Walk a Thin Line

[FuzzyPlum]

I do apologise if this has been discussed previously.

I really like Walk a Thin Line. Indeed, I think it's one of Lindsey's most under appreciated songs. I think I like the alternate version even more. However, I am frustrated by the bad diction.

'No one said nothin', I walk a thin line'

This is clearly a double negative and implies somebody or even everybody said something. Surely he should be saying 'nobody said anything'.
My question is; did Lindsey know this was bad grammar or not?
If the answer is no then I'm very disappointed in him- I thought he was brighter than that. If the answer is yes- it was artistic license then I'm even more disappointed in him as quite clearly it would end up irritating people everytime they sang along to it.

[elle]

I do apologise if this has been discussed previously.

I really like Walk a Thin Line. Indeed, I think it's one of Lindsey's most under appreciated songs. I think I like the alternate version even more. However, I am frustrated by the bad diction.

'No one said nothin', I walk a thin line'

This is clearly a double negative and implies somebody or even everybody said something. Surely he should be saying 'nobody said anything'.
My question is; did Lindsey know this was bad grammar or not?
If the answer is no then I'm very disappointed in him- I thought he was brighter than that. If the answer is yes- it was artistic license then I'm even more disappointed in him as quite clearly it would end up irritating people everytime they sang along to it.

wait, are you saying ain't used in many and all rock songs is bad grammar? ;) :p :angel:

[elle]

I do apologise if this has been discussed previously.

I really like Walk a Thin Line. Indeed, I think it's one of Lindsey's most under appreciated songs. I think I like the alternate version even more.

i'm with you on alternate version.

the version on the Tusk is too slow and too embellished in a very annoying way, to me.

i wish he'd finally listen to me and perform it live, and do a completely new version. it could be sublime if he's just put his mind to it.

[Wdm6789]

I love Walk A Thin Line. It's one of Lindsey's good songs from Tusk, one that wasn't a waste of space.

[Macfan4life]

What?
Grammar and rock lyrics do not mix. What makes Bob Dylan and Stevie special is the way they write and sing in all tenses. None of it is good grammar. Remember the scene in the SYW documentary where Lindsey wanted Stevie to change one of her tenses so the song made better "sense." Stevie stood her ground and she is right. You can get better emotion from some words. God forbid that rock legends start singing with perfect grammar and punctuation.
One of the best examples of this is Stevie's powerful "Nothing ever changes" During the end chorus she is heard several times saying "nothing never changes, no it doesn't. Is that a triple negative? I hope so because it sounds WONDERFUL.
Pure poets don't use spell check or have grammar teachers correct their writings.

I love Walk a thin line the way that it is.

[FuzzyPlum]

wait, are you saying ain't used in many and all rock songs is bad grammar? ;) :p :angel:

Oh no, dont get me wrong. I have absolutely no issues with ain't and nothin etc.
My issue is I have no idea what he is trying to say;

No one said nothin'/nothing actually implies that everyone said something.
So does he mean just that?- that everyone spoke up and commented. I'd suggest that isn't the case as the previous line says no one was listening. If no one was listening then it isnt likely they would say anything.

This would suggest he actually means 'no one said anything', ie, everyone remained quiet and didn't talk.
...but as I said, 'no one said nothin' doesnt mean that.
Its a double negative and my English teacher would be turning in her grave...although, I'm sure she's still alive.

[KarmaContestant]

i wish he'd finally listen to me and perform it live, and do a completely new version. it could be sublime if he's just put his mind to it.


Agreed - I included it on my 'dream Mac set list'.

[jbrownsjr]

I like WATL.. I love That's All For Everyone... Something so cool about it...

carry on.. :rolleyes:

[Dreamz19]

Bad grammar or not, its one of my all-time favorite Lindsey songs.

[MikeVielhaber]

Oh no, dont get me wrong. I have absolutely no issues with ain't and nothin etc.
My issue is I have no idea what he is trying to say;

No one said nothin'/nothing actually implies that everyone said something.
So does he mean just that?- that everyone spoke up and commented. I'd suggest that isn't the case as the previous line says no one was listening. If no one was listening then it isnt likely they would say anything.

This would suggest he actually means 'no one said anything', ie, everyone remained quiet and didn't talk.
...but as I said, 'no one said nothin' doesnt mean that.
Its a double negative and my English teacher would be turning in her grave...although, I'm sure she's still alive.

Thinking too hard about this. I never once was confused. This type of phrase isn't uncommon. Double negatives are all over pop/rock music. Just how It is. Lindsey isn't above this nor Stevie or Christine. It would be easiest just to assume the grammar is not perfect and that he meant what the context says he meant.

[mitzo]

I also hate the use of double negatives and "ain't" (if you do not talk like that why sing like that?) but FM seem to rarely play that game. This WATL horrendous "song" thing is a sort of exception.

[MikeVielhaber]

I also hate the use of double negatives and "ain't" (if you do not talk like that why sing like that?) but FM seem to rarely play that game. This WATL horrendous "song" thing is a sort of exception.

You do a lot of things in songs that you wouldn't do in normal speech. You have to fit it with the music. How well does it scan? Is it the right amount of syllables? And so forth. My normal speech patterns don't rhyme and are not poetic.

[FuzzyPlum]

This WATL horrendous "song" thing is a sort of exception.

Who ever said WATL is a horrendous song? Certainly not me.

Clearly I'm in the minority but that one line really does grate on me.
It's like when my teenage son says 'But I didn't do nothing'.
I point out that he must therefore have done something.
It really freaking-well annoys me.

[UndoingTheLaces]

However, I am frustrated by the bad diction.

'No one said nothin', I walk a thin line'

This is clearly a double negative and implies somebody or even everybody said something. Surely he should be saying 'nobody said anything'.
My question is; did Lindsey know this was bad grammar or not?
If the answer is no then I'm very disappointed in him- I thought he was brighter than that. If the answer is yes- it was artistic license then I'm even more disappointed in him as quite clearly it would end up irritating people everytime they sang along to it.

Oh for God's sake. :shocked:

[MoonSister75]

IMHO "No one said nothin" sounds soooo.... much better than "No one said anything" even though its not grammatically correct, and will annoy a few people ;):angel:. I think using nothin' implies more frustration, or annoyance and downheartedness​.

A great deal of everyday, common speech isn't grammatically correct, so surely rock/pop music will reflect that.

Love the song by the way. :)

[vivfox]

Oh for God's sake. :shocked:

Like you, I ain't got time for no dis.

[jbrownsjr]

For You You You You You And Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[KenB]

For You You You You You And Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Exactly. I guess we need to stop playing these songs, too:

"I don't want no damage/but how am I gonna manage you?"

"You can't plant no seed/Where there's only greed."

"I got nothing but love for you."

"I haven't felt this way I feel..."

I mean, we can pick out countless examples of grammatical problems in the lyrics of FM or any other rock artist. But what's the point? I make my living as an editor, and even I don't gve a damn whether the syntax of lyrics is perfect. A song is not an essay.