4 Rock Songs That Are Almost Perfect, Except for One Highly Questionable Lyric

Nothing yanks a listener out of a song quite like an out-of-place, offensive, or otherwise questionable lyric, even when those songs are incredible rock cuts like these. I’m not saying these lyrics completely ruin the song. But their out-of-pocket nature definitely pulls me out of the groove and makes me go, Wait, what?

(With varying degrees of intensity and concern, of course.)

“War Pigs” by Black Sabbath

I mean no disrespect to Ozzy Osbourne or Black Sabbath. I genuinely love them both. But I would be lying if I said I don’t roll my eyes, at least internally, when I hear the lines “generals gathered in their masses just like witches at black masses” from “War Pigs”. Yes, I know that Osbourne is using two different versions of “masses.” However, clever wordplay just doesn’t hit the same when it’s in a heavy metal song with front-and-center vocals.

“Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits

Homophobia ran rampant in the 1980s, which is why Dire Straits’ decision to include an actual slur in their song “Money For Nothing” probably didn’t feel as offensive back then as it does today. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to listen to the original version without being shocked at Mark Knopfler casually dropping a slur. The only saving grace, if there even is one, is that Knopfler is using it in a well-intentioned but poorly executed defense of this individual.

“I’m On Fire” by Bruce Springsteen

An unfortunate relic of the past that permeates most classic rock from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s is the infantilization of women by calling them things like “little girl,” which just sounds creepy to my 21st-century ears. Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” is an objectively gorgeous rock song, especially when covered by female artists (my personal favorites are The Staves and Lucy Dacus). But in every version, “Hey, little girl, is your daddy home” gives me the ick. I’d say sorry, but I’m not.

“Getting Better” by The Beatles

Some Beatles lyrics pull me out of the moment just because of how strange they are, like how “Come Together” forces me to ponder what “toejam football” is supposed to mean. “Getting Better”, on the other hand, yanks me out of the groove with the questionable lyric in the third verse: “I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved.” That’s just a touch too bonkers to not grab my attention away from the otherwise great rock song.

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