# A wop bop aloom op a wop bop boom - the syllable thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 24, 2019, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324 "2019-12-24T03:31:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/1 "2019-12-24T03:31:34Z")
Nonsense syllables, versions of scat singing, etc. are a key part of many rock songs because, whatever the singer/songwriter’s reasons were. I heard Fleetwood Mac’s _Second Hand News_ today and was surprised that “Bow-bow-bow-bow-buh-bow bow, bow bow, doo da doodladoo” takes up 49 seconds (in two segments, no less) of a song that is less than three minutes long. At least Paul McCartney had the courtesy to put all the “Nah-nah-nah-Nahnahnahnah” at the end of Hey Jude. What are your favorite doo-dahs that were done to excess? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/2 "2019-12-24T04:23:02Z")
Who Put The Bomp - Barry Mann > [@](#): > > Who put the bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp > Who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong > Who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop > Who put the dip in the dip da dip da dip ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/3 "2019-12-24T04:32:32Z")
Lie, li, li li lie li Simon and Garfunkel ‘The Boxer’ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/4 "2019-12-24T04:52:15Z")
I don’t have the patience to count the “Mmm-bops” to words in Hanson’s “[Mmm-bop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N53-LxbIizA)” but the ratio is lopsided for sure. Now, I can’t say that I LOVE this song, but it did come out the year I graduated high school so it holds some sort of nostalgia for me. Conversely, “[Mmm mmm mmm mmm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTeg1txDv8w)” came out the year I started high school. The 90s were a weird time. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/5 "2019-12-24T05:10:01Z")
The thread title immediately brought to mind “[Tutti Frutti](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWm9PQeYtE)”. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/6 "2019-12-24T07:29:19Z")
There must be nigh infinitely many songs with _syllables_ in them. This thread could get lengthy if us Dopers get all into it. Ooooh, some of us gon be showing our age here! Maybe we should limit this to just real syllables? You know, must have at least one vowel in them? 🙂 ETA: And NO CHIPMUNKS! Does spelling count? [Ooh Eeh Ooh Ah Aah Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UR42poPhxY) Witch Doctor Whole lotta songs by Cab Calloway. Just a couple of examples: [Ya boudley yankey boudley yankey tankey! Oh rang tang ta tada!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oaYjf88x0Q) and much more… Jumping Jive by Cab Calloway … and his famous flagship song: [Hi de hi de hi de hay! Hi de hi de hi de ho! Hee de hee de hee he hee!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ5gCGJorKk) and much more, much of it untranscribable. [spoiler]Minnie The Moocher by Cab Calloway. Video shows him singing, dancing with live audience participation! [Here’s the version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHqjMhD04uA) with the Betty Boop and the rotoscoped walrus.[/spoiler] Even songs in foreign languages can have syllables! [Opa Neena Neena Nai](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNQe_REERvQ) Opa Neena Neena Nai by Nana Mouskouri. Greek. If I understand aright, these are just filler syllables. Listen at your peril — This number is catchy! Syllables you want? SYLLABLES? Syllables! [I defy anyone to write what this guy is singing, let alone sing along.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHKCw8sKcOo) Mumbles by Clark Terry And this: [Pookie sings Mumbles and dances for Soupy Sales! This is great!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcb87xi8cVg) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/7 "2019-12-24T08:15:44Z")
Plenty of Na na na na songs. YouTube search shows one video consisting of brief excerpts from “Top 50 Na Na songs” A few oldies but well-known goodies: [Na Na Na Na Hey Hey Good-bye](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoyvvEWHodk) by Steam [My Chemical Romance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km5OXaB2Uu0) [Here’s a well-known one. Does it even have a name? Who did this first?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mGK4QkmJXU) [The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by Joan Baez](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wanJQC5KAfo) at 0:56 … And all the people were singing They went Naaaa na na na na Naaa! Na na na Naa na na na Naaa naaa. Jeezus f-ing Christ, is there a way to disable those stupid smart-quotes? They f up every single link I try to type and I have to fix them all one at a time. Hope I got them all right. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/8 "2019-12-24T15:36:56Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > The thread title immediately brought to mind “[Tutti Frutti](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWm9PQeYtE)”. That’s because it’s a direct quote from the lyrics of said song. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/9 "2019-12-24T15:42:15Z")
I don’t think anyone in the world has enough self discipline to do the whole of the Batman theme without breaking into dada dada dada dada… [The Jam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXmPEsuipUw) lasted about 50 seconds. Pretty good effort, actually. j ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/10 "2019-12-24T15:52:24Z")
Yesterday Once More by the Carpenters has… Every sha-la-la-la Every wo-o-wo-o, still shines Every shing-a-ling-a-ling, that they’re startin’ to sing’s, so fine ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/11 "2019-12-24T15:54:13Z")
[Oo-Shoo-Be-Doo-Be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1YZvAbEr6I) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/12 "2019-12-24T16:08:21Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > That’s because it’s a direct quote from the lyrics of said song. Seems a little off to me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/13 "2019-12-24T16:08:54Z")
Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady of Scat: [Ella Fitzgerald- "How High The Moon/Epic scat" LIVE 1966 [RITY Archives] - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GUmxnYheK0) ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/14 "2019-12-24T16:14:49Z")
the Beatles [Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J9NpHKrKMw) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/15 "2019-12-24T17:27:24Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Plenty of Na na na na songs… Missed one - You’re gonna [crash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y7NGqfZteg)! And then there’s Lo lo lo lo [Lola](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LemG0cvc4oU). j ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/16 "2019-12-24T19:54:25Z")
Tenacious D’s [Tribute](https://youtu.be/_lK4cX5xGiQ?t=208) has a cool little breakdown, with a little doopbedoop da going on. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/17 "2019-12-24T20:08:11Z")
Does the closing theme for \*WKRP \*count? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/18 "2019-12-24T20:33:23Z")
[Everybody’s Bopping](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD8dm8PH12g) by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Thirty seconds of introduction, then three minutes of bop syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/19 "2019-12-24T20:39:58Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324/20 "2019-12-25T03:37:30Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > [Here’s a well-known one. Does it even have a name? Who did this first?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mGK4QkmJXU) [Land of 1,000 Dances](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbRiM26hyms) by Wilson Pickett. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-wop-bop-aloom-op-a-wop-bop-boom-the-syllable-thread/845324.md?page=2)