Nonsense song
A nonsense song is a type of song written in fun using nonsense syllables at least in the chorus. Such a song generally has a simple melody and a quick (or fairly quick) tempo.[1]
History
The roots of this song type can be traced as far back as Shoo, Fly, Don't Bother Me and Jimmy Crack Corn to the 1890s Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay. This last was a kind of can-can with an obvious accent on the "boom." Mostly it was a way of letting off steam.
Every era has had its own nonsense songs. The turn of the century had Row, Row, Row, with lines like:
- And then he'd row, row, row,
- A little further he would row,
- Oh, oh, oh, oh,
- And then he'd drop both his oars,
- Take a few more encores
- And then he'd row, row, row.
The jazz age created many nonsense songs. Perhaps the one that's the most fun to roll off the tongue is "Ja-Da." Say the words aloud as you read the chorus, and you'll hear the rhythm in them.
- Ja-da, ja-da
- Ja-da, ja-da, jig, jig, jig
[2]
Examples
- Sarasponda, a children's folk song
- Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart, written by James F. Hanley in 1934
- Three Little Fishies, written by Saxie Dowel in1939
- Mairzy Doats, composed by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman] and Jerry Livingston in 1943
- Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo, written by Helen Deutsch in 1952
- The Purple People Eater, written by Sheb Wooley in 1958
- Chim Chim Cher-ee, written by the Sherman Brothers in 1964
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, written by the Sherman Brothers in 1968
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, written by Paul McCartney in 1968
See also
Surfin Bird
References
- ^ Citron, Stephen (1998). Song Writing. Limelight: New York.
- ^ Citron, Stephen (1998). Song Writing. Limelight: New York.