Lyrical Genius

I keep meaning to get on here and post some pictures from our Disneyland trip, but that takes actual effort. (I need to track down my camera, take out the memory card, plug it into the computer and such. Plus, I need to be able to use Terence's computer, which means I've got to wait until he's not around.) Anyway, it's just easier to write a post. I'll get to the pictures sooner or later. . .

And so, instead of blogging about our Disneyland trip or J's 8th birthday, I'm going to take on something much more important. (Or not.) Song lyrics! Yes, I bet that is just what you all were waiting for, right?

Anyway, the other day we were driving into civilization to run a bunch of errands when the song "MacArthur Park" by Donna Summer came on the radio. Now if you don't know who Donna Summer is, my best guess is that you weren't around yet for the 70's. My parents owned a Donna Summer Greatest Hits 8 track when I was a kid and we listened to it a lot. (Even had a couple of impromptu family dance parties to her music). I listened to it even more when I got a tad bit older and my parents let me have their 8 track stereo and their collection of music to go with it. (They had moved on to the more modern cassettes.) Anyway, as a child I pretty much learned all the lyrics to her songs, at least the ones on the Greatest Hits album. It wasn't until I was older and actually paid attention to the words that I realized just how risqué some of those songs are! "MacArthur Park" doesn't fit into my definition of racy, but as I sung along with the chorus in the van, I had to wonder at the sheer silliness of some of the lyrics:

Someone left the cake out in the rain.

I don't think that I can take it

'Cause it took so long to bake it

And I'll never have that recipe again.

Seriously? Are we really singing about a cake and a recipe? I laughed to myself a little bit, maybe even feeling a bit smug because at least my generation didn't make songs with silly lyrics popular.

I realized the ridiculous nature of that thought right away because of the next song that we listened to. It was "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. Now this was a song from "my time." I distinctly remember listening to this at a stake dance when I was 16 and trying to sing along as best I could. My boyfriend (more of a hip-hop fan and not at all acquainted with Nirvana) asked me what exactly they were singing, and I shrugged and said that I wasn't really sure. I just sang something that sounded like it might be part of the lyrics. He thought I was crazy (and let's face it, I deserved it).

A real cut from the chorus?

I feel stupid and contagious.

Here we are now, entertain us.

A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido.

Kind of makes singing about a cake left out in the rain seem intelligent, doesn't it?