5 Iconic Rock Songs That Started Out as Pure Gibberish Before Becoming Smash Hits

So often, we associate mainstream music with relatable messaging. Even if a song isn’t saying something especially profound, if it’s relatable (as in, ‘I love you,’ ‘I hate you,’ ‘I feel like dancing,’ and so on), then it has a better chance of being a hit. However, these five iconic rock songs that started out as pure gibberish before becoming smash hits are proof that there are always exceptions to the rule.

“I Am The Walrus” by The Beatles

The Beatles had a wellspring of poignant, reflective, and topical music. “I Am The Walrus” was not one of those songs. In fact, when John Lennon heard that his old alma mater was analyzing his lyrics in class, Lennon wrote “I Am The Walrus” specifically to stump them. “Let the f**kers work that one out,” Lennon said.

“Incense And Peppermints” by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1967 track “Incense And Peppermints” was written by John S. Carter using a rhyming dictionary. Looking back on the lyrics in this context, it certainly tracks. Even “incense” and “peppermints” seem to be a product of similar rhymes more than a meaningful combination. Of course, that hasn’t stopped listeners from gleaning their own meaning from the lyrics just the same.

“Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen

The Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie” is a rare instance of a hit song being banned from the radio station, despite no one being able to agree on what the gibberish lyrics actually mean. Most of the more salacious interpretations came about through notes that students passed one another in school, giggling over the potential meaning. The song even gained the attention of the FBI. If that won’t clean up a mumble mouth, we’re not sure what will.

“Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard

Joe Elliot and Mutt Lange wrote “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by experimenting with stream-of-consciousness writing in the studio. The Def Leppard vocalist and producer then compared notes, swapping words here and there until they came up with a satisfactory, if not sort of nonsensical, lyric.

“De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” by The Police

Finally, wrapping up this list of iconic rock songs that started as gibberish and then became massive hits is “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” by The Police. Vocalist and bassist Sting was trying to make a point about language and how we use and abuse it. Unfortunately for Sting, most people couldn’t get past the childlike gibberish in the chorus and wrote the song off as having no meaning whatsoever.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns