# Pop songs with unusual (or unique) words in the lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [September 22, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118 "2021-09-22T13:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/61 "2021-09-22T22:51:01Z")
Let us not forget the immortal “oo ee oo aa aa, ting, tang, walla walla bing bang” Ross Bagdasarian was a lyrical genius, I tell you! Genius! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/62 "2021-09-22T23:12:50Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > Boney M’s _Rasputin_ has kazachok. Which he did really _wunderbar_! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/63 "2021-09-22T23:55:03Z")
Jock-a-mo AKAIK, it only appears in one song. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FFutVwDpK9c/hqdefault.jpg "Dixie Cups - Iko Iko") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFutVwDpK9c) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/64 "2021-09-23T00:31:54Z")
First thing that came to mind was “Bismillah! No, we will not let you go!” from Bohemian Rhapsody. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/65 "2021-09-23T00:46:13Z")
The Association’s tongue-twisting [Along Comes Mary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juhdV0D8D-c) manages to shove _tribulations, masquerade, flaccid,_ and _psychodramas_ in its rapid-fire lyrics in under three minutes. . . and then ruins the (pretentious) effect with the hook line “When we met I was sure out to lunch.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/66 "2021-09-23T01:00:53Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Todd Rundgren had a whole song about onomatopoeia (complete with sound effects!) So did John Prine. Example lyrics: _Hold it! Stop it! No! No! No! No!_ _Bang! went the pistol._ _Crash! went the window._ _Ouch! went the son of a gun._ _Onomatopoeia_ _I don’t wanna see ya_ _Speaking in a foreign tongue._ ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/67 "2021-09-23T01:01:47Z")
_Workshop of the Telescopes_ by **Blue Oyster Cult** has a few: > By Silverfish **Imperetrix** whose **incorrupted** eye > Sees through the charms of doctors and their wives > By **Salamander** Drake and the power that was **undine** > Rise to claim Saturn, ring and sky > By those who see with their eyes closed > You’ll know me by my black telescope ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/68 "2021-09-23T04:37:06Z")
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “We Call Upon the Author to Explain” includes words such as ‘prolix’, ‘myxomatoid’, ‘jejune’, ‘cabal’, whose obscurity is of course somewhat the point… ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/69 "2021-09-23T05:00:44Z")
My last suggestion was voided by the “no proper nouns” restriction, so, drawing on US Top 40 hits, I nominate 1953s “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” by Gayla Peevey. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/70 "2021-09-23T11:15:32Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AjnOj9O16_I/hqdefault.jpg "Flanders & Swann - The Hippopotamus Song (Live)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnOj9O16_I) Other words in the song include “ignoramus.” ---
**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:** [September 23, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118/71 "2021-09-23T19:55:37Z")
I guess I’m pretty much an outlier in the fact that I recognized all the songs when I watched the Linda Rondstat version back when it came out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-with-unusual-or-unique-words-in-the-lyrics/951118.md?page=3)