If people ever stop buying Rihanna’s Umbrella – surely the most appropriately named summer smash ever – her next single will be Don’t Stop The Music. The song samples Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, specifically the nonsensical yet brilliant breakdown hook, “Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma-koo-sa.”
It got us thinking about some other songs with utterly meaningless lyrics…
The Police - De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Memorably, and correctly, described by Alan Partridge as a “gibberish classic” when he played it on his Radio Norwich graveyard-shift show.
Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod
“There was only one thing I could do… ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long.” Well, obviously. The cowpunk-meets-industrial-metal blitzkrieg that follows is no more sensible.
The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron
The origin of that famous refrain? They were simply nonsense syllables made up by songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich to fill space until they came up with proper lyrics. Initially this song was sung by the incomparable Darlene Love but Phil Spector wiped her vocals - the first of many moments of heartbreaking misfortune in Love’s tragic life.
Def Leppard – Rock Of Ages
Hair metal fans naturally assumed the introductory phrase “Gunter glieben glauchen glauben” – later reprised in The Offspring’s Number 1 hit Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) – was German. Actually, producer Mutt Lange, bored of counting in with 1-2-3-4, had simply made it up.
Scatman John – The Scatman
Hard to believe now, but back in 1994 this truly rancid synth-pop monstrosity sold 6 million copies and stunk up the charts all over the planet. A genuine jazz musician and lifelong stammerer, luckless John died of l-l-l-lung cancer in 1999.
12:39 PM | 20/07/2007
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What, no Oh-bla-di-oh-bla-da?
Posted by brezhnev at 4:58 PM | 20/07/2007 | Report Abuse
what the witch doctor? Entire chorus was just random syllables
Posted by Casey at 6:36 PM | 25/07/2007 | Report Abuse
what the witch doctor? Entire chorus was just random syllables
Posted by Casey at 6:36 PM | 25/07/2007 | Report Abuse
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