Most annoying lyrical clichés?

[Chryst Krispies]

For me, it depends enterely how this subject is presented lyrically imo, because I quite like this topic tbh
But you're right, a lot of bands do this in a very plump whay in a lot of songs.

Sorry dude, but this topic is fucking shot. There's no way to make it cool, and it's silly writing about it. It's worse than faux tough guy lyrics.

Most of the lyrics I've written have been about how fucked up I am in the head, or about just made up stories or the like. Zombies and horror shit is always cool. Songs about revenge, greed etc. Just like a poem or story set to music. Those are the best lyrics in my view. The Black Dahlia Murder has cool lyrics about this shit for example.

 

[nwright]

Sorry dude, but this topic is fucking shot. There's no way to make it cool, and it's silly writing about it. It's worse than faux tough guy lyrics.

Most of the lyrics I've written have been about how fucked up I am in the head, or about just made up stories or the like. Zombies and horror shit is always cool. Songs about revenge, greed etc. Just like a poem or story set to music. Those are the best lyrics in my view. The Black Dahlia Murder has cool lyrics about this shit for example.

But I think writing about how "messed up" in the head people are is just as cliche as anything else. What any of us consider cliche is completely subjective.

I'd wager that anyone on here in a metal band (with a vocalist) would be seen as being cliche by someone in this thread. Most topics in general are cliche to begin with.

The "I'm fucked in the head" type lyrics are as dumb to me as the "chopping up girls" lyrics. I mean, we get it...you're messed up. Who isn't? Because it seems like EVERYONE is if you listen to their lyrics.

Heck, our vocalist's lyrics are perfectly cliche, and perfectly fine with me. He covers the gamut of the "I'm messed up in the head" to many commentaries on killing people ! While the words themselves can be seen as cliche and non original, I enjoy the way he strings them together for our songs, and find some of the arrangements pretty thoughtful and "cool", even if the subject matter is played out.

But, I think that about a LOT of metal lyrics in general. But if you can arrange them well and hit a good cadence/rhythm with them, you have my ear.

I also agree, I think TBDM have some pretty interesting lyrics, too bad you can't understand all of them easily...Which leads me to another topic (the important of enunciation in screaming vocals, lol).

 

[Chryst Krispies]

But I think writing about how "messed up" in the head people are is just as cliche as anything else. What any of us consider cliche is completely subjective.

I'd wager that anyone on here in a metal band (with a vocalist) would be seen as being cliche by someone in this thread. Most topics in general are cliche to begin with.

The "I'm fucked in the head" type lyrics are as dumb to me as the "chopping up girls" lyrics. I mean, we get it...you're messed up. Who isn't? Because it seems like EVERYONE is if you listen to their lyrics.

Heck, our vocalist's lyrics are perfectly cliche, and perfectly fine with me. He covers the gamut of the "I'm messed up in the head" to many commentaries on killing people ! While the words themselves can be seen as cliche and non original, I enjoy the way he strings them together for our songs, and find some of the arrangements pretty thoughtful and "cool", even if the subject matter is played out.

But, I think that about a LOT of metal lyrics in general. But if you can arrange them well and hit a good cadence/rhythm with them, you have my ear.

I also agree, I think TBDM have some pretty interesting lyrics, too bad you can't understand all of them easily...Which leads me to another topic (the important of enunciation in screaming vocals, lol).

Well I don't release my lyrics to the world, I'm not even in a band. I also don't just come out and say I'm messed up in the head. I do it more because I'm pretty fucked mentally and if a I write a little story about it it makes me feel a bit better. Like Skinny said, it's how you say it.

I'm cool with people singing about killing people. I LIKE that topic, I think it sucks when these pussy kids do it though. For some reason I feel Fisher is more likely to snap one day and actually do it hahaah.

Cliche isn't even really "bad" Shit is cliche for a reason cause people like hearing it. The things I said are more that I'm sick of hearing how everyone is so anti-human race now, like "DOH WE FUCKED UP" shit. If you sing about it doesn't mean I won't like the song.

Cliche shit sells. Just listen to the radio. Every song on the pop station is one of two topics, I love this person, or I used to love this person and now we don;t love each other. Try and count how many songs have those topics. It's cliche as fuck but that doesn't mean it's bad.

THE KEY HERE IS TACT.

 

[Mago]

I don't know if its so much the topic itself that seems goofy sometimes so much as the choice of words used to express the idea

however I will say that if I really believe a person's lyrics are genuine, that they were being truly honest when they wrote them, that will reflect in the lyrics and therefore I will like them ... for almost any topic

That's what I'd like to think too
Although I can imagine that there are some people beeing 100% honest when writing about swords and steel

Sorry dude, but this topic is fucking shot. There's no way to make it cool, and it's silly writing about it. It's worse than faux tough guy lyrics.

Most of the lyrics I've written have been about how fucked up I am in the head, or about just made up stories or the like. Zombies and horror shit is always cool. Songs about revenge, greed etc. Just like a poem or story set to music. Those are the best lyrics in my view. The Black Dahlia Murder has cool lyrics about this shit for example.

Well....depends on what you mean, if it's "the world is shit, were all going to dy, breee breee" then I agree.
When I write about this kind of stuff try to approach it more like "mankind is fucked up, so its going to hell".
I also like story based lyrics, it's a bit harder to come up with something that I really like though

 

[Skinny Viking]

That's what I'd like to think too
Although I can imagine that there are some people beeing 100% honest when writing about swords and steel

VERY true ... you have to consider the source as to whether its something meant to be taken serious or not

a band like Manowar (as much as I love them) are doing it for more blatant reasons ... a band like Virgin Steele usually uses imagery like that more as a metaphor for things such as "inner strength" and such

still can be quite cheesy at times though

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Is there a Virgin Steele drinking game I should be aware of?

 

[Skinny Viking]

Is there a Virgin Steele drinking game I should be aware of?

If not, there SHOULD be

Lets' make one:

Everytime Dave says "Fire" or "Steel" you have to take a drink

if he says "By the Gods" each person has to drink everything the person to their right is holding ... we'll call that the "Ring of Fire"

 

[nwright]

Well I don't release my lyrics to the world, I'm not even in a band. I also don't just come out and say I'm messed up in the head. I do it more because I'm pretty fucked mentally and if a I write a little story about it it makes me feel a bit better. Like Skinny said, it's how you say it.

I'm cool with people singing about killing people. I LIKE that topic, I think it sucks when these pussy kids do it though. For some reason I feel Fisher is more likely to snap one day and actually do it hahaah.

Cliche isn't even really "bad" Shit is cliche for a reason cause people like hearing it. The things I said are more that I'm sick of hearing how everyone is so anti-human race now, like "DOH WE FUCKED UP" shit. If you sing about it doesn't mean I won't like the song.

Cliche shit sells. Just listen to the radio. Every song on the pop station is one of two topics, I love this person, or I used to love this person and now we don;t love each other. Try and count how many songs have those topics. It's cliche as fuck but that doesn't mean it's bad.

THE KEY HERE IS TACT.

I can agree with this. I, like you, do not think cliche is necessarily a bad thing.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I hate it when people sing about how fucked up the world is today, when in reality it always has been and will continue to be.

 

[Mago]

I hate it when people sing about how fucked up the world is today, when in reality it always has been and will continue to be.

sorry man, but this argument is a bit weak

 

[ratsapprentice]

sorry man, but this argument is a bit weak

You think it's only just become fucked up in the past 20 years?

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Ha the world is fine, PEOPLE are fucked up. Always have been always will be. Reiterating it is depressing haah.

 

[Mago]

You think it's only just become fucked up in the past 20 years?

Since I'm only 23 years old I can't remember how it was 20 years ago.
Things become fucked up when men began to think....or at least thouht to do so...

 

[Skinny Viking]

You think it's only just become fucked up in the past 20 years?

no but you can expect that to be a recurring theme in music until the world DOES indeed blow up. Music & songs have always been used for social commentary. It was done hundreds of years ago, today, and will be done in the future. Its not really a cliche so much as a constant method of expression by artists

 

[ratsapprentice]

Ha the world is fine, PEOPLE are fucked up. Always have been always will be. Reiterating it is depressing haah.

Haha, thats what i mean. It annoys me when people sing about it as if they've only just realised how scummy some people are.

 

[espartaco]

Wooops!

if it makes you feel better, someone mentioned things with "shadows" ... I guess anyone can have a problem with just about anything wa?

haha dude sorry i miss that too nothing personal whit the name of your band

 

[Skinny Viking]

^ all good man

 

[espartaco]

well.. metal have a lot of chicle lyrics but at least are kind of passable... but what about others styles. like hip hop and regueton "singers" always talking about and exclusively about they bling bling, how better they are Thant others hi hop/ regueton "singers", and how they do it to the bitches.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

I hate rhyming "fire" with "desire"

#1 metal cliche right there.

#2 is rhyming "brain" with "insane" Geeez, I wish people would use some fucking imagination.



Also, I'll go out on a limb here & state that I wish more people would sing, as opposed to screaming/grunting/growling. Also, combining melodic singing with the aforementioned screaming/grunting/growling was cool when Fear Factory did it on Demanufacture back in 1995. Now it's a bit of a cliche.

 

[Mago]

Haha, thats what i mean. It annoys me when people sing about it as if they've only just realised how scummy some people are.

I'd rather say, people continue to fuck their world up themselfs.
The "world" doesn't give a shit about mankind

Also, combining melodic singing with the aforementioned screaming/grunting/growling was cool when Fear Factory did it on Demanufacture back in 1995. Now it's a bit of a cliche.

Also, distorting guitars was cool when they first did that 50 years ago. Now it's a bit of a cliche.