How Scary Can a Poetaster Be?

If English is your second language, please use your first language to write lyrics. If you write crappy poetry in your native language--don't think that translating it into English makes it better. It only seems better to you now because of your vague understanding of the Berlitz Italian to English poem or lyric you just composed.

For example, Lacuna Coil, an Italian doom/death/synth metal group writes compelling songs musically. But their lyrics stink. If you're dead set against making any sense, refusing to follow something resembling linear thought, a la Bjork, then you must follow through with the abstraction, somehow creating a Picaso like story using your Word-A-Day calendar.

If you don't really care about the quality of the lyric, then sing in your native tongue. Because if I can't understand you, then I won't care either. If you're a death/doom/synth metal band, loping and swaggering, acrunch with leather and studs, gesturing all macho-like, then you mustn't ever sing a lyric like, "Destiny can't replace my life. Scary shadows of my past are alive."

Never, ever use the word scary. Because English speaking listeners won't be scared. And I know that's what you're trying to do. If you're going for bombast, at least use a more literary term.

LC also begins every verse with the word Destiny, apparently unaware what the word means:

Destiny flying high above...

Destiny who cares....

Destiny can't replace...

And what the hell does this mean? Destiny who cares
as it turns around
and I know that it descends
with a smile

The video is cool though. I just have to listen without listening. If you're writing to make me think, but you're making me laugh and roll my eyes instead, you're not trying hard enough to be pretentious.


Judgementally,


Cindy