Gibberish lyrics in Broadway musicals?- Page 2

[JustABroadwaybaby2]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:00pm

Has everyone forgot "Cold Feets?" Worst three minutes of Drowsy. Ever. And I love Two Gentlemen. The whole cast was amazing in the park, especially Rosario Dawson! Of course, that was before Rent came out, summer of 05.

[jv92]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:04pm

I think Cold Feets is an absolutely hysterical pastiche. "I'm singin' a song an old negro taught me." At least its better than "greenify" or "momzie and popsicle" Schwartz, while trying to write Harburg-esque lyrics for Wicked, really made them worse by trying to imitate him. Updated On: 11/6/06 at 11:04 PM

[Starlet36]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:26pm

Wicked has poetic liscense as much as Shakespeare did, if not more so. It takes place in flippin OZ, they have Oz-isms!

[SoulMadeOfSong]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:34pm

How could anyone forget...

_______________

I am the very model of a modern Major-General
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical

I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse

With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotepotenuse

I'm very good at integral and differential calculus
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern Major-General

I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous

I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies
I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore

And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinapinafore

Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform
And tell you ev'ry detail of Caractacus's uniform
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern Major-General

In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin"
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat"

When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy
You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a gee

You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a gee
You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a gee
You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a sat a gee

For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century
But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
I am the very model of a modern Major-General

But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral
He is the very model of a modern Major-General

[parislover87]

Posted: 11/6/06 at 11:38pm

four words: the gods love nubia

no wait...

two words: heather headley

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 1:32am

Those are all real words in "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General," though a couple of the plurals and adjectival forms used are perhaps a bit suspect and "sat-a-gee" may have been created by Gilbert as a kind of mock slang expression.

Updated On: 11/7/06 at 01:32 AM

[Act4ever]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 1:43am

Why can't Schwartz use things like "momzie and popscicle?" It's totally something that the character of Glinda would say... it works 100% - why not use it?

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 1:37pm

Winnie Holzman made that up. It works with the whole "fantasy" theme.
Like "congratulotions," "outuendo," "braverism," etcetera etcetera...

I was gonna mention "Mumbo jumbo rhubarb rhubarb" earlier, but somebody beat me to it.

Surprising nobody has ever mentioned this:

"Loaded with charisma is ma'
Jauntily sauntering, ambling chambler"

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 3:54pm

It's "shambler," which isn't a word but the meaning is clear enough: one who shambles.

I still don't get why "nonce" is in the subject line.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 4:53pm

It seems we are all forgetting one of the biggest cases: wait, I can't even write it. If I Were A Rich Man from Fiddler On The Roof. Deidel-deidel-deedle yeidle, something something.

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 4:59pm

agee

–adverb British Dialect
to one side; awry.

As in the famous quote:
"The best-laid plans of mice and men oft gang agee"


Pronounced with a hard 'g' as in agree.

Updated On: 11/7/06 at 04:59 PM

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 5:04pm

That's a good one. In the script it's

Daidle deedle daidle
Digguh digguh deedle daidle dum

But, of course, Tevye's don't necessarily do it that way.

Also, in Allegro, there's all those "yatata"s.

[Jade]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 5:41pm

I don't think anyone's yet mentioned:

"Shoo bee do sha bee da
Shoo bee do dadn dada n dee daa
Shoo bee do sha bee da
Shoo bee do dadn dada n dee dee ow"
etc

from Trashin' The Camp in Tarzan
Updated On: 11/7/06 at 05:41 PM

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 6:45pm

I like
nipithapa
I love to spell

I'm Not that Smart-Spelling Bee

[mauriposa]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 7:05pm

I caught "plumble" in Drowsy today and thought of this thread.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 7:12pm

That's a great find, ErinDillyFan. I was taking it to mean "sat facing to the right," from the command to animals to turn to the right, which can also mean "turned to the right."

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 11/9/06 at 10:53pm

THANKS MAURIPOSA!!!!

Thanks for making "PLUMBLE" noticeable!

And by the way, I heard Zero Mostel on the original OBC on one point in "Rich Man" go "If I were a rich man... ya ha didda didda bubba bubba didda derra dum..." or mumbling really incoherently so it sounds like "Yahadehadehadohadehadehadehadum..."

Of course "Seussical" is kerflutapated with them.
Like "Schlopp in the Fridgamerator"
and so on...

[Starlet36]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 12:33am

Seussical has the same poetic liscence as Oz. It's a fantastical land with fantastical words.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 12:38am

True, but they're still not real words.

I love "plumble", even if it is made up.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 12:51am

What about, "Give 'em the old, flim flam flummox" or whatever Billy sings in Chicago?

[Jon]

Posted: 11/10/06 at 6:08am

Those are all real words. A flim-flam man is a con man. Flummox means to confuse, as in "I'm completely flummoxed!"

The nonsense syllables in "We Go Together" are all taken from actual 1950's rock and roll songs - such as:

"Who put the bop in the bop shu bop shu bop?
Who put the ram in the rama lama ding dong?"

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 2/25/07 at 7:44pm

There is also "Ooh eeh ooh aah aah ting tang walla-walla bing bang!"

I don't think anyone notices that in "We Go Together" (the movie version) because there is so much going on vocally as it is that one can't even distinguish it. Funny.

[jasobres]

Posted: 2/25/07 at 7:46pm

"flibbertijibbet" is another way of saying ****.

[Jon]

Posted: 2/25/07 at 8:16pm

Ummm... "flibbertijibbet" does not mean anything obscene. It decribes a ditsy, silly person.

I mean, for cryin' out loud, a nun says it in Sound of Music!

[theminutepast]

Posted: 2/25/07 at 8:48pm

Thoroughly Modern Millie--"Forget About the Boy":
"Now me and Mr. Wrong are roo"

The line is supposed to be, "Now me and Mr. Wrong are through" but all I hear is "roo."