In this period of studious return, next summer’s vacation probably seems as far away as retirement. To slowly get you back in the swing of things, we've prepared a list of songs that solicit only a tiny part of your available neurons. These seven songs contain one lone sentence, to be repeated to your heart's desire.
"Barbra Streisand" - Duck Sauce
The disco-house duo formed by Armand Van Helden and A-Track didn’t have career goals of obtaining the Nobel Prize in Literature when they wrote the lyrics of this track (taken partly from Gotta Go Home by Boney M.): "Barbra Streisand, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh". Should you have trouble remembering them, we suggest you make an appointment with a neurologist, STAT!
"Can’t Get You Out Of My Head" - Kylie Minogue
The "na-na- na-na- na-na- na-nana-na" gets stuck in our head and doesn't let go like a face hugging martian in the film Alien. The song's title, Can't Get You Out Of My Head, is certainly fitting. The Australian singer made a thundering return in 2001 with this hit.
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" - Iron Butterfly
In terms of word density per minute, this classic from Iron Butterfly holds its own: only thirty words for a total duration of seventeen minutes! These heavy metal precursors seemingly have a hard time deciding to be instrumental or not to be, that is the question! If you decide to take on this song in karaoke, it might be a good idea to have a good karaoke game or a Sudoku grid to occupy the time when you aren't singing.
I Want You (She’s So Heavy) - The Beatles
Capable of building complex musical structures like the medley found on Side B of Abbey Road, The Beatles are also adept in the most primary simplicity. On Side A is the famous I Want You (She's So Heavy), inspired by fundamental blues. Only nine words in the end for this title. But The Fab Four ran with this theme: on the same album, only 34 words in Her Majesty and five in Wild Honey Pie with 14 in Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
"Fly, Robin, Fly" - Silver Convention
If she received the Grammy's best R&B instrumental performance in 1975, Fly, Robin, Fly is not really... instrumental. The song includes just six words. It was not so much an artistic decision as a lack of vocabulary, being that Silver Convention, a German group, barely spoke a word of English.
"You Are So Beautiful to Me" - Joe Cocker
Not content with being the fifth Beatles or the sixth Stone, Billy Preston got his start thanks to Bruce Fisher and the drummer of The Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson. He belted out one of their slowest and most popular tracks You Are So Beautiful to Me. Covered by Ray Charles, Joe Cocker and Kenny Rogers, it's made its mark and for a mere 31 words.
"Around The World" - Daft Punk
And if the popularity of the best representatives of the French touch resided not in the immediacy of its implacable melodies boosted by a funky groove that is both retro and futuristic, but also by its ability to be understood all over the world? What's more international than a three-word message like "around the world" that's understood by all?
