You may have your favorite song lyrics, but sometimes you don't even know the words to the tune you're humming. It gets even harder when musicians and songwriters take extensive liberties with language. Pop a quarter in the jukebox and start adding some new words to your vocabulary.
Sussudio
"Sussudio" is the title of a Phil Collins song, off the 1985 album “No Jacket Required.” When asked, Collins said the word was an imaginary name for an imaginary girl — the perfect word for a song about a dream girl who won’t love you back. Now, "Sussudio" can be a stand-in for any dream crush.
Pompatus
"Pompatus" was coined by songwriters on the 1973 Steve Miller Band song “The Joker.” It was most likely a reference to “puppetutes,” a word created for a song sung by doo-wop group The Medallions in 1954. Although no one quite knows what "pompatus" means, "puppetutes" was meant to invoke a paper puppet used to unload all of your thoughts and emotions. The word "pompatus" has become a representation of nonsense words in songs, and "Pompatus of Love" was the title of a 1996 movie starring Jon Cryer.
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is the title of a 1968 song by Iron Butterfly, off their album of the same name. The word can be translated as a phonetic rendition of “in the garden of Eden.” The song itself is an extended jam session, clocking in at 17 minutes.
Margaritaville
"Margaritaville" was coined by Jimmy Buffet on his 1977 album “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.” A "margarita" is a cocktail, but "margaritaville" is so much more. Inspired by surges of tourists descending on Key West at the time, the word now describes a laid-back lifestyle in a tropical place. The song itself proved to be incredibly popular and spawned a series of restaurants, resorts, and even a musical.
Silhouetto
It may sound Italian, but it’s just a made-up word found in Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The song is full of plenty of funny-sounding words, but "silhouetto" refers to Scaramouche (a stock character from a genre of opera called commedia dell'arte) when he is asked to do the fandango (a dance). "Silhouetto" describes the vague shape of Scaramouche, as well as his possible fear at being asked to dance. But really all you need to know is that it’s fun to belt out the nonsense word at the top of your lungs.
Tutti frutti
More a loanword (tutti i frutti means all fruits in Italian) than a made-up word, this was the title of a song written by Little Richard in 1955 — one of the most influential rock 'n' roll songs in history.
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" — celebrating a voluptuous woman — was popularized by Destiny’s Child, one of the most famous groups of the 1990s and early 2000s. This song was so popular that the word made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2004, defined as "(of a woman) sexually attractive."
Californication
"Californication" is a popular song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released in 1999 as the lead single off their album of the same name. The word "Californication" is a portmanteau of “California” and “fornication,” referring to the mindless sprawl that had taken over Southern California by the '90s. The song refers to the dark side of Hollywood and talks explicitly about the seediness that goes hand in hand with the glamour of the entertainment industry.
Hiphopopotamus
"Hiphopopotamus" is a nonsense word from the comedic duo the Flight of the Conchords in the song “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros.” A "hiphopopotamus," according to the song, is a rapping, rhyming hippopotamus whose “lyrics are bottomless.” Just try not giggling when you imagine this lyrical genius hiphopopotamus.
Feature photo credit: bady qb/ Unsplash