Words to never use

[nostalgicBadger]

Roger - NO EXCEPTIONS.

Also, not so great. The teabaggers jumped on board, and it's not fun anymore, so I gave up caring. Douchebaggery is prerequisite for American politics anyway.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Roger - NO EXCEPTIONS.

Run DMC is not subject to our authority.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Douchebaggery is prerequisite for American politics anyway.

Well, it's about time.

[nostalgicBadger]

Ha! As I recall, most of PD seemed to believe Obama was an exception though.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Ha! As I recall, most of PD seemed to believe Obama was an exception though.

Pretty sure you're mistaken.  He was, IIRC, held up as being marginally funnier than Palin.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

See?  This is why bad things happen to good people.  Because people like you step to DJ Run.

[nostalgicBadger]

Funnier than Palin? Man, I don't know...

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I hate to break the derailment streak, but...

How about name dropping any neighborhood in New York? Especially Brooklyn, Williamsburg, the Village, etc.

Hmm. Is that done as much? Part of the reason why I was thinking about the California rule is like, take a song that mentions a lot of shit in California, and replace it with references to some other state (I was thinking Massachusetts originally, but for extra humor lets say Delaware). Now, doesn't this song now sound silly? Why are places like California lyricized then?

Like, ok, if you're playing a country song and you're telling a story you're going to have to give some sort of setting. Ok, cool, mention the place, or where the character is coming from, or where he is going.
If you're writing a rap or hip/hop type song about growing up in the inner city, then it makes sense to mention what city that happens to be in, what neighborhood, maybe even the street name.

If you're writing a rock song and you're mentioning a place, it invariably seems to be about California, at least to me. (If it's a metal song it's probably about Norway). So it's more about breaking a cliche, but at the same time it serves up a good example that geographical locations are probably best left alone. Geographical location would be a flexible rule but California is overdone.


On that note, I now have to do some intense research on Delaware and start writing a song about it.

[Cain]

Wait, California has wine?

I always wondered why bottled vinegar from there was so expensive...

As opposed to the lovely UK wines, I suppose.

The UK doesn't have wine.  It sells premium Whine, however, at very affordable rates (30 pence from your nearest corner shop, no age limits on buying).

And besides, the UK does have a stellar beer industry.  All the top quality beer you can stomach to drink at room temperature, at slightly too high a cost for a reasonable person to think about.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

the phrase "feel inside"

as in "the way I feel inside"





and oh shit, WB nB!

Hell yes, great one Cram!

[Cain]

I hate to break the derailment streak, but...

How about name dropping any neighborhood in New York? Especially Brooklyn, Williamsburg, the Village, etc.

Hmm. Is that done as much?

Not so much, but I can think of a couple of acts.  Only a couple of acts, though.

Also lolz, "on board with Obama".  A five minute reading of AD would disabuse anyone of that notion.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Funnier than Palin? Man, I don't know...

One word:  Teabaggers.

It was obvious from the very beginning that 40% of the country would freak the fuck out when a Black dude got elected president.  The birther hilarity was just icing on the cake.

On the other hand, Palin is now "touring" America on a bus paid for SarahPAC, and not announcing stops or talking to the press (In short, she's taking a personal vacation on her contributor's dime.).

[Luna]

On the other hand, Palin is now "touring" America on a bus paid for SarahPAC, and not announcing stops or talking to the press (In short, she's taking a personal vacation on her contributor's dime.).

That... and cowering in terror, scared to death people will actually show up with QUESTIONS...  Even worse, they might be able to sneak a camera in to catch her staring at the questioner like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming Exxon tanker truck.

[nostalgicBadger]

Hmm. Is that done as much? Part of the reason why I was thinking about the California rule is like, take a song that mentions a lot of shit in California, and replace it with references to some other state (I was thinking Massachusetts originally, but for extra humor lets say Delaware). Now, doesn't this song now sound silly? Why are places like California lyricized then?

'California' has good rhythm? I don't know, I never understood that one. California has great weather. As far as I'm concerned, that's it.

And yeah, I hear songs mention neighborhoods in New York all the time. I assume because everyone who's ever lived in New York thinks they're awesome for having done so, so they like to remind us every chance they get. Even the New Pornographers are guilty of this, and they're Canadian. And it's always the neighborhood, not New York itself, because -- "what, you don't know where Williamsburg is?"

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Every single one of these rules has a major exception, which is if you can use a cliche but make it work. Double points for that.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Every single one of these rules has a major exception, which is if you can use a cliche but make it work. Double points for that.

Pretty much (except the no no no yeah rule  ). The fun is in identifying a lyrical cliche or at least a word or phrase that kinda grates on your nerves when you hear it in a song, but to also come up with a situation where it is ok to mention it in lyrics.