Thread: Two phrases

Two phrases I can't figure out the meaning, both coming from songs.

1)
"Tell me quick,
ain't love a kick in the head"

I know what does "to get a kick from sth" mean, and at first I thought it was just a variant of it, then I figured that actually "a kick in the head" doesn't really sound very pleasant, so I thought maybe I got it wrong?

in case you needed further context, here are the lyrics: http://er.neoxer.com/8/martin-kick.html

2)
"Uptown girl
You know I can't afford to buy her pearls
But maybe someday when my ship comes in
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been"

ugh? meaning he'll finally suceed?
Whole song: http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/bi...cs_105966.html


Thanks a bunch

Originally Posted by kamka

Two phrases I can't figure out the meaning, both coming from songs.

1)
"Tell me quick,
ain't love a kick in the head"

I know what does "to get a kick from sth" mean, and at first I thought it was just a variant of it, then I figured that actually "a kick in the head" doesn't really sound very pleasant, so I thought maybe I got it wrong?

in case you needed further context, here are the lyrics: http://er.neoxer.com/8/martin-kick.html

2)
"Uptown girl
You know I can't afford to buy her pearls
But maybe someday when my ship comes in
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been"

ugh? meaning he'll finally suceed?
Whole song: http://www.lyricsmania.com/lyrics/bi...cs_105966.html


Thanks a bunch

Kick in the head just means someone kicks your head--it hurts

"When my ship comes in" is a phrase which means when I get rich or successful. I think it come from people who had invested a lot of money in international trading (a long time ago) and would not see their money again until the ship came back.

so the kick thing is just THAT obvious, huh? I was thinking it's some sort of a metaphor, or an idiom

Is the "ship" phrase actually commonly used? I mean do you hear it often, used metaphorically?

Originally Posted by kamka

so the kick thing is just THAT obvious, huh? I was thinking it's some sort of a metaphor, or an idiom

Is the "ship" phrase actually commonly used? I mean do you hear it often, used metaphorically?

The kich in the head is fairly uncommon, but I think it started with a Frank Sinatra song--Ain't That a Kick in the Head

The "ship coming in" is fairly uncommon also. I see it more in songs than anywhere else.

How lucky can one guy be;
I kissed her and she kissed me
Like the fella once said,
Ain't that a kick in the head?


A "kick in the head" is something that "opens your eyes". Like "water in the face" or "being struck by a bolt of lightening", it's something that jolts you into seeing something for the first time. The sense is: You were so blind about something (like "love") that someone had to smack you upside the head (to get your brain working) before you even noticed. Ususally, the "thing" you don't see is something obvious to everyone else around you.

"Why don't you ask Sally out on a date?"
"Ehhh, I would, but she doesn't even know I'm alive."
"Are you crazy? Everybody knows she's had a crush on you more months!"
"No kidding? Huh ... well, ain't that a kick in the head?"

As someone else said, it's pretty rare. It was more current in the 40's, 50's and 60's.

Originally Posted by paulb

The "ship coming in" is fairly uncommon also. I see it more in songs than anywhere else.

Today, you're probably more likely to hear: "When I win the lottery ... "

Although there is a subtle difference. Someone who talks about winning the lottery is joking; they don't really expect to win it. Someone waiting for their "ship to come in" usually thinks they've had a run of bad luck and that something is bound to happen soon to change all that.