Your Favorite Songs With Indecipherable Lyrics?

nathanm · « **on:** 6 Jan 2010, 08:45 pm »

I had the 'ol CD changer bring up a song in the other day and it was a song I loved, I could "sing" along with it in my head, but I realized I had NO IDEA AT ALL what they were saying! (Sonata Arctica - "Blank File") It might be a rare thing, as I don't own this entire album and have never looked up the lyrics to help inform my ears. It's odd though, to not be able to make out more than a few phrases. And it was clean singing, not death metal vocals, which it could be argued are inherently obfuscated (not always). It was like the words were 'hiding in plain sight'. Weird.

So what are some songs you like but have almost NO idea what the words are? I don't mean just the occasional mondegreen, I mean the whole dang tune.

Wayner · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Jan 2010, 09:16 pm »

Anything by Kraftwerk! I don't speaken z German, man.

Wayner aa

jcoat007 · « **Reply #2 on:** 6 Jan 2010, 09:21 pm »

Almost anything by Pearl Jam.

From their latest album Backspacer, Johnny Guitar is particularly good. My wife and I were driving the other day trying find words in the mumble of EV.

Good thread Nathan.

BobM · « **Reply #3 on:** 6 Jan 2010, 09:46 pm »

All I can think of is Whoopie Goldberg trying to figure out what Mick Jagger is singing. I think it might have been jumping jack flash in her movie of the same name.

andy_c · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Jan 2010, 11:02 pm »

This would have to be "Yep Roc Hearesay" by Slim Gaillard

. He claimed to have invented an entire language that he called "Vout", and also claimed to have written a dictionary for it. "Yep Roc Hearesay" came out in 1945, but was banned from the radio for suspicious lyrics. It turned out that the lyrics were just him reciting the names of items that were on the menu of a (some say Middle Eastern, some say Armenian) restaurant he used to frequent. He was quite a character. Here is some more information about the song and the man. There is a youtube video of the song, but there is no actual footage of him performing it - just a bunch of still shots. It is here.

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Jan 2010, 11:13 pm »

Pretty much anything by the Cocteau Twins. Even if you look them up they don't make any sense. Elizabeth Fraser has a beautiful voice, but damn, I have no idea what she's saying

lcrim · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Jan 2010, 11:25 pm »

I listen to a lot of music in other languages that I don't understand.
"Talking Timbuktu" by Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder has lyrics in a number of African languages but the music is very similar to electric R n' B. The thing is that it seems immediately familiar and I can't get it out of my head.
Recently I picked up "Lagrimas Negras" which is in Spanish and is the result of the brilliant interaction of a gypsey flamenco singer- Diego Cigala and Bebo Valdez, the incredible Latin pianist from pre-Castro Cuba. It isn't so much that its in Spanish but that its in an incredible blending of styles that is unique and tragically moving. The hoarse croak of El Cigala's voice blended with the jazzy, lyrical playing of Bebo Valdez. You don't need to know what the lyrics are, the emotions expressed are clear.

schw06 · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Jan 2010, 11:51 pm »

R.E.M.'s- "It's the End of the World as we Know it". That's great it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes and aeroplanes, Lenny Bruce is not afraid. I am a hurricane blah blah blah blah blah blah

ZLS · « **Reply #8 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 05:05 am »

I have to go really old school; Louie Louie by the Kingsmen.

Rumor has it that the lyrics were obscene. The thing is, it supposed to be in english!

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #9 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 05:18 am »

Setting aside the obvious stuff (eg I like Gaelic music & opera, but I don't speak any Gaelic or Italian), yeah, it happens. For me one of the best examples is Bang a Gong by T-Rex. Not an all time fave but catchy, but try to make out what he's actually singing!

Pez · « **Reply #10 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 06:11 am »

My newest purchase is exactly that. Great music and I have no idea WTF they're saying 70% of the time.

Memorable lyrics translated by your's truly like:
"Away from the taa and away from the truth the key I'm a pire, it's all I believe in it's all I believe in, you can rye on my dry"

and don't forget
"the mexi consense goodnight. the Tale machine is fussed from all that's spinin' round the suss"

Fantastic album that uhh... transcends language.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #11 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 08:50 am »

As my hearing declines, almost everything is becoming indecipherable.

orthobiz · « **Reply #12 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 11:01 am »

Quote from: BobM on 6 Jan 2010, 09:46 pm

All I can think of is Whoopie Goldberg trying to figure out what Mick Jagger is singing. I think it might have been jumping jack flash in her movie of the same name.
[/quote

Easy, no? You Can't Always Get What You Want:

I saw huchadee at the reception
A glass of wine your hand
She was practiced at the art of deception
At her feet was wet loose cement

I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmmy
A man did he look with his ears!

Paul

orthobiz · « **Reply #13 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 11:04 am »

This is the best example: Joe Cocker from the Woodstock festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpjNLjBbVd4

Make sure you are not drinking anything because you will surely
aspirate and get pneumonia!

Paul

jqp · « **Reply #14 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 11:49 am »

Songs from Buena Vista Social Club in Cuban Spanish - I think the lyrics are translated in the CD booklet will have to check....

Also many of the songs of The Gypsy Kings

WGH · « **Reply #15 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 02:34 pm »

Dead Can Dance has some interesting lyrics, Lisa Gerrard sings many of her songs, such as Now We Are Free and Sanvean in a language of her own invention that she has developed since the age of twelve.

Wayne

JRace · « **Reply #16 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 03:32 pm »

Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan, although I much prefer the Butthole Surfers version.

That and every Melvins song.
Even when you know the lyrics they don't make sense!

Quote

Big slide across bitter by hiding hold a hail
Sit down and hold this town in fever
This mind is most of all like a vulture on a nail
And now he knows distorting feeler hell
this time he knows distorting

Be now the first of all by the low end on avoid
It's a pig in's an eye it's a soul it's a seether
Big eye and hold it all by the riding on a head
Dig down in the voice dic-storting feeler hell
Chicks hide the most dic-storting

nathanm · « **Reply #17 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 04:04 pm »

Some of the Melvins lyrics I thought were pretty genious because in some cases they're nonsense which just sounds good. I'm thinking specifically of "Hooch"

Los ticka toe rest. Might likea sender doe ree.
Your make a doll a ray day sender bright like a penelty.
Exi-tease my ray day member half lost a beat away.
Purst in like a one way sender war give a heart like a fay.

Cause I can ford a red eed only street a wide a ree land.
Die-mond make a mid-evil bike a sake a like a ree caste.
Cause I can ford a red eed only street a wide a ree land.
On a ree land. Find a ree land.

You sink a my swan. Rolly a get a worst in.
Maybe minus way far central poor forty duck a pin.
Milk maid dud bean. Master a load a head.
Pill pop a dope a well run general hash pump a gonna led.

This kind of phonetic thing is more or less what Lisa Gerrard does too. Of course that's not the type of song this thread is about, it's more about plain English lyrics which you can't make out. Now I've derailed my own thread theme. What a jerk.

Scottdazzle · « **Reply #18 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 05:59 pm »

LOUIE LOUIE!

BobM · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Jan 2010, 06:27 pm »

Quote from: andy_c on 6 Jan 2010, 11:02 pm

This would have to be "Yep Roc Hearesay" by Slim Gaillard . He claimed to have invented an entire language that he called "Vout", and also claimed to have written a dictionary for it.

Sounds like a progressive rock group called "Magma". They have a whole different language that they sing their soungs in, and have been developing for the last 15 years or thereabouts. Rabid fans can actually speak it. Sounds a bit like Klingon to me.