Lately, I've become a fan of "American Horror Story" and in the episode of 'Asylum' that I watched tonight, Jessica Lang sang the "The Name Game".



What a clever song! I'd never heard it before and I found it a very inventive use of nonsense syllables.

Does anyone know what are some other songs that have a heavy use of nonsense syllables that became famous?

The only ones I can think of at the moment are...







Regards,
Noel

How about Phil Collin's "Susudio". Phil occasionally used nonsense words as placeholders while working out the melody.


Obviously, this song was the rare exception where the placeholder wasn't removed.

While lyrically some of his songs may be stream of consciousness and contradictory, that didn't stop them from being huge hits.

The approach of focusing on the groove first and the lyrics last served Phil well. A song doesn't make much sense, as long as it's catchy and triggers an emotional response in the listener.

How about Iron Butterfly's "In-a-gadda-da-vida" (which of course, is, "In the garden of Eden"), but no one knew that when it first came out.

Or The Chords "Sh-Boom".

And there's always "We Go Together" from the musical Grease.

Goo goo ga-joob from the Beatles "I Am The Walrus".

Gene Vincent's "Be Bop A Lula"

And from the "D's", we have The Crystals "Da Doo Ron Ron", Manfred Mann's "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy", and The Police "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da".

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".

The Chips "Rubber Biscuit".

Little Anthony and the Imperials "Shimmy Shimmy Koko Bop".

Great list above.

Normie Rowe's Ooh la la:

Russel Morris - The Real Thing:
I am the real, thing
Oo-mow-ma-mow-mow, Oo-mow-ma-mow-mow
Oo-mow-ma-mow-mow, Oo-mow-ma-mow
Oo-mow-ma-mow-mow

+++ The Beatles: Oh La Di Oh La Da - White Album +++

Noel! Shame on you for forgetting this!






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXrtZ3IXDDs


MAIRZY DOATS
(Milton Drake / Al Hoffman / Jerry Livingston)

Merry Macs - 1944
Al Trace & His Silly Symphonists (vocal: Red Maddock) - 1944
Pied Pipers - 1944
Lawrence Welk & His Orch. (vocal: Bobby Beers) - 1944
King Sisters - 1944


I know a ditty, nutty as a fruitcake
Goofy as a goon and silly as a loon
Some call it pretty, others call it crazy
But they all sing this tune:

Mairzy doats And dozy doats
And liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?

Yes! Mairzy doats And Dozy Doats
And liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?

If the words sound queer and funny to your ear,
A little bit jumbled and jivey,
Sing "Mares eat oats and does eat oats
And little lambs eat ivy"

Oh! mairzy doats and dozy doats
And liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you - oo?
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?

You can add "Frim Fram Sauce" by Nat King Cole (or Diana Krall and others). much speculation about what "oss 'n fay" or "shifafa on the side" might mean.

I'm a big fan of this song and sing it quite often. And those are all made-up words. Love the song - particularly the Diana Krall version (I'm a big fan of hers).

Alan

How about the old, old old, standard ... Zippity Do Dah, Zippity Day? Cute little song that's downright addictive!

Alan,

Thanks for posting again in this thread. You brought it back on display in the forum list. I had completely forgotten that I started this.

Appreciate it,
Noel

Just thought of another:

Manfred Mann -

There she was just a walking down the street
Singing Do Wah diddy diddy dum, diddy do

You're welcome! It's a cool item!

Wow! Thanks everyone!

There are some GREAT songs there.

That they didn't spring to mind when I thought about songs with nonsense syllables makes me wonder about Alzheimer's! I'll cross that bridge tomorrow if I remember

Appreciate the input,
Noel

P.S. floyd... yep.. Shame on me! for forgetting Mairzy Doats! I totally agree. I used to sing that all the time when I was knee-high to a grasshopper.

I Am the Walrus
The Beatles

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together
See how they run like pigs from a gun, see how they fly
I'm crying

Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday
Man, you been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long
I am the eggman, we are the eggmen, I am the walrus
Goo goo g'joob

Mister city policeman sitting
Pretty little policemen in a row
See how they fly like Lucy in the sky, see how they run
I'm crying I'm crying I'm crying I'm crying

Yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye
Crabalocker fishwife, pornographic priestess
Man, you been a naughty girl, you let your knickers down
I am the eggman, we are the eggmen, I am the walrus
Goo goo g'joob

Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun
If the sun don't come you get a tan from standing in the English rain
'cause I am the eggman, we are the eggmen, and I am the walrus
Goo goo g'joob goo goo g'joob

Expert textpert choking smokers
Don't you think the joker laughs at you ?
See how they smile like pigs in a sty, see how they snied
I'm crying

Semolina pilchards climbing up the Eiffel Tower
Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna
Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe
I am the eggman, we are the eggmen, I am the walrus
Goo goo g'joob g'goo goo g'joob goo goo g'joob g'goo goo g'joob g'goo

Mario,

When my son was very young, we used to go through all the animal sounds with him:

What does the duck say? Quack quack
What does the pig say? Oink oink
What does the dog say? Woof woof
What does the walrus say? Goo goo g'joob

Oh yes!!!! and Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo... equally addictive!

John,

That was very clever!

Cool songs, Noel96! The immediate ones that come to mind are Obla-Di Obla-Da and I Am The Walrus by The Beatles! I know there's more, I just can't think of what they are off the top