Word of the day. Lyricosis (n):
- singing so poorly that nobody can understand what you've sung;
- not knowing the actual lyrics, but singing anyway.
Usually type one causes type two in the listeners, therefore the condition is considered contagious.
We have a lot of lyrics on this site and there are plenty of misheard lyrics. Every now and then the singer gets so much into a song that he or she blows a line, or it is just written in such a way that is impossible to sing a line clearly. It happens all the time. And usually it is a line or two that can produce such hilarity.
But what about those special songs were it is impossible to make out any lyric? Songs that are a mish-mash of unintelligible gibberish, a garbled mess of indefinable words and lines that defy understanding. We all sing along anyway and who is to say we are getting them wrong. Who would know anyway.
So here were present the Rocks’ 10 Most Unintelligible Lyrics. Or should that be ian oochs muss unelliable myiohs?
Louie Louie. The Kingsmen. 1963.
The original unintelligible lyric. The words of this song were so difficult to decipher that the FBI actually had an investigation to see if there wasn’t something obscene going on.
Get Of My Cloud. The Rolling Stones. 1966.
Another classic. We defy anyone to tell us what Mick is actually singing here. Probably one of those songs that Jagger allegedly wrote on napkins during rehearsal lunch times. You’d never know otherwise.
Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress. The Hollies. 1971.
This British invasion band continued after the departure of Graham Nash and came up with this classic song. Unfortunately too much reverb rendered most of the lyrics completely incoherent.
Come On Eileen. Dexy's Midnight Runners. 1982.
This was the only major hit for the band from Birmingham, England. Pity no one has a clue what they are talking about. (That applies to both the band and people from Birmingham.)
Sunglasses At Night. Cory Hart. 1983.
This pretentious young Canadian poseur was so intent on seeming cool while signing he garbled the words to this huge hit. Wearing sunglasses at night instantly became uncool.
End of the World As We Know It. REM. 1987.
Michael Stipe is the inheritor of Dylan’s mantle as singer with the worst enunciation. This rapid fire hit is completely impossible to figure out. Ever city thinks it is mentioned in it.
Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nirvana. 1991.
This song from the album ‘Nevermind,’ made an instant star of Kurt Cobain and heralded in the era of grunge. Widely regarded as one of the most important songs of the rock era we can only make out the words 'stupid and contagious.'
What's the Frequency Kenneth? REM. 1994.
What’s the lyric Michael more like. Allegedly about what a nut shouted to news anchor Dan Rather after mugging him. Hopefully he was more coherent. Stipe strikes again.
Song 2. Blur 1997
. This Brit pop band was one of the best bands to come out of the UK in the 1990s. Most of their ‘mockney’ song lyrics were easy to sing along to. This one not so much. Wooohooo.
Riding Dirty. Chamillionaire. 2006
It’s odd when you consider that about ninety percent of the song is one lyric and it's only after someone tells you what those two words are that you get it.