‘What song lyrics irrationally irritate you?’ – 23 pop music lyrics that really, really get on your humps

As people living in the year 2025 we are blessed to have access to approximately 75 years of incredible pop music, from the Beatles to Chappell Roan. The downside of this, however, is an awful lot of dreck was released alongside the good stuff, and some of the bad music had even worse lyrics (yes, we’re looking at you Black Eyed Peas).

They’ve been chatting about this on the AskUK subreddit after user yeoldeshrew posted their thoughts on the matter:

What British song lyrics irrationally irritate you? In Busted’s 2003 smash hit ‘Year 3000’, James sings:

He said, ‘I’ve been to the year 3000.

Not much has changed but they lived underwater.

And your great-great-great-granddaughter Is pretty fine’ (is pretty fine)

James was 20 when this song was released. If he was singing about another 20-year-old (and assuming a generational span of 25 years between offspring), in the year 3000, the great-great-great-granddaughter would be approximately 870 years old, and likely not looking ‘pretty fine’ at all.

It’s a fair point, and it opened the floodgates for lots of other people to highlight the song words they also have a problem with, like these…

1.

‘In the theme tune for Friends, it is said ‘no one told you life was gonna be this way’, but moments later ‘your mother warned you there’d be days like this’.

So someone did tell you it was gonna be this way, then.’
–corpboy

2.

‘Sheeran – ‘Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love…’. Gross.’
–Vinegarinmyeye

3.

‘In James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful, he says he doesn’t know what to do. He also claims he’s got a plan.

Which is it?’
–FamSender

4.

”Tonight there’s gonna be a jail break, somewhere in the town’. Oh, let me think where that might be Thin Lizzy – at the jail? Hmm?’
–Odd-Scallion-7553

5.

‘Canadian not British I know, but Sk8r Boi is a very popular song here. At one point Avril sings:

We are more than just good friends,

This is how the story ends.

She then continues the story for another two verses and a chorus. That’s not even getting into how the entire premise of the song is Avril mocking a single mother for having the audacity to end a fledgling relationship that she didn’t think was working out.’
–ChrisDewgong

6.

‘Given it’s Ed Sheeran, whether it’s irrational or not may be debatable, but: ‘Conversations with a stranger I barely know’. Yes, Ed, a stranger you know would not be a stranger.’
–mdmnl

7.

‘Slowly walking down the hall

Faster than a cannonball.

Champagne Supernova. It irritates me irrationally. How can something be slow but faster than a cannonball? Nonsense.’
–Braveasalion

8.

‘Also, Des’ree – Life:

I’m afraid of the dark, ‘Specially when I’m in a park.

I’d rather have a piece of toast, And watch the evening news.‘
–Victorius_Meldrus

9.

”You don’t know you’re beautiful. That’s what makes you beautiful.’

Although I would argue my annoyance is completely rational. How can the existence of something be predicated on the ignorance of said thing’s existence? And if the ignorance of her beauty is the only thing making her beautiful, DON’T TELL HER SHE’S BEAUTIFUL!’
–GoodLordChokeAnABomb

10.

‘Not British, but ‘Are we human or are we dancer’ has to get some sort of award for shit lyrics.’
–panic_attack_999

11.

‘I Don’t Care (I Love It). Singing about deliberately driving a car off a bridge and laughing as it it burnt because you absolutely WILL care when your premiums go up because your no claims is fucked.’
–FruitcakeAndCrumb

12.

‘Paul McCartney:

‘In this ever-changing world in which we live in…’

Call me pedantic, but there’s one too many ‘ins’ in that sentence.’
–puffandpill