songs which are factually inaccurate

[Kevbad the Bad]

War, although undoubtedly terrible, was actually quite good for liberating occupied Europe from the evil tyranny of Hitler's Nazi regime.

Hu-argh.

It also put Hitler in charge of most of Europe in the first place. A bullet in Hitler's head in 1933 might have been a better idea.

 

[A380]

It seems very likely that Trini Lopez actually had a hammer all along (most people do, along with screwdrivers).

And yet they failed to warn anyone.

 

[tim]

Mick Jagger was not born in a crossfire hurricane. He's from Dartford, and the likelihood that a hurricane of any kind was occurring there during his birth is miniscule.

Who do you think you are? Michael fucking Fish?

 

[Raheem]

Bob Marley's "Natty Dread" states "Natty 21,000 miles away from home". That's way more than the distance between Jamaica and Ethiopia. So did Bob just have problems with geography, or did Natty live somewhere else than Ethiopia after all?

The circumference of the earth is a bit over 21,000 nautical miles, so maybe Bob was sitting in his house at the time.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

The circumference of the earth is a bit over 21,000 nautical miles, so maybe Bob was sitting in his house at the time.

Houseboat?

 

[A380]

The circumference of the earth is a bit over 21,000 nautical miles, so maybe Bob was sitting in his house at the time.

So you say Bob used maritime navigation methodology? And yet I've never seen a single photograph of him holding a sextant.

 

[Raheem]

Houseboat?

A natty dread has to measure in nattical miles.

 

[Raheem]

So you say Bob used maritime navigation methodology? And yet I've never seen a single photograph of him holding a sextant.

Songs may lie, but the camera never does.

 

[Athos]

2 people actually looked through Gary Gilmores eyes? one for the interesting fact of the day thread, if true.

Three, if you include Gillmore himself.

 

[danski]

There is not a moon and a sun in Bonnie Tyler’s chest cavity.

 

[A380]

There is not a moon and a sun in Bonnie Tyler’s chest cavity.

And she was always very well aware of her location when in France.

 

[petee]

I'm not saying it's necessarily inaccurate that if you free your mind, your ass will follow. I'm just saying it has not been my experience.

 

[A380]

Unless they were on the autobahn then 2 Unlimited would find that, in fact, there are limits.

 

[maomao]

Who do you think you are? Michael fucking Fish?

Michael Fish would be aware that there is actually zero possibility of a hurricane occuring in Dartford or anywhere in Northern Europe and it would be an 'extra-tropical cyclone' or possibly an 'ex hurricane'. I don't know if you can have a crossfire extra-tropical cyclone.

 

[JimW]

The birds have not suddenly appeared, your infatuated state has only worsened your confirmation bias Karen.

 

[Raheem]

The birds have not suddenly appeared, your infatuated state has only worsened your confirmation bias Karen.

Could be that the person she is singing about likes to feed the birds and always carries a bag of bread.

 

[hitmouse]

Besides, I acknowledged the terrible nature of war, its just the error in Frankie's song I was drawing attention to,

Relax.

Do you mean Frankie's or Edwin's? I would've thought that Frankie's question/claim was less about what war was good for and more about whether it was possible to score more than a single point?

 

[hitmouse]

Governor Jerry Brown did not, in fact, go on to achieve the office of President. I can't comment either way on what his aura is/was like, though.

 

[A380]

Do you mean Frankie's or Edwin's? I would've thought that Frankie's question/claim was less about what war was good for and more about whether it was possible to score more than a single point?

You are in fact correct. One is all that one could score and I failed to achieve even that with my school boy error.

 

[isvicthere?]

Since Jimmy Somerville comes from the major city of Glasgow, it´s disingenuous of him to refer to himself as a "Smalltown boy" in song.

 

[isvicthere?]

It seems very likely that Trini Lopez actually had a hammer all along (most people do, along with screwdrivers).

And yet they failed to warn anyone.

I remember an American comedian (forget his name) making a joke about this: "Why did folk music die out? Because I think pretty much everyone now has a hammer."

 

[dessiato]

I have a hammer but I have never hammered all over this land, and certainly not in the morning nor evening. I doubt anyone has.

(I've forget what the point was that I intended to make)

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

I have a hammer but I have never hammered all over this land, and certainly not in the morning nor evening. I doubt anyone has.

(I've forget what the point was that I intended to make)

But the lyrics are sung by someone else, from their point of view. They have presumably never owned a hammer, having grown up in desperate poverty. When they first acquire one they could easily go quite bonkers with it, even if only temporarily.

 

[isvicthere?]

It also put Hitler in charge of most of Europe in the first place. A bullet in Hitler's head in 1933 might have been a better idea.

Yes, but "Assassination of a tyrant before he gets to cause millions of deaths, what is it good for? Quite a lot, actually!" doesn´t really have a catchy hook.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

Yes, but "Assassination of a tyrant before he gets to cause millions of deaths, what is it good for? Quite a lot, actually!" doesn´t really have a catchy hook.

More of a prose poem, I agree.

 

[A380]

Billy Brag was was born in 1957. Spy v Spy was released in 1983. I doubt he kept A New England on Ice for five years before releasing it. Bloody liar.

And, for that matter, he was in the army briefly and then was a singer songwriter. At no time did he ever dig coal, unload ships or drive trains.

 

[A380]

contrary to the song the reason the turks changed constantinople to istanbul in 1930 is very well known

And is actually of professional interest to many people: cartographers, historians and airline pilots to name but three.

 

[8ball]

And is actually of professional interest to many people: cartographers, historians and airline pilots to name but three.

Airline pilots?

 

[A380]

Airline pilots?

Well, If they were looking for Constantinople they could run out of fuel before they found it.

 

[8ball]

Well, If they were looking for Constantinople they could run out of fuel before they found it.

I was expecting something a little more technical.