How Bizarre

A few weeks ago, I blogged about one of my heroes, "Weird Al" Yankovic. His songs, like his personality, are appropriately strange. "Fat", "Another One Rides the Bus", you expect titles like these from him; that's what he does, right? The other day, however, I heard a song on the radio that wasn't by "Weird Al", but it was still bizarre. And I've always thought that this song was unintentionally strange. The wheels started turning, and I now proudly present to you: Songs That Are Unintentionally Weird!!

Yes, songs that were released that weren't supposed to be outlandish. (Think "Fish Heads" or "The Curly Shuffle". Those were meant to be novelties.) These tunes were on the charts, maybe big hits, but were a little odd in my opinion. Songs that made me go, "What in the....what was that about?!" Maybe you'll agree!

Phil Collins: "Sussudio" -- This 1985 hit was off of Phil's No Jacket Required album. The first time I heard it I wasn't very old, but I was convinced that good old Phil had a speech impediment of some sort as he repeatedly stuttered "Su-susussdio" throughout the song. I had no idea who or what Sussudio was. Turns out, it's nothing; apparently Phil was improvising lyrics while programming a drum machine, and this was "a wording that scanned improperly". My question: What was he trying to say?!

Tori Amos: "Cornflake Girl" -- Let me make a disclaimer before I start: I am a huge Tori fan. I've seen her live several times, and no one rocks a piano quite like she does! But let's be frank; while musically this song is brilliant, the lyrics just don't make any damn sense. Not one bit. An example from the very first verse: "Never was a cornflake girl/Thought it was a good solution/Hangin' with the raisin girls/She's gone to the other side".... Huh? Who are the raisin girls, Tori? Does she even know? While one would argue that a lot of Tori's lyrics are a bit off, for me, this song is probably the most peculiar. Don't get me wrong: I still love it!!

Paula Abdul: "Vibeology" -- We all know that Paula's a little nutty; we've seen American Idol, right? Or her short lived reality show Hey Paula, which aired on Bravo a few years ago? (No? Maybe that was just me...) Anyway, most of Paula's songs are admittedly catchy and addictive. This one is atypical. If you've ever wondered how many times someone can cram the word "funky" in a song that does not have "funky" in the title, well, this song should satisfy your curiosity. (Hint: It's 22.) Some odd horns come in the middle of the song (and she asks for them!). Also, I really can't tell what she's saying toward the end. Most of the lyrics sites say "unintelligible" in that spot. I burst out laughing when I heard this in the car the other day! Go, go, go Paula!

Billy Ocean: "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" -- Billy Ocean had a few hits in the 80s with pop songs like "Suddenly" and "Caribbean Queen". This one was a chart-topper too. However, if you thought "Every Breath You Take" by the Police was creepy and stalker-like, this one seems to take that a little further. This guy is telling this woman to get in his car in the beginning of the song, using a tone of voice I swear I heard on the last episode of To Catch a Predator. It gives me the willies. Apparently he's been obsessing over this lady for a while. He even tells her to touch his bumper. Way to impress, Billy.

Murray Head: "One Night in Bangkok" -- Ignoring the fact that the singer's name is Murray Head, which is either the best or worst stage name ever (I haven't decided that yet), this song is extremely unusual. One has to wonder what inspired this song; did the songwriter have a bad Thai experience? Mr. Head (hee hee...head) raps/speaks/rambles through most of it, with the chorus actually being sung. Some of the lyrics are perplexing yet genius: "This grips me more than would a muddy old river or reclining Buddha". The rest of the time, I have no idea what he's talking about. But it has a great beat!

Baz Luhrmann: "Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen)" -- This is basically the reading of an essay that was written by Mary Schmich in 1997 and set to a techno type of beat. The essay was published in the Chicago Tribune as a column and contains nuggets of wisdom aimed at the youth of that time. Australian film director Baz Luhrmann got a hold of it and used it in its entirety on his 1998 album, Something For Everybody. The backing track is from the 1991 Rozalla song, "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)". The weirdest thing about this tune is that the advice is really good. It is timeless. It makes perfect sense. And it has a nice beat and you can dance to it.

So there you have it: A handful of songs that might not mean to be peculiar, but they are for various reasons. I know I'm missing some, but again, this is a blog, not a book. And who knows; this might warrant a sequel!