Waxing Moronic: 10 Wrong Facts From Song Lyrics

Song lyrics often play with poetic license, and it’s unnecessary for someone at a bar to point out that the sun doesn’t orbit the moon. (Why you’re at a bar playing Vanessa Williams’ decades-old hits is another question, but let’s not overthink it.)

However, some artists cross the line into outright inaccuracy. Whether it’s poor research, carelessness, or a commitment to rhyming, there are times when artistic freedom turns into complete fabrication.

10: 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' by John Denver

John Denver’s heartfelt tribute to West Virginia paints a vivid picture of the Blue Ridge Mountains stretching into the state. However, it’s worth noting that the Blue Ridge Mountains barely touch West Virginia, with most of the range lying outside its borders. This might disappoint some West Virginians, but it’s a geographical fact.

To be fair, Denver and his collaborator wrote the song during a road trip, so it’s more of a tribute to the region than a precise geography lesson. Also, Denver, born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., chose his stage name out of admiration for Colorado, suggesting geography wasn’t his top priority.

9: 'Nashville Cats' by Lovin' Spoonful

Some factual errors in songs are almost excusable. For instance, in the 1984 Band Aid track "Do They Know It's Christmas?," the lyrics claim, "there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time." However, the Atlas Mountains in Morocco regularly experience snowfall.

However, when crafting a tribute to a city, accuracy is key. The Lovin' Spoonful made a glaring mistake in their song "Nashville Cats," which is hard to overlook.

The lyric in question states, "Every one is a yellow Sun record from Nashville," a claim that might baffle Tennessee residents. Sun Records, famously headquartered in Memphis, was so deeply tied to the city that it featured iconic local artists like Elvis Presley. Although the label eventually relocated its main operations to Nashville, Sun Studio remains in Memphis, adding to the confusion.

8: 'Don't Stop Believin'' by Journey

Next time you’re at a karaoke night and someone belts out Journey’s "Don't Stop Believin'," remember this: facts are facts. You’ll face a decision—do you correct everyone about Steve Perry’s geographical error regarding Detroit, or do you prioritize keeping your friends? Choose wisely.

As any Michigander will confirm, the phrase "born and raised in south Detroit" might sound tough, but it’s entirely fictional. South Detroit doesn’t exist, unless you consider the Detroit River as part of it. And let’s be honest, calling a river home doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

7: 'Nothing Better' by The Postal Service

It’s a cliché, but worth mentioning: indie musicians singing about sports can be a risky move. While Ben Gibbard of The Postal Service (and Death Cab for Cutie) clearly knows his baseball—evidenced by his heartfelt tribute to Ichiro Suzuki—it’s best to avoid crafting metaphors for sports you’re less familiar with.

In The Postal Service’s track "Nothing Better," Gibbard likely irks sports enthusiasts with the line, "... and I will block the door like a goalie tending the net in the third quarter of a tied-game rivalry." If he’s referencing soccer, he’s mistaken—it’s played in two halves, not quarters. If it’s hockey, the game has three periods, not four quarters. Plus, the comparison loses its intensity if there’s still an entire quarter left.

6: 'Black Hole Sun' by Soundgarden

Soundgarden’s "Black Hole Sun" might win the award for the music video most nostalgic for 30-somethings who remember MTV’s golden era. The video played endlessly, and if you’re from that generation, you’ll recall its bizarre, surreal imagery. However, the song’s premise is scientifically inaccurate, as confirmed by experts.

While massive stars can explode and form black holes, our sun lacks the mass to go supernova. Instead, it will gradually fade into a nebula, leaving behind a white dwarf—according to Cornell University, not Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell. Even if the sun somehow became a black hole, Earth wouldn’t be pulled into it, but the lack of warmth would still doom us [source: Cornell University]. Cheers to that!

5: 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' by The Band

Robbie Robertson of The Band deserves some recognition for attempting to encapsulate the Civil War in a song. While historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin and Shelby Foote have volumes to explain the conflict, musicians must condense it into a three- or four-minute tune.

However, we can’t overlook a few inaccuracies in the song. For instance, Robertson sings, "by May the 10th, Richmond had fell." While Richmond did fall, it happened over a month earlier, in April [source: The Civil War Trust]. But let’s cut The Band some slack—they’re Canadian, after all.

4: 'King of Rock' by Run-D.M.C.

Run-D.M.C.’s odd mistake in "King of Rock" always struck me as questionable. Could it really be an error? They’re referencing the most iconic band in music history while making a math blunder a child could fix. The line in question goes, "Every jam we play, we break two needles/There’s three of us, but we’re not the Beatles."

Let’s not nitpick too much, but there were four core members of the Beatles. You know it, I know it, and Run-D.M.C. definitely knows it. The frustrating part is they could’ve easily sung, "There’s three of us SO we’re not the Beatles" or "AND we’re not the Beatles." Now I’m stuck fantasizing about time travel to convince Run to fix that line.

3: 'Pride (In The Name Of Love)' by U2

Here’s another karaoke favorite with an error that a bit of research could’ve easily avoided.

The U2 song "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" references Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination with the line, "Early morning, April 4/Shot rings out in the Memphis sky." However, the civil rights leader was actually shot in the evening, not the morning.

Since King was shot around 6 p.m., Bono could adjust the lyric to "early evening," which he occasionally does. But this might confuse fans singing along at concerts. Still, there’s a poetic quality to "early morning" that resonates. Let’s cut Bono some slack and remind everyone to fact-check history rather than relying on rock stars for accuracy.

2: 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' by The Police

I might catch some criticism for labeling this as incorrect, but as the writer, I hold the power here. I’m marking it with a bold "WRONG" because it’s a personal annoyance, and when else would I get the chance? Unless Mytour decides to create a list titled "Ten Literary Figures with Tricky Names," this is my moment.

In The Police’s song "Don't Stand So Close to Me," Sting describes a schoolgirl’s infatuation with an older teacher, a relationship teetering on the edge of impropriety—or perhaps already crossing it. He references the novel "Lolita," including the line, "like the old man in/that book by Nabakov." However, Sting mispronounces the author’s name as "Nab-A-koff" instead of the correct "Nah-BO-koff."

Sure, it’s not a huge deal. Some might argue it’s not technically wrong. But there’s no denying Sting likely influenced how generations pronounce Nabokov’s name, all to fit his rhyme scheme—which, by the way, pairs "koff" with "cough," a rather uninspired choice.

1: 'Man Down' by Rihanna

We conclude with a modern track and what I consider one of the most amusingly absurd lyrics. It’s the kind of line that defies justification and remains unforgivably odd.

Early in Rihanna’s song "Man Down," she sings, "he coulda been somebody’s son," leading many to nod knowingly and think, yes, Rihanna, a man could indeed be someone’s son. In fact, he must be, assuming humans still follow the traditional reproductive process requiring a mother and father for conception.

We’re getting a bit snarky here. But if you’re riled up about factual errors and questionable rhymes, check out the next page for more insights.