# Nonsense Songs You Love **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 17, 2021, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130 "2021-03-17T21:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/21 "2021-03-18T12:52:41Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > “Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey > A kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?” Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you? Still doesn’t make a lot of sense. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/22 "2021-03-18T13:36:54Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > The song’s title is actually _Your Move_ and is (loosely) referring to a chess game. The album track is, in fact, titled “I’ve Seen All Good People;” it consists of two sections: “Your Move” and “All Good People.” However, you’re not incorrect, as the first section of the song was released as a single, titled “Your Move.” And, yeah, it has a bunch of chess allusions, but that doesn’t make it less of a word salad. 😃 > **[I've Seen All Good People](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I've_Seen_All_Good_People)** > > "I've Seen All Good People" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, written by frontman Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire and recorded on their third studio album, The Yes Album (1971). The almost 7-minute song is in two parts; the first, titled "Your Move", was released as a single in 1971 which peaked at number 40 in the US, which helped the group build momentum. The second part is entitled "All Good People". > The tune uses chess as a lyrical, if incoherent, metaphor for navigat... ---
**Author:** ![Cwturner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Cwturner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cwturner)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/23 "2021-03-18T13:51:33Z")
Dylan’s Subterranian Homesick Blues ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/24 "2021-03-18T13:59:38Z")
Took 24 posts to mention Blinded by the Light? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/25 "2021-03-18T14:25:14Z")
Huh? It’s clearly a song about wrapping up douches. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/26 "2021-03-18T14:50:03Z")
And it took even longer than 24 posts for anyone to mention _America_. I guess the songs make some loose sense in an evocative sort of way, but sure as heck not from any literal sense of the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/27 "2021-03-18T14:57:55Z")
> [@Civil\_Guy](#): > > And it took even longer than 24 posts for anyone to mention _America_ . Hah, I read this far just to get my answer taken on the last post. Also amazed it took that long. Alligator lizards in the air, Tropic of Sir Gallahad, rocks and birds and trees and things, yadda yadda. Sounds pretty, though. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/28 "2021-03-18T15:11:54Z")
> [@Civil\_Guy](#): > > And it took even longer than 24 posts for anyone to mention _America_ . > > I guess the songs make some loose sense in an evocative sort of way, but sure as heck not from any literal sense of the lyrics. Which one? Because the Simon and Garfunkle one makes sense, > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Huh? It’s clearly a song about wrapping up douches. And anus curly-whirly. Don’t forget that! ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/29 "2021-03-18T15:39:16Z")
I was writing as a generality. I don’t immediately recognize the one you’ve mentioned, although I probably should. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/30 "2021-03-18T15:48:08Z")
I’m getting now that you meant America the band, not _America_ the song. “The heat was hot” is in a bit different league than “Counting the cars on the New Jersey turnpike/they’ve all come to look for America”. Thought Yes did an interesting cover of _America_. We have thread crossover! eta, I love America, I love Horse With No Name, Ventura Highway, even their alligator lizards and Sir Gallahad. And you won’t change my mind. So there. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/31 "2021-03-18T17:08:21Z")
**Surfin’ Bird** [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9Gc4QTqslN4/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLC5MB1D1iWCjpmg29nezaJqtDflJA "The Trashmen - Surfin Bird - Bird is the Word 1963 (RE-MASTERED) (ALT End Video) (OFFICIAL VIDEO)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc4QTqslN4) ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/32 "2021-03-18T17:33:26Z")
I clicked this thread with a contribution in mind and quickly discovered that it’s not quite the direction everyone else was going, but I’ll post it anyway. From the olden days of the internet when I was but a wee babe, The [Llama Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMYN4djSq7o) > Llama llama cheesecake llama, > Tablet brick potato llama, > Llama llama mushroom llama, > Llama llama duck. > I was once a treehouse, > I lived in a cake, > But I never saw the way > The orange slayed the rake… My dog’s favorite toy is a large stuffed llama, so even though I hadn’t though of that song in years, it now gets stuck in my head all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/33 "2021-03-18T17:39:43Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Surfin’ Bird Way back in the 70s, someone on my local radio station had a fake commercial. Like a K-tel record, it featured “all the hits”. It included: Surfin’ Bird, by the Trashmen Surfin’ Trash, by the Birdmen and Trashin’ Bird, by the Surfmen And each was illustrated with the same 2 second music clip. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/34 "2021-03-18T17:40:52Z")
I swear I thought this song was made up for _Family Guy._ ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/35 "2021-03-18T23:33:58Z")
Chicken Monkey Duck. It’s funky! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8N7-wRWg7FU/hqdefault.jpg "Mike Phirman - Chicken Monkey Duck") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N7-wRWg7FU) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/36 "2021-03-18T23:55:19Z")
Good evening and welcome to Slaggers… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iZndVv-jl-U/maxresdefault.jpg "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZndVv-jl-U) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/37 "2021-03-19T00:24:53Z")
Just like with Beck, I could post tons of nonsense Pavement songs, but “Stereo” will do: _Pigs, they tend to wiggle when they walk_ _The infrastructure rots_ _And the owners hate the jocks_ _With their agents and their dates_ _If the signatures are checked_ _You’ll just have to wait_ _And we’re counting up the instants that we save_ _Tired nation so depraved_ _From the cheap seats see us_ _Wave to the camera_ _It took a giant ramrod_ _To raze the demon settlement_ _But high-ho silver, ride_ _High-ho silver, ride_ _Take another ride to see me home_ _Listen to me! I’m on the stereo stereo_ _Oh my baby baby baby baby babe_ _Gave me malaria hysteria_ (and it only gets weirder) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AnrM4UjaQmY/hqdefault.jpg "Pavement - "Stereo"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnrM4UjaQmY) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/38 "2021-03-19T01:07:53Z")
This is an easy one for me. Wire’s “Kidney Bingos” A sample: > **Verse** > Natural splits sunburn jets pride marks smart bets > Strikers luck pitch backs heap tips pit slacks > Dressed pints demon shrinks bread drunk dead drinks > Stretch clubs models box draw skin black shocks > **Chorus** > Money spines paper lung kidney bingos organ fun > Money spines paper lung kidney bingos organ fun It’s a beautifully addicting song, with a very wistful – at least to me – 80s vibe to it. I can’t help but feel emotional and reflective hearing it. Anyhow, Wire are a band that’s been around since the 70s and are probably best known for their punk and post-punk work (their first three albums). On this album, A Bell is a Cup Until It Is Struck, they take on a more mid-80s New Wave vibe. I’ve never read if Wire had anything to say about this song, but my interpretation is it’s perhaps poking fun at the vapid lyrics of pop songs; or perhaps it’s just to show how the music can take you on an emotional journey, no matter the silliness of the lyrics? Who knows. They’re an arty bunch, so I’m assuming it’s all and none of these. But enjoy! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6OrxQ5cKaOQ/hqdefault.jpg "Wire - Kidney Bingos") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OrxQ5cKaOQ) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/39 "2021-03-19T04:34:20Z")
Hard to beat _Prisencolinensinainciusol_: Uis de seim cius nau op de seim Ol uait men in de colobos dai Trrr ciak is e maind beghin de col Bebi stei ye push yo oh ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/40 "2021-03-19T04:57:52Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > _Voice of Harold_ would be at the top of that list. A Must! That song makes sense when you know the history of [The Revelaires](https://www.reddit.com/r/rem/comments/3f0yru/voice_of_harold_is_a_song_about_my_grandfather/) and R.E.M.'s stalled recording session. Now, about that moral kiosk… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130.md?page=3)