# 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:** 3
**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:** [March 19, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/41 "2021-03-19T13:07:36Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I swear I thought this song was made up for _Family Guy._ Apparently, you hadn’t heard. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/42 "2021-03-19T13:29:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yes is one of my favorite groups. One could argue that their entire catalog is nonsense songs. Examples: > > “In and around the lake, mountains come out of the sky and they stand there.” (Roundabout) Yes has tons of weird lyics, but this one I heard about. > **[Roundabout by Yes - Songfacts](https://www.songfacts.com/facts/yes/roundabout)** > > Roundabout by Yes song meaning, lyric interpretation, video and chart position "\* Yes lead singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe wrote this song near the end of a tour when they were traveling in Scotland. They were in the back of a van going from Aberdeen to Glasgow when the song came together. Awed by the scenery, Anderson came up with lyrics like “Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there,” as the mountains would disappear into the clouds. The band had been touring for about a month, and Anderson was looking forward to his imminent return to London, where he could once again see his wife at the time, Jennifer. The lyrics, “Twenty four before my love you’ll see I’ll be there with you” indicate that he is just 24 hours away from being with her again. He says “Roundabout” is a “happy song” and describes it as a “Scottish jig.” - The lyrics describe a psychedelic-country life, with allusions to driving. A roundabout is a kind of traffic circle that substitutes for a stoplight and confounds tourists who are unfamiliar with them. Traffic patterns don’t always make the most poetic lyrics, but the word “Roundabout” sings very well and fits with the theme of the song, as when Jon Anderson came to a roundabout in Scotland, he knew that he was almost home." ---
**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, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/43 "2021-03-19T13:41:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve never read if Wire had anything to say about this song, Still haven’t, but looking around at other interpretations, some are that it’s a stream-of-consciousness about the banality of life; another long take on it was that it’s about tabloid journalism and that the chorus refers to the practice of selling organs for money. That’s the fun of songs like these – they’re just completely open to interpretation. Looking at it again, it does paint a fragmented, disjointed picture and isn’t totally random words picked out of a dictionary. (And the words picked are picked for their punch.) So perhaps it’s not quite a caricature of the banality of pop music lyrics, but I think there is an aspect of that in the way it is structured as seemingly unrelated words juxtaposed next to each other. Multifaceted meanings or just plain nonsense? You decide. It’s a great song nevertheless. > [@beowulff](#): > > Hard to beat _Prisencolinensinainciusol_ : A classic. That has to be linked to to those who haven’t seen it. Essentially, it’s how American or English popular music sounds to Italian ears: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/It4W6LaqsA4/maxresdefault.jpg "Adriano Celentano Prisencolinensinainciusol Original 1973") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It4W6LaqsA4) ---
**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:** [March 19, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/44 "2021-03-19T14:03:21Z")
Word salad inspired by _Alice in Wonderland_: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WANNqr-vcx0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGHIgTig5MA8=&rs=AOn4CLBGVG6ggfJNrtVRMxId1pA4lQ6aCw "Jefferson Airplane -White Rabbit-") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0) Let’s not forget Lucy! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/naoknj1ebqI/maxresdefault.jpg "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Remastered 2009)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naoknj1ebqI) ---
**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 19, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/45 "2021-03-19T14:04:24Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Hard to beat _Prisencolinensinainciusol_ : Lordy, how did I forget about that one? I love that song, even if it’s nearly impossible to sing along with. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/46 "2021-03-19T14:17:13Z")
I immediately thought of America, but all of their songs fail the “You Love” test of the OP. It didn’t ask about “nonsense songs you hate!” ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/47 "2021-03-19T14:20:10Z")
_Fish heads, fish heads_ _Roly poly fish heads_ _Fish heads, fish heads_ _Eat them up, yum!_ Yes, I was raised on MTV. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/48 "2021-03-19T14:22:19Z")
“Judy in Disguise” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wvQkzQart08/hqdefault.jpg "John Fred and His Playboy Band Judy in Disguise (HQ Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvQkzQart08) ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/49 "2021-03-19T18:07:45Z")
Alice by Pogo Honestly this song wouldn’t be half as good without the video. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pAwR6w2TgxY/hqdefault.jpg "Alice") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAwR6w2TgxY) ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/50 "2021-03-19T20:41:42Z")
_Lucy in the sky with diamonds_ males more sense if you know that it was supposed to be a musical representation of an LSD trip. John Fred then tweaked the lyrics, which sound weird if you don’t know the origin of his version. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/51 "2021-03-19T20:54:52Z")
Walt Kelly’s _Deck Us All With Boston Charlie_ must be mentioned. ---
**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 19, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/52 "2021-03-19T23:13:12Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > > > I swear I thought this song was made up for _Family Guy._ > > Apparently, you hadn’t heard. Yep. It was on AM pop/rock radio in the early sixties. ---
**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 20, 2021, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/53 "2021-03-20T01:20:52Z")
It was in fairly regular rotation on the oldies station that I listened to in the late 80s and early 90s as well. The Trashmen! ---
**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 20, 2021, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/54 "2021-03-20T01:26:30Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > > > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > > > > > I swear I thought this song was made up for _Family Guy._ > > > > Apparently, you hadn’t heard. > > Yep. It was on AM pop/rock radio in the early sixties. > [@pulykamell](#): > > It was in fairly regular rotation on the oldies station that I listened to in the late 80s and early 90s as well. The Trashmen! And of course there was the Ramones cover from Rocket To Russia. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y2ef-HLjElw/maxresdefault.jpg "Surfin' Bird (2017 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2ef-HLjElw) ---
**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:** [March 20, 2021, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/55 "2021-03-20T07:01:18Z")
Here’s a peppy jazzy number that’s fun to listen to. But I defy anyone here to listen and tell us what the words are: Mumbles by Clark Terry: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AxLy4_7Ig1M/maxresdefault.jpg "Mumbles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxLy4_7Ig1M) Sound familiar? This number was used regularly on the Soupy Sales Show, sung by Pookie the Lion. No matter how dumb you might think the Soupy Sales Show was, Pookie was always fun to watch: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kcb87xi8cVg/hqdefault.jpg "Soupy & Pookie") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcb87xi8cVg) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/56 "2021-03-20T08:09:23Z")
One of my favourite bands is pretty much undecifer-able. The Cocteau Twins, I mean just take one at random. [“Frou Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5Mqftd6h-E) - great song, steaming pile of nonsense lyrics. You can’t understand the lyrics as sung and even having them written down doesn’t help that much e.g. > Their fan I tickle > From serpents to dragons > I’d immerse you in flame > Your milk and your passion > Lead weight for his from his old turn > The young, I was eagerest > I’m losing the stars > I enlisted to find you > I buckle and rosed > As god and the rest(wrist) > How mere riches be > A war all we lose > Close into symbols > A fly drinks the ignitions > They turn infant’s breath my > Milk and wrap to her baby Not that it matters, still love 'em. ---
**Author:** ![its\_the\_daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bb73d2/32.png) [@its\_the\_daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/its_the_daddy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/57 "2021-03-20T08:49:46Z")
Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘America’ AIUI both have significant autobiographical content. Doesn’t this disqualify them as ‘Nonsense’? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/58 "2021-03-20T11:07:02Z")
[Life is a rock - reunion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcRe6DO-sE8) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/59 "2021-03-20T11:29:17Z")
OP nailed it with much Beck and some R.E.M. Let’s not forget Captain Beefheart. Each song has a discernible theme, but the words are often Dadaist poetry bordering on nonsense. Maybe start with “Steal Softly through Snow.” ---
**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 20, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130/60 "2021-03-20T13:24:46Z")
Another, just-pick-any-song band that qualifies is **The Pixies**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonsense-songs-you-love/938130.md?page=4)