Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

"Don't explain the background of a song in more than one main sentence - if I haven't read the book I don't want a summary of it now; have trust in your song and that the perfomance will carry the entertainment; have you ever heard Queen explain what's the meaning of Bohemian Rhapsody? No one understands that song. No one's complaining either." -- Christine Hintermeyer, 2007-04-10, on stage patter.

[I can see genre-based, song-based, and venue-based exceptions to this rule even if it's a good rule of thumb[*]. So I'm less interested in hearing opinions about whether it should always be followed absolutely, than whether it's a good general guideline.]

[*] I know, I know, there are etymological landmines in that phrase. I'm still searching for a replacement idiom that works as well and flows as naturally.