Friday, November 28, 2025

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special "I Can't Take the Way He Sings But I Love to Hear Him Talk" Edition

Okay, I can't recall if I've ever posted this before, but in any event it cracks me up.

A HISTORY OF MUSIC TIMELINE

Early Music -- chants, grunts, banging
Greco-Roman -- flutes, harps, shepherds
Medieval -- monks singing in unison, some broad named Hildegarde
Renaissance -- lutes, high tenor voices
Baroque/Classical -- opera, Masterpiece Theater
Romantic -- Strings, tuneful, Lincoln Center
Modern/Contemporary -- chants, grunts, banging

I don't know who wrote that, BTW, but apart from it being very droll, I am also of the opinion that it's basically accurate.

Especially the "chants, grunts, banging" part. 😎

Which brings us, inexorably, to the subject of the weekend's business. To wit:

George Harrison famously told John Lennon to listen to Bob Dylan's lyrics. Lennon responded "I don't listen to the words."

IMHO, the greatest pop records ever made are almost mostly all about the music. They sound like what the lyrics say, to the point you don't need to actually listen to the words; lyrics are merely the icing on the cake. For example, if you don't speak English, and can't understand what Jagger is actually carrying on about in "Satisfaction," the record will still mean the same thing to you as if you could. Because the sound of what the band is playing behind Jagger speaks perfectly clearly to the song's meaning.

So -- that being the case, what is a post-Elvis rock/soul/country/folk record with perhaps not particularly good, trite or overtly asinine/nonsensical lyrics (or merely chants, grunts and banging) that you love to death anyway???

Discuss.

In case you were wondering, my fave -- hands down -- is...

I mean, that doesn't even HAVE lyrics -- just a lot of non-linguistic yelling.

And yet, you know exactly what it's about, don't you. 😎😎

Alrighty then -- what would YOUR favorites be?

And have a great post-Thanksgiving weekend, everybody!!!

29 comments:

  1. I'm sure there are plenty more, but it's early. So Whoo-Hoo by the Rock A Teens, which sounds like a smoothed down (or should we say "heavily influenced by") version of your Esquerita sample.

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    Replies
    1. I freaking love that song, BTW. 😎

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  2. Much of R.E.M.’s early work fits the bill, such as Sitting Still
    https://youtu.be/oKepduhmEcM

    - Paul in DK

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    Replies
    1. Radio Free Europe 🤔 🎧

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  3. Richard Berry & The Pharaohs -
    Louie Louie (original version)

    Of course The Kingsmen's version comes in a close second!

    Captain Al

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  4. "Mumbles" by Oscar Peterson & Clark Terry
    Covered awesomely by Pookie the Lion on the Soupy Sales Show!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB8e_uRzhMU

    Grunts, you say?
    "Constipation Blues" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins

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  5. Unsettled by Robyn Hitchcock comes to mind.

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  6. Wings- Mumbo. That song rocks and McCartney is all in with his "vocalese."

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  7. None better than Papa Oom Mow Mow by the Rivingtons
    Dit Dit Dit!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Replies
    1. and "son of rubber biscuit" "Shombalor" by Sheriff and the Ravels.

      Bob in IL

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  9. 1/Gemini credits the history of music timeline to Garrison Keillor

    2/not that the words are dumb, but not really part of the appeal of the song - the clash, rock the casbah

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  10. The Gamma Goochee Himself and his epic "(You Got) The Gamma Goochee." Also covered by the Kingsmen and (I believe) Joe Walsh.

    Bob in IL

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  11. I asked Karen Carpenter how, with their image, did they think they could get away with “Superstar.”
    Her reply: “Nobody listens to lyrics, anyway.”

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this song and don't understand a damn word he is singing
    Plastic Bertrand
    Ce Plan Pour Moi

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  13. a combination of Professor Longhair and Florence Foster Jenkins

    Pretty much the whole Forever Changes album - I love it but to my dying day (getting closer all the time) I couldn't say what it's "about."

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh Yeah... anything sung by -
    Shane MacGowan 😉

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  15. And now that it is later, multiple excellent version of this, so here is the Danish Symphony Orchestra doing The Good, The Bad and the Ugly:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enuOArEfqGo
    Are they really saying anything or just making nice mouth noises?

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  16. Pete

    “Forever Changes” isn’t about much, the lyrics just sound important and sound great sung.

    Captain Al

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wipeout - Surfaris
    Tequila - Champs
    C in California

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  18. 'Da Da Da' by Trio and Elastica
    'Hocus Pocus' by Focus
    'The Crusher' by the Novas and the Cramps
    'Surfin Bird' by the Trashmen and the Ramones
    4 out of 5 Screamin' Jay Hawkins numbers

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  19. Lest we forgot...
    In A Gadda Da Vida

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or...The Tokens
      Wee hee hee hee...
      Wee - oh aweem away

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    2. Goo goo, goo goo , Barabajagal...😉

      Delete
  20. "Yeah Yeah" by the Revillos.. https://youtu.be/feb-Bmj9Ku4?si=aHtK4Fo_i3N8FFXp

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    Replies
    1. Love, love, LOVE the Rezillos/Revillos!
      In that vein, enjoy the Gruesomes "Hey."
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oSosKJZ0BQ&list=RD8oSosKJZ0BQ&start_radio=1

      Delete
  21. Paralyzed - Legendary Stardust Cowboy

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