3 Songs From the 2000s With Vocal Tracks and Lyrics That I Still Don’t Understand to This Day

The 2000s were a wild time for music across many genres. And while some of the best music of the 21st century so far dropped during that decade, there are a few musically excellent songs from the 2000s that have vocal tracks that I still don’t understand to this day. Let’s take a look at a few popular picks and must-listen deep cuts, shall we?

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“Reckoner” by Radiohead from ‘In Rainbows’ (2007)

This might just be Radiohead’s most musically beautiful song of their career. But between Thom Yorke’s delivery and the amount of track layering going on in the song, it’s really hard to understand what words he’s singing. Not that it matters. “Reckoner” gets the message across with vibes alone, though I do recommend diving into the lyrics if only to have some fun picking them apart, as many Radiohead fans do.

“Scarf” by Psalters from ‘Divine Liturgy Of The Wretched Exiles’ (2006)

How about a bit of a wild card? If you were into indie world music in the 2000s or alternative Christian tunes, you might have come across Psalters at least once. They’re usually labeled as folk punk, but the outfit incorporates so many different elements into their work that it’s hard to define them solely as such. And while I’m still dizzied by Captain Napkins’ otherworldly vocal delivery, I still don’t understand the words to this particular song from the group’s 2006 album Divine Liturgy Of The Wretched Exiles. I can clock “Take this scarf, form an unbroken circle” but that’s about all I can understand. Not that I need to. A big part of their appeal, at least to spiritual listeners, is their ability to channel a higher power through sound alone.

“Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy from ‘From Under The Cork Tree’ (2005)

There was no avoiding this emo kid classic. I don’t think there’s a song more deserving of a spot on our list of 2000s songs that I still don’t understand than this gem from Fall Out Boy. I remember listening to it on repeat in high school, with absolutely no clue what Patrick Stump was saying throughout 80% of the song. And considering their Genius page comes up first when searching for this song, it seems like 80% of the masses are in my same boat. It’s still super catchy, though.

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