I said lady, step inside my Hyundai

September 3, 2008 11:55 AM

What songs have really meaningless or silly lyrics, but are really catchy and fun?

I need to find lots and lots of frivolous songs for a friend's birthday party. The theme is 13-year-old-sleepover.

Any genre is fine. The songs can take themselves seriously, or not--as long as the result is ridiculousness.

Stuff like this:

Debra
My Humps or London Bridge
Lip Gloss
Milkshake
Fresh Out the Box
Girlfriend


I also have a weakness for songs that have an associated dance like:
Lean Like a Cholo
Strokin' (cut to 0:35 for some serious dancing)

Thank you for any and all suggestions!

posted by sondrialiac to human relations (91 comments total)

Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
posted by wolfkult at 12:01 PM on September 3

Hollaback Girl
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:01 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Jinx!
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:02 PM on September 3

The Trashmen — Surfin' Bird
posted by Rangeboy at 12:02 PM on September 3

a little something refreshing by old-school No Doubt.
posted by logic vs love at 12:05 PM on September 3

Around the World (La La La La La) by ATC.
posted by skallagrim at 12:05 PM on September 3

Huh, "My Humps" and "London Bridge" do mean something, and "Milkshake" does too - just not the kind of meaning you'd want at party for 13 year-olds, I'd say (or hope, anyway).

A classic: The Police's "De do do do de da da da".
posted by neblina_matinal at 12:05 PM on September 3

Yelle's two & Fatal Bazooka. Any Weird Al.
posted by jeffburdges at 12:07 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

13-year-old sleepover definitely needs mmbop, a song i would defend even without your theme...
posted by noloveforned at 12:07 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

yeah, you might want to check the lyrics on some of your stated songs...

find anything by bunnygrunt.
posted by nadawi at 12:09 PM on September 3

Can you imagine a world with Hover Bacon?
posted by moonmilk at 12:10 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

"Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team.

"Peanut Butter Jelly Time" by DJ Chipman. Peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat, indeed.
posted by infinitywaltz at 12:11 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Oh, and if you like silly with an associated dance, who can remember forget Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5?"
posted by infinitywaltz at 12:16 PM on September 3

Rubber Biscuit by Blues Brothers
posted by rocket88 at 12:16 PM on September 3

I have a whole mix tape of silly songs - some of these lyrics are more nonsensical than others, but we have...

Trio's "Da Da Da".

Fats Waller's "Your Feets' Too Big."

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)". Go for the They Might Be Giants version.

Nthing "De Doo Doo Doo/De Da Da Da".

"Happy Happy Joy Joy".

"Henry VIII I Am".

Barenaked Ladies "One Week" or REM's "It's The End Of The World As We Know It." (Maybe offer prizes if anyone can figure out exactly what the lyrics are and can accurately sing them.)

"Peaches" by The Presidents Of The United States Of America. Because it really IS just literally about fruit.

"Bang The Drum All Day" by Todd Rundgren.

"Fish Heads" - I have no idea who it's by, but you've heard it -- "Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads..."

"We Like The Moon", from Joel Veitch's Rathergood.com (you may have seen this in a Quizno's ad as "We like the subs").

Monty Python's Lumberjack song.

And then, the Muppets "Mahna mahna."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:21 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

I'm thinking almost anything by "Weird Al" Yankovic.
posted by AlliKat75 at 12:21 PM on September 3

Hey Ya!
posted by googly at 12:23 PM on September 3

To clarify, it's not a party for 13-year-olds!

It's for a friend who's turning 31 and having a 13-year-old THEME, including a pajama party/sleepover.
posted by sondrialiac at 12:24 PM on September 3

The Ketchup Song! The Wikipedia article explains the lyrics.
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:25 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Bootylicious and many others in the Destiny's Child oeuvre
vintage Madonna
Pussycat Dolls
Missy Elliott
Peaches, if you want it ridiculous and raunchy (I think you're having a party with adults but the theme is sleepover music, right? this is probably not appropriate AT ALL for actual 13-year-olds)
Let's Go to the Mall, from How I Met Your Mother
posted by pised at 12:26 PM on September 3

Most of America's early work is pretty nonsensical, as is Yes.
posted by tommasz at 12:27 PM on September 3

Takako Minekawa did Fantastic Cat, which is sublimely silly.
posted by Herman Hermanson at 12:28 PM on September 3

"Monkberry Moon Delight" By Paul McCartney on the Ram album.
posted by octothorpe at 12:30 PM on September 3

Anita Harris, "The Clapping Song"
posted by Camofrog at 12:31 PM on September 3

Move Your Feet and Shake Your Coconuts, by Junior Senior, should meet your unbridled silliness needs.
posted by CKmtl at 12:34 PM on September 3

500 miles
posted by any major dude at 12:34 PM on September 3

Short Skirt, Long Jacket

Every Deerhoof song is extra silliness
posted by shownomercy at 12:34 PM on September 3

"If I Had a Million Dollars" by the Barenaked Ladies. I think it's superfun and cute.
posted by kerning at 12:34 PM on September 3

My favorite of all time is Chacarron. There's some nonsense for ya.
posted by Kloryne at 12:35 PM on September 3

Mairzy Doats
posted by essexjan at 12:37 PM on September 3

Inka Dinka Doo

Not sure if knowing that song would help someone feel younger, however.
posted by wabashbdw at 12:38 PM on September 3

I My Me Mine by Polysics.
posted by crosten at 12:50 PM on September 3

Almost every song by They Might Be Giants.
posted by elendil71 at 12:51 PM on September 3

Adolescent Song of Mindless Devotion by The Lucksmiths

Super cute and catchy and about adolescent love.

Sample lyric:
I’d help you walk through the window
I’d sing to you beneath your door
I’d change my name to Matthew
And be the welcome mat on your floor
posted by wsquared at 12:51 PM on September 3

How has nobody suggested LFO's "Summer Girls" yet??
posted by inigo2 at 12:53 PM on September 3

Blue (Da Ba De) by Eiffel 65

Glamour Girl by Chicks on Speed

Flight of the Conchords?

Hamster dance?
posted by mgogol at 1:01 PM on September 3

oh! for a 31 year old - well then that should have made her 13 in 1990 if my math is correct.

here are the #1 dance hits of 1990. some nostalgia would be fun for this, methinks.
posted by nadawi at 1:03 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

KC & The Sunshine Band, "Give It Up"
They Might Be Giants, "Birdhouse in Your Soul"

Some of the lyrics to "Hey Ya!" may be raunchy for 13-year-olds, but most people don't listen to them anyway.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:04 PM on September 3

There are quite a few silly and fun songs by The Beatles from their later years, including Yellow Submarine, Octopus' Garden, I Am the Walrus, Maxwell's Silver Hammer.
posted by CrunchyFrog at 1:06 PM on September 3

Cupid Shuffle!

Dance instructional video.
posted by General Malaise at 1:08 PM on September 3

Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Spasticus (Autisticus)

Pretty much anything off of the Now That's What I Call Music! compilations.

Party!
posted by ginagina at 1:10 PM on September 3

D.A.N.C.E by Justice would be ideal, I think.
posted by PTCHFRKR at 1:17 PM on September 3

I can never forget Elton John's Solar Prestige A Gammon.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 1:29 PM on September 3

Iko Iko
posted by Dreama at 1:30 PM on September 3

Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby by The Islands is a really fun song. The 1st verse is my favorite(and it's repeated as the 3rd and last verses... bonus!). Come to think of it, maybe that's the chorus and they just open with it... at any rate:

Bones, bones
Brittle little bones
It's not the milk you seek
It's the sun you need
In the sleek, sleek skeleton I hold
Where are the hidden folds?
Where is the meat?
Did you eat?
posted by owtytrof at 1:32 PM on September 3

Chewing Gum - Annie
posted by clarkie666 at 1:32 PM on September 3

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles has got some pretty absurd lyrics.
posted by cmchap at 1:32 PM on September 3

Stacy's Mom- Fountains of Wayne
I Kissed A Girl and I Liked it- Katy Perry
Anything by They Might Be Giants
posted by thebrokenmuse at 1:34 PM on September 3

To help out EmpressCallipygos, Fish Heads is by a group called "Barnes and Barnes." Double geek points for remembering that one of the members is Lost in Space / Babylon 5 cast member Bill Mumy.

Look up one of the Dr. Demento collections, you'll find quite a few handily-collected songs of sillyness to add to your theme -- including Fish Heads.
posted by Pufferish at 1:35 PM on September 3

seconding move your feet by junior senior

adding hoodoo voodoo by wilco & billy bragg (lyrics by woodie guthrie). sample lyric:

"Hoodoo voodoo, chooka-chooky-choo-choo
True blue, how true, kissle me now"
posted by blapst at 1:40 PM on September 3

Crap, sorry for the double, but damn near anything by Beck is total nonsense lyrics. Loser, Where It's At, Devil's Haircut, Sexx Laws, and Tropicalia are some great examples.

And thanks, Pufferish. I knew the band name was blank & blank, with blank being a repeated name, but I couldn't quite recall the name. Also: I know all of the lyrics to One Week, and at one point could accurately "rap" them. Unfortunately, my mouth isn't as quick as it once was.
posted by owtytrof at 1:40 PM on September 3

Harry Nilsson - Coconut
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:44 PM on September 3

Whigfield - "Saturday Night" is great fun in a completely annoying way. It's played at every wedding round these parts.

There is also a dance to this but there are many varying versions on youtube so search away if you're interested!
posted by unbearablylight at 1:45 PM on September 3

What about Ob-la-di Ob-la-da by The Beatles? Most of that isn't even real words.
posted by number9dream at 1:47 PM on September 3

"Happy Fun Song" by Straight Outta Junior High.
posted by phatkitten at 1:57 PM on September 3

Any song by the Flight of the Conchords
posted by platinum at 2:04 PM on September 3

Wooly Bully
Louie Louie
Lollipop
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:05 PM on September 3

Bathtime in Clerkenwel and Nice Weather for Ducks Tho the later does not have a whole lot of words to it.
posted by gog at 2:06 PM on September 3

Ca Plane Pour Moi by the adorable Plastic Bertrand. The lyrics are in French but they still make no sense. Great song, though.
posted by Brittanie at 2:07 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Any J-Pop song ever made.
posted by PenDevil at 2:11 PM on September 3

Yummy Yummy Yummy

Banana Splits song
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:23 PM on September 3

I don't know of any way to emphasize this so far down in the thread, but

>>>>>>>>>>CHICKEN PAYBACK!!!!!!
"Animal twist" is the closest I'll come to describing dance moves witnessed during public airings of this song.
posted by carsonb at 2:31 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Anything from I'm From Barcelona.
posted by Free word order! at 3:15 PM on September 3

"All about the houseplants" by One Ring Zero. Only, it's not just catchy--it's like a virus. Total earworm. You've been warned!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:35 PM on September 3

Oh, another just came to mind, but it's a bit iffy. Could work out well as a sing-along if the birthday girl has a soft spot for shanties / Newfie music...

Donkey Riding.

As at the end of the second link, it's easily personalized with short verses. So if you or any of the other guests are lyrically-minded, you could add in ones about the birthday girl.

Was you ever on MeFi, where the users they do vie
To be your music go-to guy, ridin' on a donkey?

Way hey and away we go, donkey ridin', donkey ridin',
Way hey and away we go, ridin' on a donkey.
posted by CKmtl at 3:48 PM on September 3

Is I Am The Walrus by the Beatles a contender?
posted by TheWaves at 4:12 PM on September 3

Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot, by Caramba
posted by ErWenn at 4:20 PM on September 3

I'm Too Sexy
posted by citystalk at 4:40 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

A couple of tunes by They Might Be Giants have been mentioned already, and lots of their songs would probably fit the bill for your theme. I'll suggest one of my favorites: Till My Head Falls Off.

There were 87 Advil in the bottle
Now there's thirty left
I ate 47 so what happened to the other 10...
There's also AEIOU Sometimes Y by EBN-OZN. Strange, but catchy.
posted by velvet winter at 4:46 PM on September 3

The Chicken Song, from Spitting Image
posted by davemack at 5:08 PM on September 3

Might As Well Go For a Soda, which is totally awesome.
posted by beachhead2 at 5:42 PM on September 3

My Ding-A-Ling?
posted by beachhead2 at 5:45 PM on September 3

Girl Talk makes me happy. Pretty much any song will have goofiness and fun fun.
posted by palindromic at 5:58 PM on September 3

Starred songs have a dance

Cha Cha Slide* - this is all kinds of awesome
Da Butt*
More Bounce To the Ounce
Baby Got Back
Strawberry Letter 23
The Anthem
When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip*
Crank That*
Love in This Club


Air Force Ones
Who doesn't love a song about gym shoes?
Give me two pairs
I need two pairs
So I can get to stompin in my Air Force Ones

Tootsee Roll*
The butterfly, unh uh, that's old
Let me that tootsee roll

In the Ayer
Oh, hot damn
This is my jam
Keep me partying to the a.m.
Y'all don't understand
Make me throw my hands in the ayer, a-ayer, ayer, a-ayer
posted by nooneyouknow at 6:03 PM on September 3

B-52s rock lobster?
posted by hortense at 6:22 PM on September 3 [1 favorite]

Talking Heads songs are very catchy, and make you want dance/jump/move. They may not be ridiculous, pre se, but they are often lyrically obtuse and always tons of fun.

A few of my faves (all from the live recording Stop Making Sense)
Life During Wartime
Burning Down the House
Once in a Lifetime
Girlfriend is Better
Slippery People
What a Day That Was
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 6:31 PM on September 3

Islands in the Sun--Weezer
posted by thebrokedown at 6:39 PM on September 3

Cosign on Cupid Shuffle! So catchy :) :) :)
the Electric Slide

Cibo Matto I Know My Chicken
Shonen Knife Tomato Head

Ramones! Rockaway Beach

13 year olds like Avril Lavigne, right? Sk8er Boi is pretty catchy..
posted by citron at 6:40 PM on September 3

Jeez, I can't read, not actually for 13 year olds :)

Good Luck Basement Jaxx

Britney Spears.. I dunno maybe "Oops I did it again"?
Mandy Moore Candy

Backstreet boys "I want it that way" N Sync "Bye bye"..
posted by citron at 6:50 PM on September 3

Chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side.
posted by JennyJupiter at 7:20 PM on September 3

Spiderbait -- Calypso
posted by prettypretty at 9:48 PM on September 3

"Who Put the Bomp?" especially the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes version.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 9:53 PM on September 3

Holy crap has no one mentioned "Numa Numa" yet? Come on!
posted by PenDevil at 12:44 AM on September 4

They Might Be Giants are a great go-to for this, even the songs that make sense don;t necessarily make sense. 'Dinner Bell' is one I can't help but sing along with, and 'the Mesopotamians' off The Else, the latest album, is an awesome song.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers great 'I'm A Little Dinosaur'
posted by pupdog at 5:07 AM on September 4

Oh, I can't believe no one's mentioned Gunther yet. (Ooh, you touch my tra-la-la... mmm, my ding ding dong...)
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:33 AM on September 4

They Might Be Giants is indeed a good source of this kind of music, but unless you're pulling off the kid's albums (there are several, including No! (lots of fantastic stuff here), Here Come the ABCs, and Here Come the 123s), there's a small, but not negligible chance that the song will feature something some parent might find offensive, like an isolated swear word in an otherwise inoffensive song (e.g. "you son of a bitch" in "I Palindrome I"). Interestingly, a lot of their seemingly nonsensical songs have surprisingly depth. For example, "Till My Head Falls Off", as suggested by velvet winter, always strikes me as kind of sad when I think about the lyrics (about a very not-okay-in-the-head person), though I love the song and it is very upbeat sounding, and the lyrics are not offensive in anyway I can think of. Though sometimes the meaning is still silly, even when it makes sense. "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (about a night-light) as suggested by kirkaracha, "Istanbul (not Constantinople)" as suggested by EmpressCallipygos, and "Dinner Bell" (vaguely relating to the Pavlovian dog experiment) as suggested by pupdog, are all great picks, and probably safe. "Particle Man" should also be safe, silly, fun, and guaranteed not to contain any deeper meaning put there by the writers.
posted by ErWenn at 6:21 AM on September 4

All of these suggestions are great, THANKS!

It will be the most awesome of all sleepovers.
posted by sondrialiac at 10:57 AM on September 4

Holy crap. I just realized that this wasn't a sleepover for actual 13-year-olds. My last comment now seems very stupid. Please disregard the stupid parts.

You'd think that "My Humps" would have tipped me off.
posted by ErWenn at 4:48 PM on September 4

The Name Game
A Horse With No Name

posted by lukemeister at 7:40 PM on September 4

Any Kidz Bop CD will fit the theme nicely.
posted by Cricket at 9:56 PM on September 5

Pass the Dutchie

Eggplant That Ate Chicago

Purple People Eater

Great Green Gobs
posted by nickyskye at 8:05 PM on September 9