Weirdest Song Lyric You've Ever Heard

[adVance democracy]

My nominee comes not from rock, or heavy metal, or punk, but rather from the late country boy John Denver:

And they say that he got crazy once, and he tried to touch the sun/
And he lost a friend, but kept the memory - Rocky Mountain High

What the hell does that mean???

[hlthe2b]

1. "And he lost a friend but kept the memory"

refers to - A good friend from Minnesota who had come to visit him in Aspen and was killed riding John's motorcycle.

As to "they say that he got crazy once, and he tried to touch the sun", Denver long had a fascination with flight- So, it could be a reference to Icarus who flew too close to the sun and burnt his wings. Other songs of John's refer to Greek legends. Ironic, given the manner in which he died.

[Major Nikon]

2. The manner in which he died was pretty sad

He knew there was a problem with his fuel selector and flew the plane anyway.

[adVance democracy]

17. That's Mixed

What does touching the Sun have to do with a motorbike? And remember, the lyric says he lost a friend, not himself, which, to me, rules out the Icarus comparison.

[hlthe2b]

18. The "lost a friend but kept the memory" was explained in Denver's autobiography.

The touching the sun lyric comes first and is not referencing the "lost a friend" lyric, as the two are separated by the conjunction "AND". Its meaning is not clear, but I offer a theory. However, Denver himself explained the "lost a friend" reference.

Rocky Mountain High
John Denver
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Coming home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door
When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hanging by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changing fast and it don't last for long
But the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye
Rocky mountain high (Colorado)
He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below
He saw everything as far as you can see
And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun
And he lost a friend but kept his memory
Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake
And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it raining fire in the sky
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky mountain high
Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear
Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land
And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly
Rocky mountain high
It's Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Songwriters: John Denver / Mike Taylor

[Paladin]

20. The really shitty part of that song's lyrics:

"Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land"

What hypocrisy. John Denver's living in and promoting Colorado brought in thousands of new residents, and laid waste to way too many mountains. And he writes a song, whimpers about it, and makes big bucks off of it. Unbelievable.

[hlthe2b]

21. Anyone who writes songs that show appreciation for any locale can be blamed for that...

I don't intend to debate nor to specifically defend, but he was apparently conflicted, having been among the most ardent celebrity opponents to Colorado's successful (yet ultimately declined) 1976 winter Olympic bid.

My post was only to discuss lyric meanings. Like him, detest him-- all the same to me. I, however admired his talent.

[Ptah]

3. Oh, the flat foot floogie with a floy, floy,

Oh, the flat foot floogie with a floy, floy,
Flat foot floogie with a floy, floy,
Flat foot floogie with a floy, floy,
Floy doy, floy doy, floy doy.
Yeah, yeah yeah, byah, oh, baby!

[DesertRat]

4. It has to be MacArthur's Park

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
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
Oh no!

[Leith]

5. Kookie, Kookie

lend me your comb...

It was actually a hit back in the 1950s. Look it up on YouTube.

[Still Blue in PDX]

9. Edd Byrnes, right? The flip side may have been Kookie's Mad Pad.

When I was young I would sneak into my brother's room and borrow his 45's. Alley Oop was another favorite of mine.

[Texasgal]

6. Blinded by the light

Madman drummers
Indians in the summer
With a teenage diplomat
In the dumps with the mumps
As the adolescent pumps
His way into the hat
With a boulder in my shoulder
Feelin' kinda older
I tripped the merry go round

And yes, I always thought they said DOUCHE! LOL!

Weird song!

[customerserviceguy]

7. "Strange as it seems"

"you know you can't treat a woman mean."

And that was from a song titled "Treat Her Like a Lady". I wonder what was strange about that notion?

[pamela]

11. That's better than...

"He hit me...and it felt like a kiss." That's all kinds of fucked up.

[customerserviceguy]

12. Oh, yeah

In the song I cited, the victim didn't appear to give approval for the notion.

[Aristus]

8. The weird lyrics don't prevent it from being my favorite David Bowie song:

The alternate "Candidate"

Inside every teenage girl there's a fountain
Inside every young pair of pants there's a mountain
Inside every mother's eyes is Tommy Tinkrem's bed
Inside every candidate waits a grateful dead

I make it a thing, when I'm on my own to relieve myself
I make it a thing, when I gazelle on stage to believe in myself
I make it a thing, to glance in window panes and look pleased with myself
Yeah, and pretend I'm walking home

I took it so bad, I sat in the correction room
Took me a fag, and a kick in the moon
Well, I ain't gonna suck no radar wing
Because inside this tin is tin
Would you like to techno-plate cause I'm your candidate
Oh yeah

It's a matter of life
And the way you walk, you've got a BrylCream queen
It's a matter of tact
In the things you talk, that keeps his passport clean
A matter of fact
That a cock ain't a cock on a twelve inch screen
So I'll pretend I'm walking home

You don't have to scream a lot to keep an age in tune
You don't have to scream a lot to predict monsoons
You don't have to paint my contact black
Now I've hustled a pair of jeans
Do I have to give your money back when I'm the Fuhrerling

I'll make you a deal
I'll say I came from from Earth and my tongue is taped
I'll make you a deal
You can get your kicks on the candidate
I'll make you a deal
For your future's sake, I'm the candidate
Let's pretend we're walking home

uh-huh, uh-huh
I'm the candidate
I'm the candidate
Vote now for the candidate

[pamela]

10. Little old lady got mutilated late last night

Also one of my favorite song lyrics. RIP Warren

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

19. Aahhoooo - A favorite of mine also

Another from the same album:

Roland the headless Thompson gunner...
The eternal Thompson gunner
still wandering through the night
Now it's ten years later but he still keeps up the fight
In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun and bought it

[GReedDiamond]

13. Here is a random selection from Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart...

...and his Magic Band - Hobo Chang Ba:

"Hobo Chang Ba"

Strawood claw rattlin' my jaw
I can't call it usin'
It's just somethin' soothin'
Feather times a feather
Morning time to thaw
Hobo chang ba
Hobo chang ba

Standin' still is losin'
Feather times a feather
Morning time to thaw
Strawood claw rattlin' my jaw
Hobo chang ba
Hobo chang ba
Hobo chang ba 'o
Hobo chang ba 'o

Stand to gain my ground
Lay to rest the law
The ocean is my mother
The freight train is my paw
Hobo chang ba
Hobo chang ba 'o
Hobo chang ba

The rails I ride are rustin'
The new sunrise I'm trustin'
The rails I ride are rustin'
The new sunrise I'm trustin'
Strawood claw rattlin' my jaw
Hobo chang ba ooh
Hobo chang ba
Hobo

[Ohiya]

14. Close to the edge...

A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace
And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace
And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar
Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour
And assessing points to nowhere, leading every single one
A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun
And take away the plain in which we move
And choose the course you're running

[LuckyCharms]

15. For Hither Not...

For hither not, I am the stallion
Come fear, come love, I am the stallion
You know that I am the stallion, mang
I am, I am the stallion, mang
You know that I am the stallion, mang
I live, I walk, I am the stallion, mang

Hair-throng goo-tongue, stallion mang
A 2 S-T-A-L-L-I-O-N
I am the stallion, mang

1: I can drink
2: I get groomed
3: I go for a walk
I am the stallion, mang
You know that I am the stallion, mang

Deaner! Deaner! Dude!
Where can you be?
Come hither
Who are you? The stallion
Deaner: What's goin' on?
Who are you, Deaner?
Deaner: I am, I am the stallion
You are the stallion

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-S-S-T-A-L-L-I-O-N
I am the stallion, mang
I can feel what I like to see in you and me and the stallion
I can play, I get to take the water because I am the stallion
O-P-L-G-H-M-F-S-T-A-L-L-I-O-N

Stallion, mang. Stallion, mang. Stallion, mang
I am the stallion
Wild stallion
Wild stallion. Goodbye
Stallion. Stallion. Goodbye

Stallion! Stallion! Stallion! Stallion! Stallion!

Whenever forth to come hither, when I can see the wind
I shall too ride upon the stallion
I shall too lick the palm of the stallion
Whilst I drink the hair from the stallion. Mang
I am the stallion

[GreydeeThos]

16. Stop that Dancin' Up There

Stop that Dancin' Up There

by Harry "The Hipster" Gibson

I was standing on the corner, in the middle of the block
I saw a lady standing there, sitting on a rock
As she began to talk, I ran as fast as I could walk,
I heard her shout "Look out! Stop that dancing up there!"

I was strolling through the park in the middle of the night
The night was very dark cause the sun was shining bright
I spied a lark and the lark began to bark,
"Stop that dancing up there!"

Some folks say that I'm insane
And just as goofy as can be
But they're all wrong, I'm all right
Everybody's crazy but me

I'm living in the cellar, on the 7th floor
I can't go to sleep till I hear myself snore
Now the people downstairs say I'm an awful square
When I shout, "Hey, stop that dancing up there!"

[mac56]

22. I want the frim fram sauce

With the ossinfay
With chafafa on the side

[DFW]

23. The Riddle

I once read a story about this, don't know if it's true: Kershaw had the melody worked out, but not the lyrics. He was encouraged to just sing any nonsense he could come up with as a filler so the studio could get the settings (or the instrumental mix?) right. Then the decision was made to leave it as it was, and leave everyone guessing the meaning to lyrics to which there WAS no meaning:

I got two strong arms
Blessings of Babylon
Time to carry on and try
For sins and false alarms
So to America the brave
Wise men save

Near a tree by a river
There's a hole in the ground
Where an old man of iron
Goes around and around
And his mind is a beacon
In the veil of the night
For a strange kind of fashion
There's a wrong and a right
But he'll never, never fight over you

I got plans for us
Nights in the scullery
And days instead of me
I only know what to discuss
Oh, for anything but light
Wise men fighting over you

It's not me you see
Pieces of valentine
And just a song of mine
To keep from burning history
Seasons of gasoline and gold
Wise men fold

Near a tree by a river
There's a hole in the ground
Where an old man of iron
Goes around and around
And his mind is a beacon
In the veil of the night
For a strange kind of fashion
There's a wrong and a right
But he'll never, never fight over you

I got time to kill
Sly looks in corridors
Without a plan of yours
A blackbird sings on bluebird hill
Thanks to the calling of the wild
Wise men's child

Near a tree by a river
There's a hole in the ground
Where an old man of iron
Goes around and around
And his mind is a beacon
In the veil of the night
For a strange kind of fashion
There's a wrong and a right
But he'll never, never fight

Near a tree by a river
There's a hole in the ground
Where an old man of iron
Goes around and around
And his mind is a beacon
In the veil of the night
For a strange kind of fashion
There's a wrong and a right
But he'll never, never fight over you

No he'll never, never fight over you