"The Butter Wouldn't Melt So I Put It In The Pie!"

HUH?!?!?  ???

The 70's didn't invent nonsense lyrics, but sure embraced them.  If a song made you go "huh?", that didn't preclude it from becoming a big hit.  Case in point the "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" snippet above.  Of course deep meaningful lyrics were still often appreciated (as was pure fluff), but sensical lyrics didn't seem to be a requirement for song success in the 70's.

What examples of nonsense 70's lyrics can you think of?

Thats easy, the first one that pops to mind is:

"Someone left the cake out in the rain" - MacArthur Park - Donna Summer.  ::)

I still don't get what thats supposed to mean... ???

Steve Miller claims to be the "Pompatus of love" in "The Joker".

The whole song; "Blinded By The Light," is nonsensical but especially this line,

And little Early-Pearly came by in her curly-wurly, and asked me if I needed a ride,  ???

The whole song; "Blinded By The Light," is nonsensical but especially this line,

And little Early-Pearly came by in her curly-wurly, and asked me if I needed a ride,  ???




thanks for telling me what the right lyrics might be.  I only ever hear a misheard line someone submitted to AmIRight.

Thats easy, the first one that pops to mind is:

"Someone left the cake out in the rain" - MacArthur Park - Donna Summer.  ::)

I still don't get what thats supposed to mean... ???


Jimmy Webb wrote the song.

It's a metaphor for a love affair dying...beyond that I don't think it's worth analyzing.  It's one of the worst songs ever written!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacArthur_Park_(song)

This one song always got me,

A Horse With No Name.....America.

"On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things." (Rocks are full of life?)

"The Heat Was Hot." (Ya think?)

"The Ocean Is A Desert With It's Life Underground." (Huh?)

John Lennon's song "N#9 dream" has some odd lyrics "ah bawakawa...etc.." What is that?

From the department of the bleedin' obvious comes this one from Thin Lizzy...

'Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak, somewhere in this town...'








Er...the jail might be a red-hot favourite!

This one song always got me,

A Horse With No Name.....America.

"On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things." (Rocks are full of life?)

"The Heat Was Hot." (Ya think?)

"The Ocean Is A Desert With It's Life Underground." (Huh?)



Randy Newman said that song was about a kid who thinks he's taken LSD!
:D

DAVID BOWIE:
The Jean Genie

A small Jean Genie snuck off to the city
strung out on lasers and slash-back blazers
and ate all your razors while pulling the waiters
talking bout Monroe and walking on snow white
New York's a go-go and anything tastes nice
poor little Greenie

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

Sits like a man but he smiles like a reptile
she loves him she loves him
but just for a short while
she'll scratch in the sand
won't let go his hand
he says he's a beautician and sells you nutrition
and keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear
poor little Greenie

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

He's so simple minded
he can't drive his module
he bites on the neon
and sleeps in a capsule
loves to be loved
loves to be loved

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

Well, to be fair, the lyrics mean something...but nothing you could talk about on the radio back then!
8)

DAVID BOWIE:
The Jean Genie

A small Jean Genie snuck off to the city
strung out on lasers and slash-back blazers
and ate all your razors while pulling the waiters
talking bout Monroe and walking on snow white
New York's a go-go and anything tastes nice
poor little Greenie

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

Sits like a man but he smiles like a reptile
she loves him she loves him
but just for a short while
she'll scratch in the sand
won't let go his hand
he says he's a beautician and sells you nutrition
and keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear
poor little Greenie

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

He's so simple minded
he can't drive his module
he bites on the neon
and sleeps in a capsule
loves to be loved
loves to be loved

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

Well, to be fair, the lyrics mean something...but nothing you could talk about on the radio back then!
8)


I read years ago that he wrote that song about Iggy Pop

OK, heres one. Always loved the song, but never figured out what the hell they were trying to say...despite many of the Internet musings it still doesn't explain the lyrics...or make much sense.

Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23

Hello, my love
I heard a kiss from you
Red magic satin playing near, too

All through the morning rain
I gaze - the sun doesn't shine -
Rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind

In the garden - I see west
Purple shower, bells and tea
Orange birds and river cousins dressed in green

Pretty music I hear - so happy
And loud - blue flower echo
From a cherry cloud

Feel sunshine sparkle pink and blue
Playgrounds will laugh
if you try to ask
Is it cool?, is it cool?

If you arrive and don't see me
I'm going to be with my baby
I am free - flying in her arms, over the sea

Stained window, yellow candy screen
See speakers of kite - with velvet roses diggin' freedom flight

A present from you - Strawberry letter 22
The music plays, I sit in for a few

Ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...

A present from you - Strawberry letter 22
The music plays, I sit in for a few

Ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...

Not only are the lyrics like some bad acid trip, the song title is Strawberry Letter 23, but the song sings about Strawberry Letter 22? ???

I read years ago that he wrote that song about Iggy Pop


Yeah, I've read that too.  If it's about anybody, it's about Iggy, though Bowie said it wasn't about Iggy per se.

It's definitely a relic of Warhol/VU times. 

Not only are the lyrics like some bad acid trip, the song title is Strawberry Letter 23, but the song sings about Strawberry Letter 22?

This is one of my alltime favorite songs and a perfect blend of lyrics and music.

He says "A present from you - strawberry letter 22" and I always rationalized that this song must be like "a present from me - strawberry letter 23"  :-\\

This is one of my alltime favorite songs and a perfect blend of lyrics and music.

He says "A present from you - strawberry letter 22" and I always rationalized that this song must be like "a present from me - strawberry letter 23"  :-\\


It's a great dance song as well, very cool.

DAVID BOWIE:
The Jean Genie

A small Jean Genie snuck off to the city
strung out on lasers and slash-back blazers
and ate all your razors while pulling the waiters
talking bout Monroe and walking on snow white
New York's a go-go and anything tastes nice
poor little Greenie

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

Sits like a man but he smiles like a reptile
she loves him she loves him
but just for a short while
she'll scratch in the sand
won't let go his hand
he says he's a beautician and sells you nutrition
and keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear
poor little Greenie

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

He's so simple minded
he can't drive his module
he bites on the neon
and sleeps in a capsule
loves to be loved
loves to be loved

Jean Genie lives on his back
The Jean Genie loves chimney stacks
he's outrageous he screams and he bawls
Jean Genie let yourself go!

Well, to be fair, the lyrics mean something...but nothing you could talk about on the radio back then!
8)


Love the Jean Genie!  Cool video, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA29BVtCCpM&feature=related

The Turtles - Elenore

Elenore, gee, I think you're swell
And you really do me well
You're my pride and joy, et cetera


The Turtles - Happy Together

So happy together
How is the weather


Dan

That happens to be the same song that comes to mind with me but its the lyric "There ain't no one for to give you no pain"  Geez!

A Horse With No Name.....America.

"On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things." (Rocks are full of life?)

"The Heat Was Hot." (Ya think?)

"The Ocean Is A Desert With It's Life Underground." (Huh?)

From Edie Brickel's 'What I Am': "Slippery Rock Religion". What's that supposed to mean?

America was great for nonsense lyrics.  But I am surprised nobody mentioned their song Tin Man:

And cause never was the reason for the evening
Or the tropic of sir galahad.

or

So please believe in me
When I say Im spinning round, round, round, round
Smoke glass stain bright color
Image going down, down, down, down
Soapsuds green like bubbles

Myself, I always understood the meaning of the Ocean line in Horse With No Name.  If you look at the Ocean from the surface, it appears dead, with no life at all.  But once you go under the water, there is life everywhere.

Of course, Queen is right up there with nonsense lyrics.  I'm Going Slightly Mad has some of the most bizzare, but Bohemian Rhapsody is not far behind.

Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
Galileo,galileo,
Galileo galileo
Galileo figaro-magnifico-

Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-

This song isn't from the '60s but the lyrics never made any sense to me:

She wore a raspberry beret

What the hell? Was the beret made of raspberries? LOL, maybe it was the color of the beret?? It never made any sense to me anyways

This song isn't from the '60s but the lyrics never made any sense to me:

She wore a raspberry beret

What the hell? Was the beret made of raspberries? LOL, maybe it was the color of the beret?? It never made any sense to me anyways

I believe he is speaking of the color.  Why raspberry?  I guess he'd already used the word "purple"  :-\\