Nonsense lyrics in pop songs

[Sporting]

Thinking more along the Dig a Pony route rather than awopbopa...type stuff. Lyrics which deliberately make no sense.

Earliest contenders, serial killer users?

[Satchmo Distel]

As recently discussed, 'Let's Call The Whole Thing Off' starts off with real differences in pronunciation but then adds fictitious ones as a joke.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/jeffelder/status/1383574140494356489

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/giancarlosopo/status/1345376715728687104

[3 Colours Red]

Yep, Prisencolinensinainciusol is indeed brilliant.

Serial offenders? Duran Duran, RHCP, Yes.

[Jah Womble]

Happenings Ten Years Time Ago - The Yardbirds

(One could include the vast majority of LSD-addled psychedelic sixties lyrics, to be honest.)

[elguapo4]

" The sink is full of fishes.
she's got dirty dishes on the brain"

[tracteurgarcon]

In a similar vein I could never get my head around “slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball”. ... eh?

[Jah Womble]

^Methinks that am a cocaine reference.

Loser by Beck is, of course, full of poetic mumbo-jumbo, my favourite line of which is:

My time is a piece of wax
Falling on a termite
That's choking on the splinters

[tee rex]

By the river of blood, the children cry
Their egos ruined by an alibi
The cruel sea of a heartless earth
Oh, this must mean something to me

[diggedy derek]

Oasis's lyrics mean more or less nothing. They're there simply to rhyme and that's all.

Echo & The Bunnymen made some great songs that fall into this category.

[DPDPDPDP]

Probably anything by U2, especially Bono, hence the Spitting Image piss take called “Nobody Knows What I’m On About”, with the tune based on I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”

[Janik]

Oasis's lyrics mean more or less nothing. They're there simply to rhyme and that's all.

The lyrics aren't supposed to mean that much
They're just a medium for a lovely voice
They aren't supposed to mean that much.
Mansun - An Open Letter To The Lyrical Trainspotter

Which, paradoxically, are far from being nonsense.

Shit title for the song, mind.

[Simon G]

When I was in my teens, I went to a "Solid Silver 60s Show" with my uncle at Cheltenham Town Hall. One of the bands on was Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch.

I'd never heard of them, but the lead singer (presumably Dave Dee) said before one song that he and someone from the group were discussing the importance of lyrics and how any song, as long as it had a good melody, could do well in the charts. They then went onto play Zabadak which got to number 3 in the chart in 1967.

The lyrics of the song:

Zabadak, Zabadak
Karakakora kakarakak
Zabadak
Shai shai skagalak
Zabadak, Zabadak
Karakakora kakarakak
Zabadak
Shai shai skagalak
Zabadak, Zabadak
Karakakora kakarakak
Zabadak
Shai shai skagalak
Look for meaning not in words
But in the way you're feeling
If it's love we'll understand
For love is all revealing
Like a rhythm like a spell
It sets your soul in motion
Love that's sure could rule the world
A tide to turn an ocean
Zabadak, Zabadak
Karakakora kakarakak
Zabadak
Shai shai skagalak
Zabadak, Zabadak
Karakakora kakarakak
Zabadak
Shai shai skagalak
Zabadak, Zabadak
Karakakora kakarakak

[Capybara]

When I was in my teens, I went to a "Solid Silver 60s Show" with my uncle at Cheltenham Town Hall. One of the bands on was Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch.

I'd never heard of them, but the lead singer (presumably Dave Dee) said before one song that he and someone from the group were discussing the importance of lyrics and how any song, as long as it had a good melody, could do well in the charts. They then went onto play Zabadak which got to number 3 in the chart in 1967.

Did they do Legend of Xanadu?

[Jah Womble]

Oasis's lyrics mean more or less nothing. They're there simply to rhyme and that's all.

Echo & The Bunnymen made some great songs that fall into this category.

'C-c-cucumber, c-c-cabbage, c-c-cauliflower
Men on Mars, April showers!'

[Sporting]

Here's Black Roof by The Fall:

Why don't you face up to it
if I was you
I'd have the deck at your rooftop
If I was you

Up from the poles, drug from the hills
Into your present delectation

You simply cannot prove your fog-accenting notions
you cannot prove your ragged affectations
all of you left your pals in desperation
Easter island profile and care from old inwardly chuckling
Chuckling inwardly
if I was you, I would not smile at present situations

If I was you, I'd never
If I was you, dig in the roof top
if I was you, I'd never dig at the root

[treibeis]

"I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song.
I'm twenty-two now, but I won't be for long."