# Let's give a shout out to all the great lyricists both past and present. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235 "2005-09-30T18:42:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/41 "2005-10-01T07:21:47Z")
Roxette _She’s Got the Look_ “And I go **la la la la la** she’s got the look” -AND- “She goes **na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na** She’s got the look” ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/42 "2005-10-01T07:26:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > 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! Ironically, the lyrics to the original song Blue Moon (the 30s song the 50s doo-wop was based on) were by Lorenz Hart, one of the BEST lyricists the US has ever produced. And no, “dip-di-dip” wasn’t in the original. > [@](#): > > 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! The Beatles could be pretty bad. “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah” x3. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/43 "2005-10-01T10:41:48Z")
We can’t forget the New Kids and their favorite word… > [@Cover Girl](#): > > “Oh, oh-oh, she’s my cover girl > Oh, oh-oh, oh, oh-oh > Oh, oh-oh, she’s my cover girl > Oh, oh-oh, oh, oh-oh” > [@Hangin' Tough](#): > > “Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. > Listen up everybody if you wanna take a chance. > (rap:) just get on the floor and do the new kids’ dance.” > [@The Right Stuff](#): > > “Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh > Oh, oh, oh, oh > Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh > The right stuff > Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh > Oh, oh, oh, oh > Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh > The right stuff” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/44 "2005-10-01T16:26:03Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > The Beatles could be pretty bad. “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah” x3. Although to be fair, that song as a whole actually has fairly decent lyrics. Just to show there have been great lyricists around for centuries: _Ha-lle-lujah! Ha-lle-lujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Ha-lle-lu-jah!_ ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/45 "2005-10-01T18:12:40Z")
“Hallelujah” is NOT a nonsense word and that piece of music has lyrics straight from the new testament ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/46 "2005-10-01T18:32:41Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > “Hallelujah” is NOT a nonsense word > and that piece of music has lyrics straight from the new testament The Old and New Testaments, actually. The arrangement is due to Handel and librettist Charles Jennens; nowhere in the Bible will you find ten or twelve "hallelujah"s in a row. And you’re right, “Hallelujah” is not a nonsense word; but neither is “yeah yeah yeah.” I meant no disrespect to the Hallelujah chorus nor to anyone involved; like other posters in this thread, I like the music I quoted. The Hallelujah Chorus is certainly not the best “classical” example of what this thread is all about, but it might be the most famous/recognizable. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/47 "2005-10-01T18:53:03Z")
Ah yes. The venerable tradition of sing-song, a favorite trope of Shakespeare: Heigh ho the holly Hey ding a ding ding With a hey and a ho and a hey-nonny no Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny Oh! Oh! a while, but ha! ha! ha! Oh! Oh! groans out for ha! ha! ha! ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/48 "2005-10-01T19:11:08Z")
> [@](#): > > The Old and New Testaments, actually. Nothing from the Old - none of the stories of Jesus’ birth, life, or death appeared in the Old. That’s the whole point of the New. And Handel’s Messiah is _ **all** _ about Jesus ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/49 "2005-10-01T19:33:26Z")
I always liked: **A-wop-bop-a-loom-op a-lop-bop-boom!** That’s a nice way to start off. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235/50 "2005-10-02T16:50:11Z")
The Fixx _Red Skies_ “Red skies at night … wo-oh (wo-oh) … wo-wo-wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh” David Lee Roth _Just a Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody_ “Bop, bozdie bozdie bop, city bop” (I hope nobody has noticed a trend in my song selections in this thread … Yes, I’m stuck in the 80’s) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-give-a-shout-out-to-all-the-great-lyricists-both-past-and-present/324235.md?page=2)