Nonsense lyrics

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Kory
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Nonsense lyrics

Post by Kory »

A discussion over in the "This is England lyrics" thread got me thinking about Joe's penchant for inscrutable lyrics during CTC, his wilderness years, and even into the Rock Art days. I suppose it's true that they were such a turnoff to people because Joe had a reputation as a more incisive lyricist. But what do you think of nonsense lyrics in general? Lennon clearly had a habit, and a lot of those songs are considered classics, if not masterpieces. Is your aversion because of what I surmise, or do you more basically dislike surrealism in lyric writing?
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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Dr. Medulla »

I'm pretty tolerant of even pretty banal "let's fall in love, wouldn't that make the world wonderful" lyrics if the music is strong enough. I have a bit of an aversion to stuff that is overly earnest or preachy—a stereotypical Gen X allergy to sincerity that I'm still trying to break—but that's about it.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Heston
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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Heston »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 1:22pm
I'm pretty tolerant of even pretty banal "let's fall in love, wouldn't that make the world wonderful" lyrics if the music is strong enough. I have a bit of an aversion to stuff that is overly earnest or preachy—a stereotypical Gen X allergy to sincerity that I'm still trying to break—but that's about it.
I agree with Doc, lyrics are just a bonus for me. I like loads of "falling in love" songs. To me it's all about the tune or I would just read poetry. Don't get me wrong though, I love a great lyric.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Inder
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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Inder »

There's often a poetry to the images and sounds of good "nonsense" lyrics. The opening to Mondo Bongo is a great example —
I was patrolling a Pachinko
New nude noodle model parlor
in the nefarious zone
Hanging out with insects
under ducting
The CIA was on the phone

eumaas
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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by eumaas »

Heston wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 1:32pm
Don't get me wrong though, I love a great lyric.
Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We built this city, we built this city on rock an' roll
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Dr. Medulla »

eumaas wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 2:47pm
Heston wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 1:32pm
Don't get me wrong though, I love a great lyric.
Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We built this city, we built this city on rock an' roll
Heston takes one in the chest!
Image
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Heston
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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Heston »

eumaas wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 2:47pm
Heston wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 1:32pm
Don't get me wrong though, I love a great lyric.
Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We built this city, we built this city on rock an' roll
Now I'll take a dig for the song itself but the lyrics are great, on paper they could be a Strummer song. Didn't the Clash II have a song called Rock and Roll City? Not too far away.

Who rides the wrecking ball into rock guitars?
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by matedog »

Heston wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 1:32pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 1:22pm
I'm pretty tolerant of even pretty banal "let's fall in love, wouldn't that make the world wonderful" lyrics if the music is strong enough. I have a bit of an aversion to stuff that is overly earnest or preachy—a stereotypical Gen X allergy to sincerity that I'm still trying to break—but that's about it.
I agree with Doc, lyrics are just a bonus for me. I like loads of "falling in love" songs. To me it's all about the tune or I would just read poetry. Don't get me wrong though, I love a great lyric.
This is pretty much where I stand. I'm actually notoriously bad about even noticing lyrics and generally only do when they are egregiously bad. Nonsense lyrics are usually neutral and occasionally pleasantly evocative (see: The Killers) which can give them a sort of pseudo weight.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Kory »

So then why all the criticism of Strummer?
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 4:08pm
So then why all the criticism of Strummer?
We hate The Clash. (Plus I just hate that line in "This Is England.")
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by matedog »

Kory wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 4:08pm
So then why all the criticism of Strummer?
Because he had the ability to be an amazing lyricist and chose to not be.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Spiff »

Ca plane pour moi is the greatest song ever...

Wham
bang
mon chat "Splash" gite sur mon lit a bouffe
Sa langue en buvant trop mon whysky
Quand a moi peu dormi
vide
brime
J'ai du dormir dans la goutiere
Oil j'ai un flash
ouh
ouh
ouh.
En 4 couleurs
allez op
un matin
Une louloute est v'nue chez moi
Poupee de cellophane
cheveux chinois

Sparadrap
une gueule de bois
A bu ma biere dans un grand verre en caoutchouc
(Ouh
ouh
ouh) comme un indien dans son igloo

Ca plane pour moi
ca plane pour moi

Moi
moi
moi
moi
ca plane pour moi
(Ouh
ouh
ouh) ca plane pour moi

Allez hop
la mama
quel panard
quelle vibration
De s'envoyer sur le paillasson
lime
ruine
vide
comble
You are the king of the divan
qu'elle me dit en passant
(Ouh
Ouh
Quh) I'm the king of the di - van

Ca plane p6ur mai
ca glane gour moi
. . .

Allez hop
t'occupes
t'inquietes
touches pas ma planete
It's not today que le ciel me tombera sur la tete
Et que la colle me manquera
(Ouh
Ouh
Ouh) ca plane pour moi

Ca plane pour moi
ca plane pour moi
. . .

Allez hop
ma nana s'est tiree
s'est barree
Enfin c'est marre
a tout casse
l'evier
le bar
Me laissant seul comme un grand connard
(Ouh
Ouh
Ouh) le pied dans le plat

Ca plane pour moi
ca plane pour moi
Let fury have the hour, anger can be power
D'you know that you can use it?

-- There's no fairytale ending with cocaine.

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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by eumaas »

matedog wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 3:23pm
I'm actually notoriously bad about even noticing lyrics and generally only do when they are egregiously bad.
Hoy was a Skrewdriver fan for two years.
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman

I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy

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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by Flex »

eumaas wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 5:06pm
Hoy was a Skrewdriver fan for two years.
"Man, loved that gritty sound when they reformed in '84" - Hoy
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

eumaas
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Re: Nonsense lyrics

Post by eumaas »

Flex wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 5:16pm
eumaas wrote:
16 Aug 2017, 5:06pm
Hoy was a Skrewdriver fan for two years.
"Man, loved that gritty sound when they reformed in '84" - Hoy
he writes a paragraph about snare drum techniques
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman

I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy

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