Gee, this all sounds very familiar

The song "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant may very well have been one of Edge 102's Fearless(ly overplayed) 5 at 5. It may have also have topped a few charts, and the band may have performed it on national television, but it's completely overrated.

The lyrics contain approximately 10 cliches, or overused expressions, most of which are repeated several times. Every line of the chorus is a cliche, with the exception of two, "I can't slow down" and "though you know I wish I could," which are fairly common expressions nonetheless. Hell, the TITLE is a cliche.

"Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Money don't grow on trees.
I got bills to pay,
I got mouths to feed,
There ain't nothing in this world for free.
I know I can't slow down,
I can't hold back,
Though you know, I wish I could.
No there ain't no rest for the wicked,
Until we close our eyes for good".

(Cage the Elephant. Relentless, 2008) [Citation in case Cage the Elephant pursues legal action for unauthorized reproduction of their lyrics, which they have arguably plagiarized from everyone in the English-speaking world]

As for the verses, the song tells a story populated with unoriginal, stock characters, including a prostitute, a robber, a covetous preacher. By listening to it just once, you quickly become aware that, in this song, Cage the Elephant does not produce a single original thought. Hmph!

You could have written the lyrics. I could have written the lyrics.

...No wonder the song is so damn catchy!