Having a Sirius radio in the car has taught me many things--no amount of Duran Duran can make up for a single inadvertent exposure to Whitney Houston, so Big 80's is right out, for one. But the single biggest impact has been learning just how bad I am at deciphering song lyrics. When that song title rolls by on the little LCD screen, more often than not I discover that the words in my head don't match what's there even remotely.
Not that this is news to anyone who's known me for long. It was at least a year after Phil Collins released "Invisible Touch" that someone haughtily informed me that it wasn't "Bizzy-bo Traction". Don't tell me that "Bizzy-bo Traction" makes no sense whatsoever. That much is obvious. But, really, can you blame me where Phil Collins is concerned? I mean, what the hell was "Sussudio"? The other day, I heard a song that, in my head, has always been "My Sweet Laura." Can you guess what George Harrison tune I was actually listening to? Yes, I somehow managed to steadfastly ignore the slap-you-in-the-face hints of the background singers to NOT hear him talking about "My Sweet Lord."
Of course I was the kind of teenager who obsessively devoured liner notes to learn the "real" lyrics to my faves, but maybe that's where I got disillusioned about them. Did it really enhance my enjoyment of premiere lyricists, the afore-mentioned Duran Duran, to get the nuances of:
Shake up the picture the lizard mixture
With your dance on the eventide
Not so much. And later exposure to bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers has only strengthened my belief that maybe the versions in my head are just less disturbing to my delicate sensibilities.
You know, like... Can I pet your wolverine?
I didn't make that one up. See why my lyrics, even the ridiculous ones, still work in my head?