Let's give a shout out to all the great lyricists both past and present.

Cafe Society
1

One of the best examples of the great songwriting I’m talking about is the Crash Test Dummies Mmm Mmm Mmm with the great chorus:
Mmm Mmm Mmm

And who can forget Howard Jone’s touching words in Things Can Only Get Better:
Whoa whoa whoa
Whoa whoa
Whoawhoawhao

Let us not leave out the master pop tune creators, The Beatles:
Na na na nananana
Nananana, hey Jude

You can tell The Beatles were masters because they have actual words!

What are your favorite songs ('cause I actuall like all these songs) in which it seems the writer just ran out of words?

2

A couple of centuries before the Crash Test Dummies, there was Emanuel Schikaneder, who wrote “Hm! Hm! Hm! Hm!” for Papageno in Mozart’s “Magic Flute”.

3

Thomas Morley. Commonly referred to as one of the greatest composers of his time, whose works were, for the most part, vastly improved by removing the words.

4

Simon & Garfunkel had some good ones, IIRC. In “The Only Living Boy in New York,” there’s: “Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da-da and here I am.”
In “Mrs. Robinson,” don’t they “Do-do-do-do-do-do-do, da-da-da-da-da” through one whole verse?

5

De do do do
De da da da
Is all I want to say to you.

Na na
Na na na na
Na na na
Na na na na na
–surely you recognize this from “Centerfold” by the J. Geils Band

6

Bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom ba ba bom ba ba bom ba ba dang a dang dang
Ba ba ding a dong ding Blue moon moon blue moon dip di dip di dip
Moo Moo Moo Blue moon dip di dip di dip Moo Moo Moo Blue moon dip di dip di dip
Bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom ba ba bom ba ba bom ba ba dang a dang dang
Ba ba ding a dong ding

Who was that man? I want to shake his hand!

7

Bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom
bom ba ba bom ba bom ba bom bom

Blue moon, moon, moon, moon, moon
Di, Di, Di, Di, Di, moon, moon, moon, blue moon
Di, Di, Di, Di,Di
Who was that man? I want to shake his hand!

8

De do do do
De da da da
Is all I want to say to you.

Na na
Na na na na
Na na na
Na na na na na
–surely you recognize this from “Centerfold” by the J. Geils Band

9

Let’s not forget the brilliant “Tequila.”

WHOOPS! Didn’t mean to post the entire lyrics to the song. I know that’s a no-no.

10

Yeah, you should have done Wipe Out. :smack:

Or that German group with:

Da da da

11

I once counted the number of "Yeah"s on the album Second Coming but Stone Roses. At least 70 IIRC. (I think the exact number is 73.) They sing “yeah yeah yeah” on nearly every song on that album it seems.

And don’t get me started on Fountains of Wayne :slight_smile:

12

How can you forget “Good Morning, Starshine”, from Hair?

Biddy diddy middy, ba do ba ba, iddy blah blah blah.

(It was freakin’ hilarious when they sang this on the Simpsons.)

13

i can’t believe no ones listed

Lie-dee-die
Lie-dee-die-die-die-dee-die
Lie-dee-die
Lie-dee-die-die-die-dee-die-die-dee-die-die-die

14

Doo wah diddy, diddy dum diddy doo.

(I mean, there she was! Just walking down the street singing it.)

15

[del]but[/del] by

16

actually it’s

gibby glop glooby (last word of song title sung in background)
nibby nobby newby la la la lo lo
sabba sibby sabba newby ahba nahba ni ni no no
dooby ooby wanna dooby amma namma (then real lyrics)

17

I say-a na, nananana, nananana, nananana, no no no, nana, nah, nana, nah, nana no, nananana!

18

Dammit, kunilou, I came in here expressly to mention Wilson Pickett! Ya beat me by one post.

Hidey hidey hidey hey.

19

Do you mean the group “trio” ?

20

Simple Minds Don’t You Forget About Me:

“I say la … la la la la … la la la la … la la la la la la la la la la”

Duran Duran Reflex

“Why-yi-yi-yi … w-w … why-yi-yi … yeah”

Suzanne Vega Tom’s Diner

“Dut dut du du … dut du du du … dut du du du du du du du”

Debbie (Deborah) Gibson Only in My Dreams

“Ah … ah-ah … Ah … ah-ah”