I want more Nutty Babs....
November 11, 2010 7:33 PM Subscribe
I really like two songs that have nothing in common other than repeating a single nonsensical refrain, Barbra Streisand and Salt Peanuts. What are similar songs that repeat a single simple phrase or mantra and that are, of course, totally awesome?
Boy are you primed for the Beatles' You Know My Name -- and, of course, the slightly more radio-friendly Why Don't We Do it in the Road.
posted by Miko at 7:42 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by Miko at 7:42 PM on November 11, 2010
A Band of Bees' "Chicken Payback." utterly nonsensical, and utterly impossible to not move some part of your body when it comes on.
posted by deep thought sunstar at 7:45 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by deep thought sunstar at 7:45 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Celery Stalks at midnight
and other fine tunes by Will Bradley
If these don't get stuck in your head while you're trying to sleep, I don't know what will.
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:51 PM on November 11, 2010
and other fine tunes by Will Bradley
If these don't get stuck in your head while you're trying to sleep, I don't know what will.
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:51 PM on November 11, 2010
BTW, I realize they fooled with the lyrics in that first link, but that family is still awesome. I want to be adopted by them.
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:55 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:55 PM on November 11, 2010
Gorillaz "Shoe Shine"
posted by sourwookie at 8:08 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by sourwookie at 8:08 PM on November 11, 2010
Does In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida count? I've never been sure if that has actual words in it.
posted by scratch at 8:27 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by scratch at 8:27 PM on November 11, 2010
Not a single phrase, but some of the newer Sparks stuff would be right up your alley. Try (Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country, Your Call's Very Important To Us. Please Hold and others.
posted by Madamina at 8:34 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Madamina at 8:34 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Happy Birthday to You
posted by swift at 8:35 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by swift at 8:35 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
A LOT of Fatboy Slim. The first one that came to mind: Slash Dot Dash. The second one: Right Here, Right Now. Plenty more where those came from...
posted by gnomeloaf at 8:37 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by gnomeloaf at 8:37 PM on November 11, 2010
As proven by Baby Monkey Riding on a Pig, the entire oeuvre of Parry Grip fits this bill quite well.
posted by elizardbits at 8:53 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by elizardbits at 8:53 PM on November 11, 2010
Das Racist - Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell
posted by strangely stunted trees at 9:35 PM on November 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by strangely stunted trees at 9:35 PM on November 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
alongside strangely stunted trees's suggestion: The Wallpaper remix of Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
posted by iguessgabby at 10:22 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by iguessgabby at 10:22 PM on November 11, 2010
Devo - Jocko Homo.
posted by eccnineten at 10:26 PM on November 11, 2010
posted by eccnineten at 10:26 PM on November 11, 2010
Mistadobalina by Del tha Funkee Homosapien
posted by vytae at 10:39 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by vytae at 10:39 PM on November 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh my, I had totally forgotten about this song until I saw your question. Flashing back to early MTV days when they actually played music and were somewhat cutting edge.
Hello, Dad. I'm in jail!
posted by smirkette at 10:55 PM on November 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Hello, Dad. I'm in jail!
posted by smirkette at 10:55 PM on November 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Surely I shouldn't be the first person to mention Wesley Willis in this thread.
posted by jozxyqk at 2:23 AM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by jozxyqk at 2:23 AM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
Lemon Jelly's Nice Weather for Ducks
posted by bricoleur at 4:10 AM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by bricoleur at 4:10 AM on November 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
"Warm Leatherette" by Grace Jones is sort of like this.
posted by feathermeat at 4:38 AM on November 12, 2010
posted by feathermeat at 4:38 AM on November 12, 2010
Have you encountered Mark E. Smith and his band The Fall yet?
They dig
They dig
They dig
Repetition.
posted by pineappleheart at 6:02 AM on November 12, 2010
They dig
They dig
They dig
Repetition.
posted by pineappleheart at 6:02 AM on November 12, 2010
The Fall are the band for you!
Also: Jim O'Rourke's cover of Women of the World. It's almost medative.
Also: Adem's cover of To Cure A Weakling Chile, or if you want more leftfield, Aphex Twin's original.
posted by mippy at 8:47 AM on November 12, 2010
Also: Jim O'Rourke's cover of Women of the World. It's almost medative.
Also: Adem's cover of To Cure A Weakling Chile, or if you want more leftfield, Aphex Twin's original.
posted by mippy at 8:47 AM on November 12, 2010
Gangster Boogie!
Lots of this in dub reggae and certain kinds of electronic music (esp. sample-based stuff), too.
posted by box at 8:48 AM on November 12, 2010
Lots of this in dub reggae and certain kinds of electronic music (esp. sample-based stuff), too.
posted by box at 8:48 AM on November 12, 2010
Upon rereading the question, 'Gangster Boogie' is not really a nonsense refrain. It's the name of the song, or the name of a dance, or something. But then, 'Barbra Streisand' is a person and 'Salt Peanuts' are a delicious snack, so maybe I'm unclear on the exact parameters.
posted by box at 8:52 AM on November 12, 2010
posted by box at 8:52 AM on November 12, 2010
They only say it the one time, but "Minimum Wage" by They Might Be Giants.
A fair number of the songs above miss the mark, as things other than the single phrase are said during the song. That said, if a *bit* of wiggle room is allowed, "Harry Hood" by Phish also fits the bill (and, given the length, probably beats some of the true ones on the length/repetition of phrase ratio.) It is "totally awesome" if you like Phish (my favorite song of theirs) but probably not awesome at all if you don't.
Full Lyrics:
Harry, Harry, where do you go when the lights go out? (Repeated a few times)
Thank you Mr. Miner (Repeated a few times)
Thank you Mr. Hood
You can feel good, good, good about Hood. (Repeated a lot.)
posted by SpiffyRob at 9:29 AM on November 12, 2010
A fair number of the songs above miss the mark, as things other than the single phrase are said during the song. That said, if a *bit* of wiggle room is allowed, "Harry Hood" by Phish also fits the bill (and, given the length, probably beats some of the true ones on the length/repetition of phrase ratio.) It is "totally awesome" if you like Phish (my favorite song of theirs) but probably not awesome at all if you don't.
Full Lyrics:
Harry, Harry, where do you go when the lights go out? (Repeated a few times)
Thank you Mr. Miner (Repeated a few times)
Thank you Mr. Hood
You can feel good, good, good about Hood. (Repeated a lot.)
posted by SpiffyRob at 9:29 AM on November 12, 2010
Can I possibly be the first to mention Tequila?
Amazing.
Tequila!
posted by kristi at 4:03 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Amazing.
Tequila!
posted by kristi at 4:03 PM on November 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Melismata at 7:41 PM on November 11, 2010