3 Bizarre Song Lyrics That Somehow Totally Work

There are many songs with confusing, bizarre, or strange lyrics out there. And if rock music means anything, it can be a tool for breaking rules. So, why not break English too?

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For a long time, Michael Stipe wouldn’t allow his lyrics to be printed on the sleeve of R.E.M.’s albums. He understood that some lines might not survive the harsh light of the printed page. But when those same words are put atop the chiming chords of Peter Buck, a meaning reveals itself beyond the limitations of grammar.

Think of it this way: Imagine you had access to the individual tracks of a recording. Listening to isolated instruments removes the context of a complete arrangement. Still, even within a full mix, some lyrics are strange (but also great). Just like the three songs below.

“Storm In A Teacup” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Come on come on baby let me show you what I’m talking about / You try to be a lady
but you’re walking like a sauerkraut.”

Now, there isn’t a shortage of horny Anthony Kiedis poetry to choose from. But the goal here is to highlight a turn of phrase you might have missed. It’s crucial to absorb this lyric while also listening to the ferocious groove of Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith. There’s something to the Band Of Gypsys vibe that makes this Kiedis couplet—whatever it might mean to him—legendary.

“Champagne Supernova” by Oasis

“Slowly walking down the hall faster than a cannonball / Where were you while we were getting high?”

Noel Gallagher’s opening verse references a sauntering butler named Brackett from the British children’s TV series Chigley. Gallagher needed a rhyme for “hall” and landed on “cannonball.” This seems random until the next line about getting high and the psychedelic nature of the whole thing. Gallagher’s lyrics have been criticized but his detractors are missing the point. Nobody knows what “Champagne Supernova” means, but anyone with a pulse knows how it feels.

“Smooth Sailing” by Queens Of The Stone Age

“I’m burning bridges, I destroy the mirage / All visions of collisions, f*cking bon voyage.”

Josh Homme’s funk masterpiece has many perfectly strange lines that are suitable for list. Over Dave Grohl’s stoner groove, Homme’s character defiles the status quo then dances “a little bit nonchalant” while risking it “all ways” while knowing he won’t have a second chance. The narrator burns bridges and uses the language of someone barreling through life like he’s at the tail end of a hallucinatory desert trip.

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