Is there a name for the sort of song that consists pretty much of nothing more than repeating one verse over and over again, often either louder or softer than the previous sing-through? OTTOMH I’m thinking of songs like John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. Henery the Eighth, etc.
“annoying”?
Odd you would mention that song right now. This Sunday is the 40th anniversary of it reaching #1 on the Billboard chart in the U.S.
At a slower pace, there’s the Beatles’ I Want You/She’s So Heavy.
ditto ;j
“I’m So Glad”, Eric Clapton
“Na-na-na-na (Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye)”, Steam
and of course, the children’s song, “The Song That Never Ends”.
This is the song that never ends,
It just goes on and on, my friend
We started singing it not knowing what it was
and we’ll go on singing it
Forever, just because –
this is the song that never ends,…
That doesn’t qualify. “Kiss Him Goodbye” has two verses (“He’ll never love you, the way that I loved you…” and (“He’s never near you, to comfort and cheer you…”) and a chorus (“Na Na Na Na…”) Pretty typical pop structure.
OK, examples are good, but is there a name for the genre?
No matter how young a prune may be
He’s always full of wrinkles.
A baby prune is like his dad
But he’s not wrinkled quite so bad.
We have wrinkles on our face–
A prune has wrinkles everyplace!
No matter how young a prune may be
He’s always full of wrinkles.
A baby prune …
Nope, I don’t know if there’s a name. Kids’ songs, I’ve always assumed. My kids laughed so hard when I came out with the prune one.
I’ve got a million goofy songs from going to camp every year as a kid.
A “round”? Like Row, Row Row Your Boat, which just goes 'round and 'round?
I thought about rounds, but doesn’t a round involve the staggered start?
Not quite in the same league as some of the above, but the atrocious “Hey Jude” by some hairy, drugged-up Scousers goes on rather too long for my liking.
I immediately thought “Judy is a Punk” by the Ramones would fit this category. (It even has the “second verse, same as the first” line.) However, that song has a “third verse, different from the first” so it doesn’t qualify. So, I’ll name “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” instead.
This thread made me think of what I saw on Craig Ferguson a couple nights ago. Apparently, someone bought the original lyrics to “All You Need Is Love” and Craig was amazed that you would even have to write the lyrics down. “‘All you need is love/all you need is love/all you need is love/love is all you need’ It’s like forgetting the chorus of ‘Hey Jude’.”
Monty Python’s I Like Traffic Lights.
In the case of “Henery the Eighth” the term would be poorly researched. Harry Champion’s song consisted of three verses, none sung by Herman’s Hermits, and the chorus, which we all know.
You skipped Skip James. 
“camp bus songs”
“drive-the-counselors-crazy songs”
(Just guesses. Name that genre!)
From a recent Simpsons rerun:
*One two, tie your shoe
Three four, pick up the floor
Five six, don’t play tricks
Seven eight, clean your plate
Nine ten, start over again! *
Damn that Ruffi!
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
I’ve seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I’m on my way.
[sub](Isn’t there a rule about quoting entire lyrics in Cafe Society?)[/sub]