Are DON'T TRY SO HARD Lyrics ironic?

I remember having difficulty to understand this one. It started like a "take your time" message song but during the lines

Screaming out your bloody orders
Hey but not too loud
Polish all your shiny buttons
Dress as lamb instead of mutton
But you never had to try to stand out from the crowd

and

It's the simple life for me

i had the feeling it was a mockery about those who never find the coureage to confront real challenges in life. Is that the case?

I don't have much insight to provide here, as much as I love the song and it's atmosphere, the message always seemed kind of confused to me.

ironic or sarcastic?

[QUOTE] [b]Dane wrote:[/b]

ironic or sarcastic?[/QUOTE]

you are right...i ment sarcastc. (in greek there is not that much of a difference between sarcasm and irony )

From the way I learned it, sarcasm is a form of irony, but it's really not worth it to try to debate the true meaning of "irony."

Anyway, I agree with tomchristie. Beautiful song musically, but pretty unclear lyrically.

don't try so hard

I'll admit I find the message unpalatable. Who wrote it? I thought it was John but I could be mistaken. In any case it would be interesting to put the words in context to figure out if they were smug (my problem with it), ironic, sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, straight, whatever.

http://www.queenzone.com/faq/who-wrote-the-songs-which-are-credited-to-queen.aspx

This page says it was Freddie's. For some reason I remembered it as being John's too.

The song had been attributed to John in the very early days of the Internet (Fan pages' FAQs, bulleting boards here and there, etc.) If I remember correctly the only argument for that was, simply, "he must have written something for Innuendo". Apparently he didn't or at least he wasn't the "chief writer" or "chief composer" for any song.
Similar case with Roger and Innuendo, in which it was a group effort with Freddie leading the way.
The more I learn about this, the less I believe the "Write me anything" quote from Brian about Freddie in his last recordings.

John referred to the recording of Don't Try So Hard in a 1989 fan club message, but nothing elaborate, just that the band were quarreling over small pieces of the music.

No.

Its sentimental. Save it for another day. "Pack it in." Let it go. If its bugging you so much, leave it alone today and come back tomorrow. The world is insane and at a hectic pace "its fools who make these rules"
Don't try so hard.

If it was sarcastic it wouldn't have been so saccharine and wondrous about life. They may have had deep meaning and affectation to share in the last years. Along with "keep passing the open windows" its a confidence booster.


Unlike WWRY which somehow seems to mock a young buck pleading with his eyes. Etc.


Itd be good to hear songs digested for meaning here.

I used to frequent "songmeanings.com" to hear people's opinions about things.


Once I become a contributor I have a mind to post fake meanings to a band I know/knew well.

I don't detect sarcasm in the song other than the unusual collaboration of "try" and "so hard"


If say for instance it was the last quarter of a football match and the team was down 18 points.... THEN it would have been sarcastic and mocking.

[QUOTE] [b]matt z wrote:[/b]

If say for instance it was the last quarter of a football match and the team was down 18 points.... THEN it would have been sarcastic and mocking.[/QUOTE]

isn't that the usual gameplan of the Miami Dolphins?

I think it was the Detroit Lions ... But you may be right.



Don't try so hard.

There is no irony in the lyric at all
it is a consolatory lyric
an advice lyric
it also consoles by looking to a better future

Dont try- suicide lyrics are ironic