Nirvana song lyrics

[Jac]

Don't ever let anyone tell you that you cant write lyrics that don't make sense. There are a lot of big bands that wrote lyrics/ lines that  don't make sense or only make sense to themselves .

A few l found were the Beatles, Adele, and a lot of Nirvana lyrics. What other ones do you know of ?

i'm having nirvana week just for the guitar music lol.

 

 

 

 

[john]

Hey Jac

 

It depends on genre. The same goes for people having the argument “which is more important, melody or lyrics?” There is no fixed correct answer. The truth is, it depends.

 

There’s a whole lot of rock n roll hits with complete nonsense, made up word-noises:

 

Well be-bop-a-Lula she's my baby
Be-bop-a-Lula I don't mean maybe
Be-bop-a-Lula she's my baby
Be-bop-a-Lula I don't mean maybe
Be-bop-a-Lula she's my baby doll
My baby doll, my baby doll

 

Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
A wop bop a loo bop a lop ba ba
 

Ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby
Ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby
Dooby-do-wah-do-wah-do-waaah

Well, I've been working hard all week long
It's Saturday night and I'm goin' home
To get ready to go out tonight
Well, I'm gonna tell my baby to be ready at eight
Tell her to hurry, 'cause I don't like to wait
'Cause I'm a hep cat and I'm steppin' out tonight
Hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat, hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat
Hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat, hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat
Well, I'm a hep cat and I'm steppin' out tonight

 

And…

 

Well the news of the saucer been a-flyin' around
...seen it on the ground
First thing I seen when I saw it land
Cats jumped out and they started the band.

Flyin' saucer rock 'n' roll
Flyin' saucer rock 'n' roll
I couldn't understand a thing they said
But that crazy beat it just knocked me dead, rock.

 

to quote a few.

 

[Jac]

10 hours ago, john said:

Hey Jac

 

It depends on genre. The same goes for people having the argument “which is more important, melody or lyrics?” There is no fixed correct answer. The truth is, it depends.

 

There’s a whole lot of rock n roll hits with complete nonsense, made up word-noises:

 

Well be-bop-a-Lula she's my baby
Be-bop-a-Lula I don't mean maybe
Be-bop-a-Lula she's my baby
Be-bop-a-Lula I don't mean maybe
Be-bop-a-Lula she's my baby doll
My baby doll, my baby doll

 

Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
Tutti frutti, oh rootie
A wop bop a loo bop a lop ba ba
 

Ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby
Ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby, ooby-dooby
Dooby-do-wah-do-wah-do-waaah

Well, I've been working hard all week long
It's Saturday night and I'm goin' home
To get ready to go out tonight
Well, I'm gonna tell my baby to be ready at eight
Tell her to hurry, 'cause I don't like to wait
'Cause I'm a hep cat and I'm steppin' out tonight
Hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat, hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat
Hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat, hep cat, hep-hep-hep-cat
Well, I'm a hep cat and I'm steppin' out tonight

 

And…

 

Well the news of the saucer been a-flyin' around
...seen it on the ground
First thing I seen when I saw it land
Cats jumped out and they started the band.

Flyin' saucer rock 'n' roll
Flyin' saucer rock 'n' roll
I couldn't understand a thing they said
But that crazy beat it just knocked me dead, rock.

 

to quote a few.

 

Few there iv not heard before. My favorite is the Beatles ' l am a Walrus'  The song has stuck in my head now iv re read the lyrics this morning lol.

[Jac]

1 hour ago, Jac said:

Few there iv not heard before. My favorite is the Beatles ' l am a Walrus'  The song has stuck in my head now iv re read the lyrics this morning lol.

'The Carpet Crawlers'  lyrics still baffles me  to this day as to what it's about.

Another one of my favorite songs.

 

 

 

[john]

There is a point where seemingly nonsensical lyrics work very well. In pop, alt pop, pop rock etc they work well where the words support the emotion in meaning, and work brilliantly in a rhythmic sense, like the voice has become part of the rhythm section… additionally it can contribute to mood support/emphasis using tone and phonetics alone.

 

I mention pop genres because this application of vocals seems most commonly used in pop related uses.

 

My favourite for this is David Bowie, who tends to use words, where he wrote the lyrics using the cut up technique. His choices edge towards more surreal results. For example this extract from life on mars:

 

“It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on“

 

Sone lines do make sense, within the local song section context or within the global song context… or a sort of sense.  

 

I always loved the line “That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow”. That the line has a meaning is questionable and his lyrics often have that quality. I love it. It adds ambiguity, which often adds to the ability of a lyric to imprint on the listener, which means the final writing process happens between the ears of the listener ( as opposed to during performance by the artist, or by the writer).

[Jac]

19 minutes ago, john said:

There is a point where seemingly nonsensical lyrics work very well. In pop, alt pop, pop rock etc they work well where the words support the emotion in meaning, and work brilliantly in a rhythmic sense, like the voice has become part of the rhythm section… additionally it can contribute to mood support/emphasis using tone and phonetics alone.

 

I mention pop genres because this application of vocals seems most commonly used in pop related uses.

 

My favourite for this is David Bowie, who tends to use words, where he wrote the lyrics using the cut up technique. His choices edge towards more surreal results. For example this extract from life on mars:

 

“It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on“

 

Sone lines do make sense, within the local song section context or within the global song context… or a sort of sense.  

 

I always loved the line “That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow”. That the line has a meaning is questionable and his lyrics often have that quality. I love it. It adds ambiguity, which often adds to the ability of a lyric to imprint on the listener, which means the final writing process happens between the ears of the listener ( as opposed to during performance by the artist, or by the writer).

Yes l love these sort of lyrics too. As you say they have a surreal feel to them of course. And l love how these type of lyrics can be interpreted in different ways by different listeners, even at different times.

They remind me of how Lewis Carroll wrote.  Alice In Wonderland is still to this day analyzed as to it interpretation. l guess that's why l'v always loved Abstract Art. How different people interpret the composition. My Art l do is Abstract and they have very personal meanings to me that others cant see.

l did one abstract that my husband saw so differently to what l was trying to paint. His interpretation fascinated me. l'll have to see if l can post it on the forum.

[john]

There’s a thread somewhere about art, plus you can create a gallery for your artwork. I’ve posted some of my pictures there.

[Glammerocity]

I'm reminded of Elton John's Solar Prestige a Gammon, his self-penned lyric, which is illustrative of why he needed Bernie Taupin. Apparently influenced by The Beatles' Sun King.

 

Oh ma cameo molesting
Kee pa a poorer for tea
Solar prestige a gammon
Lantern or turbert paw kwee

Solar prestige a gammon
Kool kar kyrie kay salmon
Hair ring molassis abounding
Common lap kitch sardin a poor floundin

Cod ee say oo pay a loto
My zeta prestige toupay a floored
Ray indee pako a gammon
Solar prestige a pako can nord

Solar prestige a gammon
Kool kar kyrie kay salmon
Hair ring molassis abounding
Common lap kitch sardin a poor floundin
 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Glammerocity

[Jac]

57 minutes ago, Glammerocity said:

I'm reminded of Elton John's Solar Prestige a Gammon, his self-penned lyric, which is illustrative of why he needed Bernie Taupin. Apparently influenced by The Beatles' Sun King.

 

Oh ma cameo molesting
Kee pa a poorer for tea
Solar prestige a gammon
Lantern or turbert paw kwee

Solar prestige a gammon
Kool kar kyrie kay salmon
Hair ring molassis abounding
Common lap kitch sardin a poor floundin

Cod ee say oo pay a loto
My zeta prestige toupay a floored
Ray indee pako a gammon
Solar prestige a pako can nord

Solar prestige a gammon
Kool kar kyrie kay salmon
Hair ring molassis abounding
Common lap kitch sardin a poor floundin
 

lol..iv not seen this before. l had to go hear it on YouTube to see if they actually put it to melody..made in 1974 lol.

[Glammerocity]

On 2/16/2023 at 3:44 PM, Jac said:

lol..iv not seen this before. l had to go hear it on YouTube to see if they actually put it to melody..made in 1974 lol.

 

I wondered if all the fish refs might've also been inspired by 'Grimsby,' another song on the Caribou album, with Bernie's words.