When lyrics and music don’t cooperate

I heard Sublime’s “Summertime” in the coffee shop this morning, and it reminded me just how jaded the lyrics are compared to the jazzy sound the boys from Long Beach put out.

This is why Sublime will never get mistaken for mere dumb ska. The song very clearly invokes the Gershwin standard “Summertime,” immortalized here by Ella Fitzgerald , covered thousands of times and then mangled mercilessly by dozens of “American Idol” contestants.

“Summertime and the living’s easy.”

Yeah, you know it, but Bradley Lowell, see, he got this relationship.

“I love her so bad but she treats me like …”

Sure, the song’s steady beat, the reggae flavor, the party people, the singalong chorus.

But also, she’s evil. “Most definitely.”

“The tension is getting hotter. I’d like to hold her head underwater.”

This kind of disconnect between lyrics and music always intrigues me. It’s not always easy to pull of, but when used by a skilled songwriter, the technique can pay dividends.

A couple other examples from my brain basket:

Lyle Lovett’s “L.A. County”: Such a cheerful country song about killing your former lover on the altar.

Tune-Yards’ “Doorstep”: Unbelievable bridge segment, in which she channels 1950s doo-wop groups to sing about trying not to feel bitter about a police officer shooting and killing her lover.

I’ll add others as they come to me.