I'm So Sick of Lyrics Websites!

So I’ve been listening to a lot of Sinead O’Connor in the car, and belting along at the top of my lungs (a pastime I’ve enjoyed since high school, might I add) but there are always a few little bits here and there that I can’t quite make out. Even after all these years of singing the same songs, I either never knew or I knew and then forgot the tricky bits. And so tonight I sat down with my buddy Google and started to look up song lyrics.

ARG! How can I trust any of these lyrics? I can’t make out this line, but I should assume that you got it right? When you clearly got this line over here completely wrong??

Here are some examples:

From Drink Before The War:
How I hear it:

“And you dig your own grave yeah
But it’s a life you can (‘savor’? ‘save, yeah’?)
So stop getting (‘pissed’?) (I always assumed “pissed” in the “drunk” sense not the “angry” sense)
It’s not gonna happen”

One lyrics site says it’s “save” and “fussed” (fussed??) but why should I believe them when they clearly got this part wrong, from the same song? The correct words are:

“And you live in a shell
you create your own hell”

They say it’s “And you live in a sham…” Uh… let’s see. Which one rhymes with the next line, shell or sham? And of those options, which of these is a common phrase, or even makes sense: “live in a shell” or “live in a sham”? Hmmm. So clearly I can’t believe them.

Another site lists the line as

“And you dig your own grave, yeah
When it’s a live you could save
So stop with the past
it’s not gonna happen”

That makes much more sense to me. That site also chose “shell” over “sham”, so they get bonus points from me.

Here is a worse one:

From Troy:
The lines go:

“But you should have left the light on
You should have left the light on
Then I wouldn’t have tried
You’d never have known
Then I wouldn’t have pulled you tighter,
no, I wouldn’t have pulled you close,
I wouldn’t have screamed ‘no, I can’t let you go’
if the door wasn’t closed”

This one site lists it as:

“...And I wouldn’t have pulled you tighter
No I wouldn’t have pulled you close
I wouldn’t have screamed
No I can’t let you go
And then tore off your clothes”

Uh… just, no.

Another site has

“I wouldn’t have screamed
No, I can’t let you go
And the door wasn’t closed”

...“and”? That makes no sense there. Aside from the fact that she very clearly says “if”, it is also the only word that would even make sense…

Several sites seem to agree about the one I’m most puzzled by (this is actually the main one I was Googling):

From Just Like U Said It Would B:
How I hear it:

“I can see too many mouths open
too many eyes closed, ears closed,
not enough minds open
too many legs open
tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me do
Why (it’s a 3-syllable-mumble, anyway)? why why
I don’t see (1-syllable-mumble), why why” (sometimes this line actually sounds like “I don’t seem wise, why why” to me)

I’ve seen some sites change “ears closed” to “lids closed” which I think is wrong, but that last line I’ve seen once like this:
“I don’t see whys and why, why” (?! huh??)
but most often like this:
“I don’t see why I listen, why why”
Which boggles my mind because that’s a lot of syllables to cram into what I’m hearing! A lot of sites agree, but yet these same sites make so many other stupid and obvious mistakes, that I feel foolish trusting them blindly. Oh how I wish there was a definitive and accurate lyrics database. * sigh *

— 01:45:01 AM
[1139]

Read/Post Comments

email a link to this page

link to this page: <a href="http://opalcat.com/Fun/im-so-sick-of-lyrics-websites">OpalCat.com: I'm So Sick of Lyrics Websites!</a>

add to: del.icio.us Digg Ma.gnolia Fark Blogmarks Yahoo my web de.lirio.us

Email Notification

Notify me when new articles are posted to the site. Notify me when existing articles are modified. Receive newsletter
Your Name: Email:

• #1 · Erik 10/26/2007 10:29 AM    Reply

  …So I went to Yahoo and looked up what seems to be the main fan-site, and which seems to have the correct lyrics. This will be a bit long… JACKIE (Sinéad O’Connor) Jackie left on a cold, dark night Telling me he’d be home Sailed the seas for a hundred years Leaving me all alone And I’ve been dead for twenty years I’ve been washing the sand With my ghostly tears Searching the shores for my Jackie-oh I remember the day the young man came He said, “your Jackie’s gone We got lost in the rain” And I ran to the beach And laid me down “You’re all wrong”, I said And they stared at the sand “That man knows that sea Like the back of his hand He’ll be back some time laughing at you” And I’ve been waiting all this time For my man to come Take his hand in mine And lead me away To unseen shores I’ve been washing the sand With my salty tears Searching the shore For these long years And I’ll walk the seas forever more Till I find my Jackie oh Till I find my Jackie oh Till I find my Jackie oh Jackie oh Jackie oh Jackie oh MANDINKA (Sinéad O’Connor) I’m dancing the seven veils Want you to pick up my scarf See how the black moon fades Soon I can give you my heart I don’t know no shame I feel no pain I can’t see the flame But I do know Man-din-ka I do know Man-din-ka I do know Man-din-ka I do They’re throwing it all this way Dragging it back to the start And they say, “See how the glass is raised?” I have refused to take part I told them “drink something new” Please let me pull something through I don’t know no shame I feel no pain I can’t I don’t know no shame I feel no pain I can’t see the flame But I do know Man-din-ka I do know Man-din-ka I do know Man-din-ka I do I do I do I say I do Soon I can give you my heart I swear I do Soon I can give you my heart I do Mandinka Soon I can give you my heart Soon I can give you my heart Soon I can give you my heart JERUSALEM (Sinéad O’Connor/Ali McMordie/Mike Clowes/John Reynolds) Ran down and the lady said it It got torn down And the priest just said It got burned They give me five years five years It’s my turn Ran down and the lady said it It got torn down And the priest just said It got burned They give me five years five years It’s my turn Oh Jerusalem Oh Jerusalem Getting tired of you doing this to me I’m gonna hit you if you say that to me One more time I want to see you And you’re saying you’re busy I want to stop it And you said it would be easy It sure takes time Hope your next time Gonna be the last time Hope you don’t two-time It’ll be the best time There won’t be no next time It’s show time I hope you do What you said When you swore You’d make it better Deliver all the letters On time Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem JUST LIKE U SAID IT WOULD B (Sinéad O’Connor/Steve Wickham) I will walk in the garden And feel religion within I will learn how to run with the big boys I will learn how to sink and to swim And there’s talk in the houses And people dancing in rings Ah, when you close my eyes, babe? I can see most everything I can see most everything It’s just like u said it would b It’s Just like u said it would b It’s just like u said it would b It’s Just like u said it would b I can see too many mouths open Too many eyes closed, ears closed Not enough minds open Too many legs open Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, do Why isn’t it why why I don’t see why I listen, why, why When I’ve walked in the garden When I’m walking off stage When everything’s quiet Will you stay? Will you be my lover? Will you be my mama? I said will you be my lover? I said will you be my babe? When I lay down my head At the end of my day Nothing would Nothing would please me better Than I find that you’re there When I lay down my head At the end of my day Nothing would Nothing would please me better Than I find that you’re there when I wake Just like u said it would b Just like u said it would b Just like u said it would b Just like u said it would b Will you be my lover? Will you be my mama? Just like u said it would b Just like u said it would b Just like u said it would b Just like u said it would b NEVER GET OLD (Sinéad O’Connor) Young woman with a drink in her hand She like to listen to rock and roll She moves with the music `Cause it never gets old It’s the only thing That never gets old Young man in a quiet place Got a hawk on his arm He loves that bird Never does no harm It’s the only thing That never can do no harm Must be the only thing That never can do no harm Sun setting on the avenue Everyone walks by They live their life under cover Being blind Being blind Being blind TROY (Sinéad O’Connor) I’ll remember it And Dublin in a rainstorm And sitting in the long grass in summer Keeping warm I’ll remember it Every restless night We were so young then We thought that everything We could possibly do were the right Then we moved Stolen from our very eyes And I wondered where you went to Tell me when did the light die You will rise You’ll return The phoenix from the flame You will learn You will rise You’ll return Being what you are There is no other Troy For you to burn And I never meant to hurt you I swear I didn’t mean Those things I said I never meant to do that to you Next time I’ll keep my hands to myself instead Oh, does she love you What do you want to do? Does she need you like I do? Do you love her? Is she good for you? Does she hold you like I do? Do you want me? Should I leave? I know you’re always telling me That you love me Just sometimes I wonder If I should believe Oh, I love you God, I love you I’d kill a dragon for you I’ll die But I will rise And I will return The Phoenix from the flame I have learned I will rise And you’ll see me return Being what I am There is no other Troy For me to burn And you should’ve left the light on You should’ve left the light on Then I wouldn’t have tried And you’d never have known And I wouldn’t have pulled you tighter No I wouldn’t have pulled you close I wouldn’t have screamed No I can’t let you go And the door wasn’t closed No I wouldn’t have pulled you to me No I wouldn’t have kissed your face You wouldn’t have begged me to hold you If we hadn’t been there in the first place Ah but I know you wanted me to be there oh oh Every look that you threw told me so But you should’ve left the light on You should’ve left the light on And the flames burned away But you’re still spitting fire Make no difference what you say You’re still a liar You’re still a liar You’re still a lawyer (yes it’s really LAWYER, according to the official books !!) I WANT YOUR (HANDS ON ME) (Sinead O’Connor/Mike Clowes/John Reynolds/Rob Dean/“Spike” Hollifield) I want your hands on me What I want, give me You know I wanna please you What I wanna do to you You don’t waste no time, do you? You know I’m looking through you Why you wanna tease me I want you to come and please me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me You know that I can thrill you I want you call me to you I wanna move, will you? I really wanna feel you Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put your hands on me Put your hands on me Put your hands on me Put your hands on me Put your hands on me Put your hands on me Put your hands on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Hands, gimme love Hands, gimme loads Hands, gimme love Hands, gimme loads I want your Feelings Gimme, yes Aaahhhh Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Put’em on, put’em on, put’em on me Hands, gimme love Hands, gimme loads Hands, gimme love Hands, gimme loads I want your Feelings Gimme, yes DRINK BEFORE THE WAR (Sinéad O’Connor) Well, you tell us that we’re wrong And you tell us not to sing our song Nothing we can say will make you see You got a heart of stone You can never feel You say “oh I’m not afraid – it can’t happen to me I’ve lived my life as a good man Oh, no you’re out of your mind It won’t happen to me ‘Cos I’ve carried my weight And I’ve been a strong man” Listen to the man in the liquor store Yelling “anybody want a drink before the war?” And your parents paid you through You got a nice big car Nothing bothers you Somebody cut out your eyes You refuse to see Somebody cut out your heart You refuse to feel And you live in a shell You create your own hell You live in the past And talk about war And you dig your own grave yeah But it’s a life you can save So stop getting fast It’s not gonna happen And you’ll cry But you’ll never fall No, no, no You’re building a wall Gotta break it down Start again No, no, no It won’t happen to us We’ve lived our lives Basically we’ve been good men So stop talking of war Cause you know we’ve heard it all before Why don’t you go out there And do something useful Oh listen to the man in the liquor store He yelling “anybody wanna drink before the war?” “Anybody wanna drink before the war?” “Anybody wanna drink before the war?” Just Call Me Joe (Black. Moon E.) ================ We came here across the great divide Into the city, slander all eyes We found a great love as we fell inside They could not touch us as we’d go by I’ve seen you the first time in Trogny’s bar But I’ll see you later, we’ll talk of black We’ll meet up for sure, oh will we not? Away from all of the friends that you’ve got Oh no, oh no I said don’t call me sir just call me Joe Don’t call me lady Just call me Joe Don’t call me mister Oh, just call me Joe Don’t call me sweetheart Just call me Joe You wear the best clothes that I’ve ever seen I’ve seen your light and your poetry And it’s the best thing that there’s ever been You’re both the beauty and the beast That’s how it is and that’s how it end Into another city where you live far away That’s how it is and that’s how it end You’ve seen my face but you’ve never heard my name Oh no, oh oh I said don’t call me sir Oh, just call me Joe Don’t call me lady Just call me Joe Don’t call me mister Just call me Joe Don’t call me sweetheart Just call me Joe “We never said goodbye, I said carry your purses with you now I have regards to you about our night this weekend and i’m giving you information…the leaves, the leaves they like your teeth. Come on I’m not going to force you now I had this, this annoying dream. This technology of ours..there’s this place that is ever so refined that one one knows and a storm boomer with white light action..life is the shadow of a fish, multiple electrical systems you fly through, traffic lights that may open a door…a bunch of computer systems as clear as a cut crystal painting…infinite selections as clear as a crystal show…weapons, tanks, lasers, and aircraft moving across the sky, and huge missles, nuclear warheads that stand out more than anything…ultimate satellites, spy cameras, infared sensors, you, you can hear the thunder and positive thnking and start to say: I’ll make more human development practices..you don’t have to go and stop your field practices..such as human rights violations, yeah come up and see me sometime if you never ever want to intensify all communication, listen to what i’m not saying over and over…I feel as if some traveller returned”