The 80s were easily one of the most experimental decades that music has yet to see. Even so, some of the lyrical content of some of these tracks still never fails to surprise us. Here are a few weird lyrics from the 80s that still don’t fully make sense.
“Rapture” by Blondie
“And then you’re in the man from Mars / You go out at night, eatin’ cars / You eat Cadillacs, Lincolns, too / Mercurys and Subaru.”
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“Rapture” was Blondie’s last No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although the song itself was a hit, we’re still trying to dissect these lyrics. Debbie Harry sings and raps about aliens, dancing people who are hypnotized, and perhaps most notably, cars that are being eaten. The inspiration for this song wasn’t really religious, despite the name. However, it was influenced by a couple of rap events that Harry and Chris Stein went to in the 70s. They were inspired by the MCs they heard and ended up writing a “rap”-ture song of their own.
“Shock The Monkey” by Peter Gabriel
“Monkey, monkey, monkey / Don’t you know that they’re gonna shock the monkey.”
This song actually has quite a bit of depth, despite its strange title. In The Secret Life of Peter Gabriel, the singer described this song as being a song about jealousy, and how it can cause you to revert back towards almost animalistic instincts. I don’t know if I get it, personally, but the song is catchy either way.
“Girlfriend In A Coma” by The Smiths
“There were times when I could have murdered her / But you know, I would hate anything to happen to her.”
Yeah, you’re kind of asking for odd with this one. “Girlfriend In A Coma” is pretty much your typical alternative pop-rock song; the plot is just a little confusing. The narrator goes back and forth in what feels a little like a stream of consciousness, reflecting on how his girlfriend is in a coma and he wants to see her, but also how he’s had plenty of opportunities to kill her and hasn’t. The melody and production on this piece are quite charming though, so if you’re not thinking about the words it’s a relatively pleasant experience.
Photo by: Michael Putland/Getty Images
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