Lyrics Analysis (Nothin' But A Good Time

Today we shine the spotlight on Poison's "Nothin' But A Good Time" off the venerable Open Up and Say...Ahh! album. As you might expect, I've got an issue with several lyrics here. For starters, let's take a look at the last line of the first verse, as delivered by Poison front man Bret Michaels...

I'm always workin', slavin' every day
Gotta get a break from that same old same old
I need a chance just to get away
If you could hear me think this is what I'd say

OK. Couple problems, Bret. I think you mean "if you could read my mind." Not "if you could hear me think." Because here's the thing. The sound of someone thinking is different from the actual thought. The sound of thinking might be you tapping your chin. Or scratching your head. Or the actual sound, if you could measure it, of stuff (neurons, maybe?) firing inside your brain. The particular thing you're thinking about (in this case that you "ain't looking for nothin' but a good time") is something else altogether.

But, in any event, if I were a mind reader...if I could, in fact, know what you're thinking...you wouldn't need to say it. I'd already know it. You might say something like "if you could read my mind, this is what it would say." But you tell us anyway. So what's the point?

Moving on. Here's the start of the second verse...

They say I spend my money on women and wine
But I couldn't tell ya where I spent last night

My question? What does one have to do with the other? What does where you spent last night have to do with how you spend the majority of your money? It's like saying, "they say my favorite color is purple but last night I ate a hamburger." Makes no sense. The goal, as far as I can tell, is to establish Bret Michaels as some kind of a badass. Like he's so f'n crazy he wastes all his money on booze and broads and he doesn't even know where he slept last night. Yeah, fine. Whatever. But then why's he buying wine? Wouldn't beer or hard alcohol be more appropriate? How hardcore can you be if you're spending all your money on pinot noir?

Finally, I take issue with this half-spoken, half-sung lyric at the end...

You see I raise a toast to all of us
Who are breakin' our backs every day
If wantin' the good life is such a crime
Lord, then put me away, yea
Here's to ya

You want to raise a glass to the working man, Bret? Fine. That's your business. Let's not go lumping yourself in there with them though. I mean, come on.

(Originally posted on 10 Cent Freeze Pops, 9/18/06)