Illogical Lyrics

[Graham]

"The Sounds Of Silence " (Simon and Garfunkel) :

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more

Yes, as he looked at the people he must have been thinking, "I wonder if there are more than ten thousand there, or is it exactly ten thousand?"

This proves beyond question that Paul Simon was familiar with Villa Park (Aston Villa's stadium to the one or two ignorami who may not know this), and particularly the Holte End. It is a known fact that the Holte End, prior to the legislation requiring all UK football stadia to be 100% seated, held 10560 persons legally, on an average Saturday afternoon. Any more than 10560 persons would lead to accusations of "Oi, pal! Who you effin shovin?" as I know only too well. So it is without argument that Paul Simon must at some point in his life stood at the Witton End, the part of Villa Park directly opposite the Holte End, on a day when the ground was at capacity (probably Aston Villa v. Bournemouth, September 1964), and realised that what he was seeing just over 120 yards away was indeed "ten thousand people, maybe more". This, I submit, is beyond argument, but does pre-suppose that Simon was indeed aware of the capacity of The Holte End. I suggest that he was.
Therefore, in his poetic 'naked light', he was well aware that the number of persons he was seeing was, in fact, 'ten thousand, maybe more', because he knew what ten thousand or more persons looked like, in crowd terms, thanks to his visit to Villa Park on that memorable Saturday so many years ago.

I challenge anyone to argue with this.

Graham

[Robert]

Hi Graham

Interesting hypothesis. Would the sounds of silence be the reaction of the home fans as their team conceded yet another goal?

[Canopy]

I thought it might be fun for people to post examples of illogical lyrics. Here are a couple :

The Sound of Silence :

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
Now, either
1. The writer knew that there was a minimum of ten thousand people but thought it could be more. This seems unlikely.
2. More likely : ten thousand people is itself an estimate. In which case, "maybe more" is unnecessary.


Walking My Baby Back Home :

She's scared of the dark so I have to park
Outside of her door till it's light

Hang on! He's walking his baby back home, "arm in arm over meadow and farm." So where does the car come from? The only solution seems to be that he means "park" as in "park himself" - but it seems a strange usage.

Illogical? Simon and Garfunkel - no way! They're just "poetic" surely - "there was one hell of a lot of people there" would be my translation! I grew up with the Sound of Silence thanks to my Dad and have passed the tunes on to my own children...illogical??? DON'T say that - you'll shatter the admiration I have for them...

All the best,

C.

[Robert]

Hi Canopy

I see from your quote that I have now mentioned the Sounds of Silence twice! Old age creeps on - maybe I should sit on my park bench like a bookend.

[Canopy]

Aye, but at least you'll have "Old Friends" to keep you company!!!

C.

Edit to add: Maybe you ought just go and train as a boxer (and a fighter by his trade!) and diss the bench!!!

[Robert]

I think at my age the safest course would be to lay me down as soon as the opening bell goes.

[Canopy]

Ahhh well, me myself, "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail..."

I remember requesting that song on the anniversary to my first true love (that I later married and divorced in later life) on the local radio - they read out my letter sure as anything at the age of 15 but THEN gave me "...I hold out my hand and I FEEL love - keeping me warm night and day..." (from memory) - NOT that requested as clearly not "romantic" enough!!!

Simon and Garfunkel are brilliant. I grew up as a teen in the 90s and NOTHING offered by my generation can touch the talent of the past (said by a person that attended the Reading festival every year and lived for music in her youth!!) - just no way. MY generation re-created that gone before and that is fact. My children's generation is just a shambles as far as talent goes - my 14 year old would disagree but WHERE PLEASE is the talent???

All the best,

C.

[Sally]

A Whiter Shade of Pale...

She said there is no reason,
And the truth is plain to see
That I wandered through my playing cards,
And would not let her be
One of sixteen vestal virgins
Who were leaving for the coast.
And although my eyes were open,
They might just as well have been closed.

Procol Harun - Kings of the Illogical Lyric...

[Graham]

Hi Graham

Interesting hypothesis. Would the sounds of silence be the reaction of the home fans as their team conceded yet another goal?

Robert,

in those days, the Villa didn't 'concede goals'. They just got stuffed.

Graham

[Graham]

Procol Harun - Kings of the Illogical Lyric...

One Hit Wonder par excellence.

Graham

[Robert]

Hi Canopy

I agree that today's music isn't a patch on the old stuff. On the other hand, I am depressed by some of the comments that get posted on you tube, where people who are obviously of an advanced age take to slagging off the Jonas Brothers et al, with a "my music's better than yours, na na na na na" attitude.
It isn't dignified.

Graham, you're forgetting "Homburg."

[Sally]

Oh Yes...

Homburg...

The mirror on reflection
Has climbed back upon the wall
For the floor she found descended
And the ceiling was too tall

Yep. Kings of the Illogical Lyric

[Magpie]

Yep. Kings of the Illogical Lyric

Sorry, my vote would have to go to Blue Oyster Cult for that title:


"Catholic school girls have thrown away their mascara
They chain themselves to the axles of big Mac trucks
The sky is filled with herds of shivering angels
The fat lady laughs, "Gentlemen, start your trucks""

[Sally]

Sorry, my vote would have to go to Blue Oyster Cult for that title:


"Catholic school girls have thrown away their mascara
They chain themselves to the axles of big Mac trucks
The sky is filled with herds of shivering angels
The fat lady laughs, "Gentlemen, start your trucks""

Oh, Absolutely - another gem from them:

Then the lightning flashing.........lightning, flashing, crashing
Fireworks shooting off in her head..in her head
The earth was shaking...............earth, shaking, quaking
Fireworks pouring down on her head..on her head
Only sound she heard was............sound, lovely word
Fireworks like a charm..............annointed
Blazing red

[Sally]

Then again...

While horsemen ride across the green
And snow white still remains unseen.
Pegasus, the winged horse,
Relays his messages by morse.
And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the spanish main
And brought our magic carpet
To a marble staircased plain.

Procul Harum...