Words that should never be used in a song

Post by jb » Sun Dec 12, 2004 9:57 pm

tinkle
pablum
borscht
leukemia
pimple
moist

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 10:19 pm

20 words you should never use, in a song or otherwise:

carbuncle
flapjack
buttock
scarf
crunk
skunch
gob
brobdingnagian
pimpmobile
bababadalgharaghtakamminakronnronnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk
bulbous
bungalow
canoodle
poonany
hoot n' nanny
frump
saddlebagging
spackle
shrubbery

-and-

crotch

Southwest_Statistic · Sun Dec 12, 2004 10:29 pm

"Jammon-Ah" - <a href='http://69.244.191.218:82/media/music/funny/jammona.mp3' target='_blank'>Example 1</a>
"Aaaaaaaiiiiihhheeee" - <a href='http://69.244.191.218:82/media/music/fu ... hhheee.mp3' target='_blank'>Example 1</a> - <a href='http://69.244.191.218:82/media/music/fu ... heee_3.mp3' target='_blank'>Example 2</a>
"Kahh" - <a href='http://69.244.191.218:82/media/music/funny/kahh.mp3' target='_blank'>Example 1</a>
"Ahhccsshhhh" - <a href='http://69.244.191.218:82/media/music/fu ... heee_2.mp3' target='_blank'>Example 1</a>
"ChaaaOOOOwwwwwww" - <a href='http://69.244.191.218:82/media/music/fu ... aaowww.mp3' target='_blank'>Example 1</a>

the Jazz · Post by **the Jazz** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:10 pm

Pimpmobile totally doesn't deserve to be on this list, but how about:

smarmy
slough
trachea
slalom
ululation
booty
flambe

On the other hand, I would totally dig a song called "Butyraceous" by Denny's Child.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:36 pm

I think that it is completely inappropriate for an artist to mention their own name in a song (despite the fact that I've done it myself this week). This particularly applies to the various Fiddys, and P-Diddys and Chingys etc around at the moment. I actually quite like Eminem - but it pisses me off that in almost all of his songs he's always talking about himself and how badass he is. Give it a rest Marshall, and find something else to talk about.

And re. the word "ululation" as mentioned by The Jazz - true it's not a good word for a song - but the actually practice of ululating should be used much more frequently in popular music (...makes mental note for next week...)

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:40 pm

you learn something new every day.
today i learned that my fiancee and i both use "demotion points" for an artist using their own name in a song. just like caravan ray!
now that's synchronicity.

i'm waiting to see one of my own words in a list here.
-bill

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 12:58 am

the Jazz wrote:Pimpmobile totally doesn't deserve to be on this list

Because I was making a list of words I couldn't avoid the Futurama reference. Feel free to replace 'Pimpmobile' with 'Spivak', which is a class of gender-neutral pronouns.

erik · Post by **erik** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:02 am

blastula
emasculate
goiter
Chung

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 8:15 am

Never rhyme "girl" with "world" and you will go far.

HM approved alternatives:
churl
curl
hurl
pearl
whirl

HM will accept "unfurl", unless it results in a mixed metaphor.

j$ · Post by j$ » Mon Dec 13, 2004 8:35 am

There are no words that shouldn't be used in a song.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 9:25 am

Caravan Ray wrote:I think that it is completely inappropriate for an artist to mention their own name in a song

Cake has done that a few times

in the same realm as girl/world... cry/die has run it's course as well.

I was just talking to a friend the other day about bad poetry... and we both decided that 'sucks' and 'vacation' should never appear in POETRY.

(also, one of the poems that we were reading started out with the whole 'is my name/is my game' thing)

bortwein · Post by **bortwein** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 9:41 am

This thread looks to me as a way for the "Deep Throat Title Picker(s)" to find titles without having to resort to the "Title Suggestions Thread"

or maybe it's just the conspiracy theorist in me coming out.

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 9:41 am

I agree that no word should be banned. Although I did once use "thus far" and got dragged across teh coals. For good reason.

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:26 am

I have a hunch that the "all words are fine" position relies on the use of irony. Am I wrong? Or are you suggesting that songs which genuinely contain "Pepsi" or "IKEA" have not crossed some aesthetic line?

Tony Bennet should never sing about "buttock," but Pavement could easily get away with it. Such is the power of ironic detachment.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:29 am

negativland had a whole album about pepsi, and it was awesome.
but that was about the whole "marketing machine" of the pop companies.
-bill

j$ · Post by j$ » Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:37 am

Mostess wrote:I have a hunch that the "all words are fine" position relies on the use of irony. Am I wrong? Or are you suggesting that songs which genuinely contain "Pepsi" or "IKEA" have not crossed some aesthetic line?

Tony Bennet should never sing about "buttock," but Pavement could easily get away with it. Such is the power of ironic detachment.

Why shoudln't Tony bennett sing about "buttock" if he wants to?

It's not irony for me. Rather = who are we to say that someone can't use a word?

For the record I have used one of the words on the combined lists.

For the record, irony is evil.

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:39 am

I once had to babysit a 45 year old woman with down syndrome. She told me that her favourite TV show was 'Shroat'. It took my 10 minutes to figure out that 'sh' wrote is a contraction of Murder She Wrote. Needless to say, it is an ugly ugly word that is enjoyable to pronounce.

Never use 'shroat' in a song.

Post by jb » Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:54 am

j$ wrote:who are we to say that someone can't use a word?

Please investigate the difference between "should never" and "can't ever".

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:10 am

Mostess wrote:Never rhyme "girl" with "world" and you will go far.

.

hmmm...Brook's and Dunn's ultra-classic Rock My world....little country:

Mostess wrote:HM approved alternatives:
churl
curl
hurl
pearl
whirl

HM will accept "unfurl", unless it results in a mixed metaphor

pearl sounds super country, but hurl is more hardcore.... I dunno, am I more Brooks, or Dunn?

Words I can not stand to hear in a song:
Those coming from Celine Dion's croaky chords.

ok,ok.
"Should Not" use the word "ho" or "muthafucka". Been done so many times, it hurts.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:11 am

The only one I can think of off the top of my head is "cosmic". If you're trying to be serious, don't use that word. If you're Jamiroquai making a disco dance song, it's OK, though.

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:24 am

j$ wrote: Why shoudln't Tony bennett sing about "buttock" if he wants to?

Of course he should, if he wants to. The real question is "why doesn't he want to."

And the answer has something to do with style. Which is what we're talking about.

The Negativland example is perfect. They are ironic to the core. I saw them perform while they were being sued by U2 (or U2's legal team). Their entire concert consisted of samples from 1950s pro-military documentaries touting the might of the new bombers and from U2's lawyers making statements about how inappropriate it is to co-opt other people's ideas for your own profit. Ironic in the extreme.

And then they did that one where the guy cuts off his fingers. That was just kind of dumb.

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:39 am

the negativland song with the samples of casey kasem swearing his head off is pretty darn funny too.
they did have some very dumb stuff, but also some brilliant stuff.
and creative commons was to some extent inspired/guided by them, so that's pretty cool.
of course, we here at songfight had an entire fight called "cosmic confirmation," so that's been used in a whole lot of songs.
-bill