb
You miss the tune when you're banging your drum

Kings of the world, they're just a joke
They are not kings, they're just misguided folk

Her feelings and her hair
Have all be re-arranged

Might as well just cut your throat

Tybalt, Tybalt, you’re gonna die

You turn my stomach I wanna be sick
I’ll be nice to you I’ll slaughter you quick

Your son must die
There's no need for legal advice

Oh, fools
Men are fools
There like stubborn mules

She’s yours
She’s yours
She’s yours
Lucky man, she’s yours

He’s yours
He’s yours
He’s yours
Lucky girl, he’s yours

Dear God, Dear God
What are you doing up there?

All of those are quotes are from songs from the travesty of "Romeo and Juliet - the Musical"

Tendres Baisers,
Juliette Capulet

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Updated On: 7/12/04 at 04:31 AM

Isn't "The Guten Tag Hop-Clop" intended to be horrendous?

At the risk of getting slapped...

Everyone seems to be commenting about the fictitious words and terrible rhyme schemes in Wicked... but if you'll notice, all throughout the musical it's sort of a running joke that all of the characters just invent or add to words. Even the spoken lines are like that. For instance, "disrespectation", "disgusticified" , etc. So it only seems natural that some of the lyrics would include made-up stuff too.

Also, re: the line

"There are bridges you don't know you've crossed until you've crossed" is really just Glinda attempting to be profound. I think the entire song "For Good", at least the chorus, is just... a parody of sorts. "Comet pulled from orbit" blah blah blah.

But I do HATE the word "swankified".

The whole script of CAMP!

Here's a gem from the OBC of Oklahoma!

"All right boys, revolve!"

Am I even hearing that one right? People moaned about Trevor Nunn's alterations to Hammerstein's text in his production of the show, but that's one lyric I really didn't miss.

Updated On: 7/12/04 at 10:51 AM

One I can't stand from West Side Story:

"Make of our hands, one hand
Make of our hearts, one heart"
etc until someone finally vomits

And I have to agree about Romeo and Juliet - The musical, although when I saw it in London the lyrics were the among the least of it's problems!

Could you just imagine what the lyrics to "Office Krupke" were if it was written today. It would be interesting.

Well, during the creation of West Side Story Sondheim was gradually taking over lyric-writing duties from Leonard Bernstein, who was supposed to be his co-writer since Sondheim was young and inexperienced. Sondheim only got the sole lyricist credit because Bernstein gave it to him- only little bits of Bernstein's work are left.

Today, on the other hand, Sondheim doesn't need to submit to anyone; he's the senior citizen and legend. He'd be writing the score and lyrics on his own. :)