Songs Too Earnest to Take Seriously

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Some years ago, a friend (now, alas, deceased) and I made a playlist of "songs too damn earnest to take seriously," I don't remember the contents very well, but I'd like to sort-of recreate it, and I'm recruiting the lot of you to help.

The first two chosen, the ones that inspired us to make the playlist, were "One Tin Soldier (Theme from Billy Jack)" and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero."

Fellow PE'ers -- what other songs would you recommend?

[SteveSly]

Some years ago, a friend (now, alas, deceased) and I made a playlist of "songs too damn earnest to take seriously," I don't remember the contents very well, but I'd like to sort-of recreate it, and I'm recruiting the lot of you to help.

The first two chosen, the ones that inspired us to make the playlist, were "One Tin Soldier (Theme from Billy Jack)" and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero."

Fellow PE'ers -- what other songs would you recommend?

That "Proud To Be An American" song by Lee Greenwood comes to mind.

[MudShark22]

That "Proud To Be An American" song by Lee Greenwood comes to mind.

On my radio show in college, I mashed this up with the shortened / campled version (used by Ice-T in Shut Up Be Happy) of Jello Biafra's "Message from our Sponsor" opener from his No More Cocoons LP.
I have that cassette somewhere......

Yes IMO, Lee fits the bill here...

Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit.

[SteveSly]

On my radio show in college, I mashed this up with the shortened / campled version (used by Ice-T in Shut Up Be Happy) of Jello Biafra's "Message from our Sponsor" opener from his No More Cocoons LP.
I have that cassette somewhere......

Yes IMO, Lee fits the bill here...

Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit.

That sounds like a great mashup!

[GuitarGeek]

That "Proud To Be An American" song by Lee Greenwood comes to mind.

Also, Have You Forgotten by Darryl Worley. I have to listen to both of those stupid songs at work, on all the "patriotic" holidays. There's a few others too that are like that, these songs that sort of play like "patriotic" songs, but they're really there to sell records (and in some cases, justify warfare, as in the case of the Worley song).

"Once You Understand" by Think.

A song so awful, it's listed in The 100 Worst Rock N Roll Records Of All Time. I've never actually heard it. I'm not sure I want to hear it.

[SteveSly]

Also, Have You Forgotten by Darryl Worley. I have to listen to both of those stupid songs at work, on all the "patriotic" holidays. There's a few others too that are like that, these songs that sort of play like "patriotic" songs, but they're really there to sell records (and in some cases, justify warfare, as in the case of the Worley song).
t.

Quite a few patriotic country songs come to mind. Another one I thought of is Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red White & Blue".

[GuitarGeek]

Quite a few patriotic country songs come to mind. Another one I thought of is Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red White & Blue".

Yeah, it's like all the kids who grew up watching John Wayne and Lee Marvin movies got to be adults, and found out war movies were no longer fashionable (and neither were westerns), so they decided to write country and western songs instead.

If you ask me, Chuck Berry's Back In The USA is the only "patriotic" song worth listening to.

[JKL2000]

Some years ago, a friend (now, alas, deceased) and I made a playlist of "songs too damn earnest to take seriously," I don't remember the contents very well, but I'd like to sort-of recreate it, and I'm recruiting the lot of you to help.

The first two chosen, the ones that inspired us to make the playlist, were "One Tin Soldier (Theme from Billy Jack)" and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero."

Fellow PE'ers -- what other songs would you recommend?

I'd think you'd include "The Night Chicago Died," unless it's too damn peppy!

[taliesin]

Terry Jacks "Seasons in the Sun".

[moecurlythanu]

Nothing wrong with "One Tin Soldier."

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

All good suggestions! Though I don't think I could stomach actually listening to "Seasons in the Sun." Gawd, I hate that song.

Nothing wrong with "One Tin Soldier."

Nope. Nothing at all. Nor with the other songs on this thread so far, except, of course, for ...but you know.

[moecurlythanu]

Though I don't think I could stomach actually listening to "Seasons in the Sun." Gawd, I hate that song.

Like that one too. Tbh, I like everything Poppy Family related (except the stupid name) that I've heard so far.

[Progbear]

All good suggestions! Though I don't think I could stomach actually listening to "Seasons in the Sun." Gawd, I hate that song.

Agreed, but it was a long road from the source material to Terry Jacks' abomination. Please don't blame this one on Jacques Brel, "Le moribond" was actually quite a deep, bitter song about a man calling out his unfaithful wife, his duplicitous "best friend" and the hypocritical priest on his death bed.

The first nail in the coffin was the translator of the original text to English, pop-poet and songwriter Rod McKuen. Now, as much as folks love to skewer McKuen these days, he had a genuine love of Jacques Brel and his songwriting, and wanted to do his work justice. You can hear that in the original version (by the Kingston Trio), which retained the bitter taste of the original. However, McKuen couldn't resist leaving his stamp on the material, adding cheesy "poetic" touches like the infamous "starfish on the beach" line, which I assure you was not in the original.

I don't know if I can lay all the blame on the song's metamorphosis into its heinous final form at Terry Jacks' feet. I'd not at all be surprised to learn that some suit at Bell Records insisted that he change the more unsavory lyrics, resulting in the maudlin drivel we all know and loathe. However, I can partially blame Terry Jacks, if only for him clearly not showing faith that DJs would play the right side of the record by placing a deliberately execrable song ("Put the Bone In," which surely must be one of the worst pop songs ever written) on the flip side.

[JJ88]

There were definitely quite a few of these mawkish things in the 70s. 'I've Never Been To Me' springs to mind, especially that hysterical spoken word bit. 'No Charge' is another one...probably a few country ones actually.

In the 60s, I've always loathed 'In The Year 2525'. That thing just drones on and on (I'm aware of the irony of saying that on here), it might as well be 2525 by the time it's finished. And 'Where Do You Go To My Lovely' (was that a US hit?) for the same reasons- it's dreary. And there's the whole pseudo-sophistication of the lyric, bleurgh.

'Deck Of Cards', that one is just too much.

Some might say 'Macarthur Park' but I like that one so there.

[SteveSly]

Some might say 'Macarthur Park' but I like that one so there.

You beat me to it as I was just going to mention "Macarthur Park". Comedian Andy Kaufman used it's lyrics to audition for Saturday Night Live back in the day. Taken out of context with the music the lyrics are pretty bad:

[JKL2000]

There were definitely quite a few of these mawkish things in the 70s. 'I've Never Been To Me' springs to mind, especially that hysterical spoken word bit. 'No Charge' is another one...probably a few country ones actually.

In the 60s, I've always loathed 'In The Year 2525'. That thing just drones on and on (I'm aware of the irony of saying that on here), it might as well be 2525 by the time it's finished. And 'Where Do You Go To My Lovely' (was that a US hit?) for the same reasons- it's dreary. And there's the whole pseudo-sophistication of the lyric, bleurgh.

'Deck Of Cards', that one is just too much.

Some might say 'Macarthur Park' but I like that one so there.

Windmills Of My Mind
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

[JJ88]

Actually Bobby Goldsboro has a few entries in this 'hall of shame'. 'Honey' and 'Summer (The First Time)'. I can't bear either of these. He has a few earlier 60s ones that are good like 'Little Things'.

[Halmyre]

Actually Bobby Goldsboro has a few entries in this 'hall of shame'. 'Honey' and 'Summer (The First Time)'. I can't bear either of these. He has a few earlier 60s ones that are good like 'Little Things'.

'Honey' is truly dire. The line about "then one day the angels came and took her"; someone interpreted that as Honey running away with Hell's Angels, this being preferable to living with her arsehole of a husband who "laughed till he cried" when "she slipped and nearly hurt herself".

OTOH, 'Summer (The Last Time)' has an atmospheric vibe about the musical arrangement that compensates for the cheesy lyrics.

[Mister Triscuits]

I can partially blame Terry Jacks, if only for him clearly not showing faith that DJs would play the right side of the record by placing a deliberately execrable song ("Put the Bone In," which surely must be one of the worst pop songs ever written) on the flip side.

He actually did get airplay for that side...on the Dr. Demento Show.

'Honey' is truly dire. The line about "then one day the angels came and took her"; someone interpreted that as Honey running away with Hell's Angels

I always thought it meant she had been traded to Los Angeles.

[Steve F.]

The line about "then one day the angels came and took her"; someone interpreted that as Honey running away with Hell's Angels.

Damn, I wish I had thought of that!

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

I don't see anything 'earnest' about Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (if by earnest we mean over-emoting and a lack of sincerity?). That is a great song in my book with no insincere overreach in the delivery.

And re: Lou Christie's Lightning Strikes...there is most certainly an emotive overreach in his vocal in the verses, and a definite and obvious Four Seasons thing in the chorus, which is another reason to make me think the whole song was some sort of piss-take.

And a question. The group was originally called the Four Seasons, then became Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Since Frankie was a Season, shouldn't they have been Frankie Valli and The Three Seasons?

[JJ88]

And a question. The group was originally called the Four Seasons, then became Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Since Frankie was a Season, shouldn't they have been Frankie Valli and The Three Seasons?

That is a mysterious one. The only thing I could think of is that the compilations started including his solo hits ('You're Ready Now', 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore' etc.) with the band ones. But no, it started in the early 70s (their Motown-linked period), at the very least:

https://www.45cat.com/artist/frankie...e-four-seasons

[Mister Triscuits]

And a question. The group was originally called the Four Seasons, then became Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Since Frankie was a Season, shouldn't they have been Frankie Valli and The Three Seasons?

When Eric Burdon went from the Animals to Eric Burdon and the Animals, it didn't mean that he himself was no longer an Animal. He even sang a song called "I'm an Animal."

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

That, is fuckin' great. Klaus was a unique dude.

Damn skippy he was. Great performances right down the line. Have you seen The Nomi Song? One of the best music bios I've ever seen.

I don't see anything 'earnest' about Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (if by earnest we mean over-emoting and a lack of sincerity?)

What I meant originally was something that had sold its birthright for a pot of message, if I may put it that way -- something that insists you believe what the singer is putting down. I guess a good percentage of Bob Dylan would qualify...

[bigbassdrum]

Trying to parse the wording 'too earnest to be taken seriously' - songs where the singer over-emotes? Too serious of a subject?

I kinda liked 'Ballad of the Green Berets' when I was a kid; I also remember a song called 'D.O.A.' by Bloodrock