Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 05:00 PM

fwiw: "I cheer" - Most Euro-Americans would probably translate Heja Sverige! as Go Sweden! Excepting parts of Maine & Louisiana it would be Allez! Elsewhere one might hear Viva!.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 04:30 PM

What's the German word for Olé!…?

Hojotoho! Hojotoho!
Heiaha! Heiaha! Hojotoho! Heiaha!

Google+Facebook paywall:
“People also ask
What is the Valkyrie battle cry?
Wagner's Valkyries famous battlecry is Hojotoho! Heiaha-ha! If you ever wondered if these words have a meaning in any ancient German language – unfortunately they don't. They are made up by Wagner but are powerful nevertheless.”

Well, for that matter, neither does “Yahoo!” “Yippee!” or “Yay” but they still get the message across:

Hojotoho! = variations on the interjection heu (Latin) = yo-ho-ho. See also March of the Winkies. ;)

Heia-ha (heja, hoia &c&c) = “I cheer.” See also Heia Viri.

Etymological gumbo: The Germans got it from the Irish and the other half of the Anglo's “hue & cry” is the root of the calypsonian griot (crier) or gritador.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 09:31 PM

You mean Adam and Eve, Joe_F? Or something in a song?

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Joe_F
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 09:20 PM

There was, I have read, a snake that talked and seduced a woman. Perhaps the mongoose, after eating it, got some ideas.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 07:47 AM

"Sly Mongoose" can be described as a nonsense song. After all, how can a mongoose talk or seduce women? "Mongoose took Bedward the preacher's daughter, baptise her in his holy water." When you consider that it might have been an allegory for the seduction of one of a charismatic preacher's young female followers (many Baptist churches apparently refer to their followers in family terms, such as "brothers and sisters") then it makes a lot more sense... "Sly Mongoose, dogs know your name."

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 06 Feb 11 - 07:26 PM

There have been several threads that mention "The Hut-Sut Song."

Here is a link to one of them with a discussion of the origin of the song and the lyrics.

Another song I remember with at least some nonsense lyrics is "Jean Harlow" by Leadbelly. (This one's not in the DT.)

Jay

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics 30's 40's 50's?
From: GUEST,grmp905
Date: 05 Feb 11 - 07:27 PM

Is any one old enough to remember 'Hut sut ralston on the rilawah,
and a brawla su it'?
Or oomp boom didum dadum wadum choo, three little fishes and a momma fishie too? I'm in my mid eighties. Come to think of it, may be that was "Three Little Fishies"

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Bert
Date: 05 Feb 11 - 04:11 PM

Dad used to sing...

My wife's husband, he's a friend of me
When we get married we'll have coffee in our tea
never with a knife shave the whiskers off a flea
every little poodle has his day.

Rock oil, suck a boil,
if you can't succeed suck coke
never eat a sausage with its skin on
good morning do you use Pears soap.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 11 - 01:42 PM

There was a song? during the 1940 that had lyrics somthing like this:
"Chickery chick chala chala eyc, ina a balonica cavt you see, chicker chick is me". There is more, but someone may have the whole thing.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,Judy VR
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 04:30 AM

Horse Named Bill is one of the funniest I've performed; others are DOES YOUR CHEWING GUM LOSE ITS FLAVOR (Lonnie Donnagan); TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN (Lonnie Donnagan); DANG ME (Roger Miller); ALLEY OOP (??); LITTLE BLUE MAN (???); YOU CAN'T ROLLER SKATE IN A BULLFALO HERD (Roger Miller); there were cassettes I bought back in the 80's that had 2 sides of two cassettes filled with these weird and funny songs (my favorites too) ...Kathy Fink has one about Suzie and the Alligator. Some songs are in campfire songs. IT WAS MIDNIGHT ON THE OCEAN...(song from MY youth).

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Genie
Date: 10 Jun 02 - 02:04 AM

greg, type in "go get the axe" in the DT and forum search box, and you'll get links to at least three threads with versions of that song. Two of them are the "Horse" song. [Dunno why the clicky didn't work.]

Genie

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,Mark Benton
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 08:07 PM

Anyone fill in the blanks here? Send me the rest.

The monkey married the baboon's sister,
Gave her a ring, and then he kissed her,
Kissed her so hard it raised a blister.
She set up a yell.
The bridesmaid put on some court plaster.
Stuck so fast it couldn't stick faster.
Surely 'twas a sad disaster,
But it soon got well.

Well what do you think the bride was dressed in?
White gauze veil and a green glass breast pin,
Red kid shoes quite interestin'.
She was quite a belle.
The groom he blazed in a blue shirt collar,
Black silk top hat cost a dollar,
Large false whiskers, the fashion to foller,
Cut a monstrous swell.

Well, what do you think they had for dinner?
???????????????????????????????????
???????????????
Peanuts not a few.

What do you think were the tunes they danced to?
What were the figures they advanced to?
Up and down now as they chanced to.
Their tails they were too long.
Duck in the kitchen old aunt sally
Plain cotillion who keeps tally
Up and down they charge and rally
Ended is my song.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 10:34 AM

I suspect the folk process looms large in nonsense songs, because the nonsensical verses can be interchanged. I remember the "peeping through the knothole" and the "boy's best friend" lines. Additionally, my memory hasn't been tested on some of these songs for a long time, so I may be mixing and matching words.

Some songs that seem like nonsense today probably made perfect sense when they arose. The ham and eggs verse above--if it were written during one of the World Wars when those were in short supply, then this would be a Big Rock Candy Mountain sort of song, and the emphasis on "smell" wouldn't mean "stink." Just speculation, however.

SRS

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 09:13 PM

Genie couldnt follow your clickie to a horse song with the "go get the axe" line. My version that I recall hasnt got any horses,. It is ""Peeping through the knothole in granpa's wooden leg/ Who'll wind the clock when I am gone/ Go get the axe there's a flea in granny's er/And a boy's best friend is his mother". Is that the same song you've got?

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Bobert
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:38 PM

Paul Seibel was a master at nonsense lyrics, or better put.. half-sense lyrics.

He ended "Legend of the Captain's Daughter" with, "Time is now and will be long ago..."

Then in "Jasper" he ended it with, "Last time I saw Jasper... He was running down the roda... with his botts but on backwards... just incase it snowed... "

Bobert

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Genie
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:28 PM

It came back to me today: that "...hey, john Dougal a ren fra rooshity roo..." line is from "The Wee Cooper O' Fife," I believe. While the song is definitely not PC and is, in its way, BS*, it's just the refrain that is nonsense:

"nickety, nackety, noo, noo, noo" etc.

Genie

*The premise is that the lazy rich-girl wife is straigtened out by a good thrashing by the husband [thrashing his "ain sheepskin" which he has thrown across her back].

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 01:27 PM

The horses run around
Their feet are on the ground
Oh who will wind the clock while I'm away?
Go get the axe, there's a hare on baby's chest
(can't remember the rest. . . )

yeah, that isn't Horse Named Bill. I think we just called it "The Horses Run Around," but it probably has a name. So many links above, and I didn't follow them because my connection seems to be a bit slow today. Gotta get DSL one of these days.

I loved that One-eyed Cook song when I was a kid. We had a good recording of it, can't remember who that was, either. McCurdy? Must be the heat--I've been out mowing the lawn this morning.

SRS

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Mudlark
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 02:12 AM

The Whale Song (In San Francisco town there lived a whale, he ate pancakes by the pail...)

The One-Eyed Cook (There was a little drummer and he loved a one-eyed cook)

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Genie
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 01:40 AM

Other forum threads re "Ain't We Crazy" or "Midnight On The Ocean" are

Here

Here

Here

and

Here

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Genie
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 01:27 AM

and another here about throwing things out the window.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Genie
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 01:23 AM

Here is a link to the "Horse" song that has the "...go get the axe.." line.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 12:15 AM

Wonder whatever happened to Kate?

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Genie
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 11:56 PM

The "go get the axe, there's a fly on grandma's nose" line is not from "Horse Named Bill," as I recall (but damned if I can remember what it IS from!).

Here's a nonsense refrain that I think I learned from one of the old folksongs Burl Ives sang:

"heylicky, wallicky
hey, john dougal,
a ren fra roosheti
roo roo roo"

Anyone recognize those verbal pearls?

The version of "The Happy Land" I have on an old Robin Hall and Jimmie MacGregor album goes:

"There is a happy land down in Duke Street jail
Where all the prisoners stand tied tae a nail.
Ham and eggs they never see, and dirty water fer the tea,
And there they live in misery:
God save the Queen!

The Glasgow corporation came wi' a brand new plan.
They're buildin' tenement hooses noo doon in the happy land,
But there's 16 (60?) murderers buried there,
So watch yersel' and dinna care,
Or a ghost'll come oot an' grab ye by the hair!
God save the Queen!

One other really silly song that comes to mind is "My Rhinoceros." RUS has a few verses, but I've heard many more, and funnier ones, too.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 11:46 AM

Well, darn. I see I had TWO typos in there. . .

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 11:45 AM

The verses that Liland posted and Genie asked about are from A Horse Named Bill. My dad always conflated that one with (or the same song simply moves into a somewhat different form, as Queen was wont to do in their songs) with the first line "There's a whale named M/Daisy and she's a peach." (Can't remember her name this morning).

My Dad loved nonsense songs. And satire. Gives me an arsenal of material for all sorts of occasions. My children have recently discovered the old movie Arsenic and Old Lace and I sang The Happy Land (as I know it, anyway) for them so they would understand that the music at the very beginning is telling you volumes about what to expect in the movie. Now if I could sort out some of the various versions of things--the topical verses that popped up over the years, like the Charlie Chaplin verse in one of those--they are a wealth of social commentary, actually, not nonsense at all if you know to what events they are a response.

There is a happy land
Far, far away
Where they serve ham and eggs
Three times a day.
Oh how the borders yell
When they hear the dinner bell
Oh how those eggs do smell
Far, far away.

I don't know if this is a regular verse to Happy Land or this is a satire. It's a mix of childhood memories. Happy Land always seemed to me to be one of those church songs that was corrupted by the general populace (as happened so well with songs like Beulah Land).

SRS, muddling along with old songs in Texas

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Lynn
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 11:17 AM

What about 'Jenny Jenkins'? It's a zipper song which can be a great challenge to the singer if she's willing to ask the audience to suggest colors -

The chorus goes:

I'll buy me a foldee roldee Tillde toldie seek a double use-a cause-a roll the find me. Roll, Jenny Jenkins roll.

There are bunches of counting rhymes and songs that use nonsense words. My 1st graders' current favorite is::

Icka backa soda cracka Icka backa boo Icka backa soda cracka Out goes you

on a sing-songie sol la sol mi tune.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: HuwG
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 10:59 AM

The lyrics to "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name" may fall into this category. "The Irish Rover" has a few oddball concepts.

Subject: Lyr Add: MY AARDVARK WEARS SNOWSHOES
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 10:16 AM

Try this one on for size. These lyrics should be sung to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey".

My aardvark wears snowshoes,
My grandmother's green,
And my red neon necktie
Can barely be seen.

My aardvark went shopping
For a purple toupee,
When the FBI stopped him
On the Appian Way.

Then without any warning,
The G-man fell dead,
While visions of aardvarks
Danced in his head.

Then a nine-legged chicken
Laid an egg on his toes,
Which hatched out a Martian
With a forty-foot nose.

The nose was so monstrous,
That it weighed down his head.
He turned with great effort,
To the chicken and said:

"My aardvark wears snowshoes,
My grandmother's green,
And my red neon necktie
Can barely be seen."


Stephen

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: open mike
Date: 07 Jun 02 - 04:00 AM

then there are those "scat" songs like in little beggar man where he says skin-a-ma-rink-a-doodle or something like that-- i always loved nikkety nakkety hey ee dum dafferty willaby wallaby rustical quality nikkey nakkety now now now and that is just the chorus-- the verses arepretty kooky, too

such as : I married my wife in the month of June nikkety nakkety now now now I courted her home by the light of the moon (chorus) she washes the pigs in the kitchen sink...nikkety... she makes the black ones all turn pink...chorus... she churns the butter in her daddy's old boot...Nick.... and for a dash she uses her foot---chorus-- etc....too manymjore verses to recall right now...

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 06 Jun 02 - 03:06 PM

Ive posted the words to Old Macdonalds farm in the thread above dated 6 june

Regards Ray

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Genie
Date: 28 May 02 - 08:37 PM

Here are a few I can think of that contain nonsense words, absurd phrases, or absurd concepts.

A Horse Named Bill
Boom! Boom! Ain't It Great To Be Crazy?
Mairzy Doats (nonsense--until you say the lines slowly and enunciate)
Joy To The World (the Hoyt Axton song, not the Christmas carol)
My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died (Roger Miller)
Incense, Peppermints (60's pop song which was composed by just going to the "incense" page of a rhyming dictionary, etc.)
The Happy Land
Billy Barlow
Autumn To May (same song as Little Brown Dog or a variant?)
Polly Wolly Doodle
Jabberwocky (poem by Lewis Carroll)
Skinamarink-a-dink-a-dink


What's that song that has a line like "Go fetch the axe, there's a flea on granny's nose...?"

Pop Goes The Weasel (I think it had a symbolic meaning--of a political nature?--, but it's pretty nonsens-y today)

Genie

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: rich-joy
Date: 28 May 02 - 04:55 AM

Guest Ray; how can I get a copy of the Latin version of Old MacDonalds Farm by Dave Summers??? Looked through Forum but found nothing ... Thanks

poor misery, using rich joy's 'puter

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,songbird
Date: 27 May 02 - 08:13 PM

Does anyone know the words to the song called "Gravy on a bucket lid" about a family that didn't own enough plates to go around so the kids sopped their gravy from a bucket lid.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 27 May 02 - 07:58 PM

Guest Vectis...

You are absolutely correct. I have mixed up 2 songs from the same book. Sorry one and all...my bad.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 27 May 02 - 07:52 PM

I thought it was pretty clear from Kate's post that, by "nonsense lyrics", she meant (to quote from the song I think she was talking about) stuff on the lines of lith a doodle etc., etc. This sort of thing has been discussed here quite often.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,vectis
Date: 27 May 02 - 07:50 PM

Celtic Soul
The flea and tree song is a boozing song called "Martin said to his Man"
It's probably in the DT

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 May 02 - 07:39 PM

The Streets of London

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 May 02 - 07:29 PM

Freut Euch des Lebens
Grossmutter ward mit der Sense rasiert
Aber vergebens
Sie war nicht eingeschmiert

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Haruo
Date: 27 May 02 - 05:39 PM

The horses run around, their feet are on the ground,
Oh, who will wind the clock while I'm away-ay, away-ay?
Go get the axe, there's a hair on Baby's chin!
And a boy's best friend is his mother, his mother.

A-lookin' through the knothole in grandpa's wooden leg,
Why did they build the shore so near the ocean, the ocean?
A snake's belt slips because he hasn't any hips,
So he wears it 'round his neck beneath his necktie, his necktie.

And several other verses, one with the words "Go get the Listerine™, sister wants a beau"; don't recall it all at the moment.

Liland

Subject: Lyr Add: THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (Edward Lear)
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 27 May 02 - 05:35 PM

This is a nonsense song by Edward Lear
I suspect it has a different meaning to its innocent facade, or is it just the way my mind works? Who knows?

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
By Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
in a beautiful pea green boat,
They took plenty of money and honey
wrapped up in a five pound note,
The Owl he looked at the stars above
and he sang to small guitar,
Oh Pussy, oh Pussy, oh Pussy my love
what a beautiful Pussy you are...
You are ... you are ... what a beautiful Pussy you are.


Said the Puss to the Owl you elegant fowl
"How beautifully sweet you sing,
Let us not tarry too long,
but what will we do for a ring"
They sailed away for a year and a day
to the land where the Bong tree grows,
And there at the edge of the sand
stood a piggywig with a ring at the end of his nose,
his nose... his nose... his nose...with a ring at the end of his nose.


"Oh pig are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring ?
", Said the Piggy "I Will"
. So they took it away and were married next day
by a Turkey who lived by the hill.
They dined on mince and a slice of quince

which they ate with runcible spoon,
And hand in hand the danced by the light of the moon
.... the moon. ... the moon .... they danced by the light of the moon.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 May 02 - 05:25 PM

I've always been found of the cowboy nonesense songs such as "I Can't Get off of My Horse" and "The Cowpuncher Song." The best nautical one that is less well known is "A Nautical Yarn" but then there's "Fresh-Water Whaling" and that great song about the cow sinking the Japanese trawler called "A Cowardly Act." Happy to provide lyrics to any of these although I've posted them before in other threads.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,ray
Date: 27 May 02 - 04:11 PM

The only true nonsense songs I can come up with at first thought is "Nightime in Italy" in which there is no story or connection between the phrases. After all what are you supposed to make of "When its nightime in Italy Its Wednesday over here" and that other masterpiece the Kipper familys "Awayday" (see thread above)

Equally daft is the ever popular rendition of Old McDonalds farm in latin by Dave Summers which people find hard to accept. At least they do when I sing it.

Moving on to a higher social plane there is the song from the goons which is reputed to be a favourite of The Prince of Wales. That starts "Ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong ying tong tiddly I po...." and gets no better I love songs with meaning

Im getting the hang of this now Theres Kenneth Williams of "Carry on films" he used to do supposed folk songs as Ramblin Sid Rumpo These were all total rubbish most of the individual words didnt make sense much less the lines.

Enough

If you are fired with enthusiasm put something back on the thread and someone can teach me how to pass details

Good luck Ray

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 May 02 - 12:37 PM

And O Susannah

It raimed all night the day I left
The weather it was dry,
The sun so hot I froze to death
Susannah, don't you cry

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 27 May 02 - 10:42 AM

I think you need to clarify what you are looking for: some songs are "nonsense" songs because they deliberately set out self-contradictory narratives, or are logically inconsistent by design for humorous effect.

I don't know Bedlam Boys cited above but it sounds like the Scots song I know as "Wha's Fu?"..

Others contain "nonsense" choruses or refrains - or indeed are composed entirely of "nonsense" - I'm thinking here specifically of puirt a beul (sp?), or mouth music...

e.g. "Tail toddle, tail toddle Tammie gart my tail toddle, at my arse wi deedle-doddle, Tammy gart my tail toddle"

Into this category, you could place anything from "Whiskey in the jar" to the Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be"....

Which ones are we talking about?

Cheers

Steven

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 27 May 02 - 10:38 AM

In the book I have, it's called "Bedlam Boys", but yes, that's the refrain, Stephen.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 27 May 02 - 10:32 AM

Are you refering to "Who's the Fool, Now?". I think Roberts and Barrand may have recorded it.

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 27 May 02 - 10:24 AM

Since it mentions "I saw a flea heave a tree". Or do you know one that can?

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 May 02 - 03:26 AM

Bedlam Boys????

Since when is that a nonsense song?

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 27 May 02 - 02:30 AM

what about Nottanum Town?

Subject: RE: Songs with 'nonsense' lyrics?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 27 May 02 - 02:16 AM

Bedlam Boys...one of my favorite nonsense songs!