A new study conducted by blinkbox Music has revealed that in a poll of 2,000 people, almost two thirds (65%) of us struggle to understand what lyrics mean in tunes that top the charts today.

Topping the list of puzzling lyrics was The Killers with 'Are we human, or are we dancer?' from their hit track 'Human', which 30% of respondents noted as the most confusing.

Brandon Flowers / Credit: WireImage

Beatles track 'I Am The Walrus' came in second with 27% for the following words of wisdom: 'I am the eggman, they are the eggmen, I am the walrus, goo goo g'joob', whilst Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song' proved strange as he sang 'What about elephants? Have we lost their trust?'

Taylor Swift, The Black Eyed Peas and Duran Duran all also appeared in the rundown.

Professor Martin Cloonan from Glasgow University tried to explain the lyrics.

“Brandon Flowers of The Killers has admitted that the line is taken from a Hunter S. Thompson quote: ‘We’re raising a nation of dancers.’ Flowers said: ‘I say that it’s a mild social statement, and that’s all I’m gonna say'.”

He continued: “John Lennon spoke of writing some of this while on an acid trip, which might help explain things. It is an exercise in surrealism and word play – a true highlight of UK psychedelia. Lennon did once declare that ‘The Walrus was Paul’ but it appears to in fact be a reference to Lewis Carroll’s The Walrus and the Carpenter and so, a reference to surreal or imaginary worlds.”

And attempting to put some sense to MJ's lyrics, he said “Ultimately this is a misjudged protest song, which sees a world in which the innocent simply have things done to them by malevolent forces. It could be construed as an attack on the ivory trade.”

Miley Cyrus

Survey respondents were also asked who they thought the worst lyricist from a selection of the present days most popular acts were, which saw Miley Cyrus top the list, full results below.

1. Miley Cyrus (17%)
2. Pitbull (16%)
3. Robin Thicke (15%)
4. Will.i.am/The Black Eyes Peas (11%)
5. Sting (5%)
6. Taylor Swift (5%)
7. Robbie Williams (5%)
8. Simon Le Bon (4%)
9. Noel Gallagher (4%)
10. Brandon Flowers/The Killers (2%)

blinkbox Music managing director Mark Bennett commented: “It’s true that song lyrics are sometimes as crazy as a box of frogs, but then that’s show business. It would be a really boring world if everything was logical and made sense.”

by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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