The tramp’s nonsense song in Modern Times is a delight.
La Spinach or la tuko
Cigaretto, toto torio
E rusho spaga letto
Je le tu le tu le twaa
La der la ser pawnbroker
Lusern spre how mucher
E ses, confess a potcha
Ponka walla ponka waa!
They don’t write 'em like that any more.
Almost any J-Pop song, especially those that try to incorporate English, are great for sheer nonsense. One of my favourites, called Fruits Candy:
“Tip Tap koi wa itsudatte Candy
FURU-TSU no you ni Tasty
Good Luck sou ne mainichi ga SUNDAY
awatenaide My Heart”
Translated: “Tip tap love is always candy, Tasty, like fruit. Good luck, that’s right, every day is Sunday. Don’t get rattled, my heart.”
As for English songs, I was always rather partial to Roger Miller’s:
“My uncle used to love but she died
A chicken ain’t chicken ‘til he’s lickin’ good and fried
Keep on the sunny side
My uncle used to love me but she died”
I don’t think I’d call it my favourite, but when someone brings up meaningless songs, it’s often the first one to pop in my head. It’s aggravatingly catchy, too.
Look, folks, we have pretty clear rules on this Message Board about what is and what isn’t OK to quote. The Chicago READER tends to be stricter than is legally necessary on this: they don’t want anyone quoting their stuff inappropriately, and so they don’t want to condone inappropriately quoting material from others.
There is a thing called “Fair Usage,” meaning that you can quote a small section of copyrighted material (assuming you attribute it, of course.) However, you cannot quote an entire song lyric. If a snipped of a song doesn’t make your point, then provide a link to a website that does have copyrights to the song.
All clear?
Please read the Forum Rules. I realize that this thread started elsewhere, but the rules on copyrighted material are the same everywhere.
Just remembered an oldie but goodie by Cream - Pressed Rat and Warthog.
A sample:
“Pressed Rat and Warthog have closed down their shop,
They didn’t want to - 'twas all they had got.
Selling atonal apples, amplified heat,
And Pressed Rat’s collection of dog legs and feet.”
Back in high school when I first heard the song, Ginger Baker’s accent was so thick I couldn’t tell if they were selling amplified heat or amplified hate. And context was no help whatsoever!