Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-x4r87 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T14:53:49.363Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

‘Ga, ga, ooh-la-la’: the childlike use of language in pop-rock music

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2014

Nadav Appel
Nadav Appel*
Affiliation:
Program for Hermeneutics and Cultural Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel E-mail: nadavappel@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this paper, I examine several aspects of pop-rock music that are characterised by the childlike use of language. Relying on the theoretical work of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari – particularly on their concept of ‘becoming-child’ – I locate, describe and analyse three distinct childlike strategies common in pop-rock: the use of gibberish and nonsense that unbinds language from sense, enabling it to release its own expressive intensities; the utilisation of baby talk and other childlike vocal mannerisms, drawing attention to the physical properties of the act of singing as bodily experimentation; and different forms of repetition that ‘shake’ sense out of words, allowing them to draw their own lines of flight. Foregrounding these strategies, I ultimately claim, expands our understanding of pop-rock music while problematising its traditional interpretation as ‘rebellious’ music, offering its positive, productive qualities and ‘minoritarian’ politics as an alternative to the restricting dichotomy between oppression and liberation implied by the concept of rebellion.

Type
Articles
Information
Popular Music , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , January 2014 , pp. 91 - 108
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References

Adorno, T.W. [1949] 2004. The Philosophy of Modern Music (New York, Continuum)Google Scholar
Attali, J. 1985. Noise: The Political Economy of Music (Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota Press)Google Scholar
Bannister, M. 2006. ‘Loaded: indie guitar rock, canonism, white masculinities’, Popular Music, 25/ 1, pp. 77–95Google Scholar
Bidima, J.-G. 2004. ‘Music and the socio-historical real: rhythm, series and critique in Deleuze and O. Revault d'Allonnes’, in Deleuze and Music, ed. Buchanan, I. and Swiboda, M. (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press), pp. 176–95CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bogue, R. 2003. Deleuze on Music, Painting, and the Arts (New York and London, Routledge)Google Scholar
Bradby, B., and Torode, B. 1984. ‘Pity Peggy Sue’, Popular Music, 4, pp. 183–205CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buchanan, I. 1997. ‘Deleuze and popular music, or, why is there so much 80s music on the radio today?’, Social Semiotics, 7/ 2, pp. 175–88Google Scholar
Butler, M.J. 2007. ‘“Some of us can only live in songs of love and trouble”: voice, genre/gender, and sexuality in the music of Stephin Merritt’, in Oh Boy!: Masculinities and Popular Music, ed. Jarman-Ivens, F. (New York and London, Routledge), pp. 235–59Google Scholar
Callahan, M. 2010. Poker Face: The Rise and Rise of Lady Gaga (New York, Hyperion)Google Scholar
Caute, D. 2003. The Dancer Defects: The Struggle for Cultural Supremacy During the Cold War (Oxford, Oxford University Press)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohn, N. 1969. Rock: From the Beginning (New York, Stein and Day)Google Scholar
Cott, J. 1980. ‘Buddy Holly’, in The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, 2nd edn, ed. Miller, J. (New York, Random House), pp. 75–82Google Scholar
Cull, L. 2009. ‘How do you make yourself a theatre without organs? Deleuze, Artaud, and the concept of differential presence’, Theatre Research International, 34/ 3, pp. 243–55Google Scholar
Deleuze, G. 1990. The Logic of Sense (London, Athlone Press)Google Scholar
Deleuze, G. 1997. ‘One less manifesto’, in Mimesis, Masochism & Mime: The Politics of Theatricality in Contemporary French Thought, ed. Murray, T. (Ann Arbor, MI, University of Michigan Press), pp. 239–58Google Scholar
Deleuze, G. 1998. ‘What children say’, in Essays Critical and Clinical (London, Verso), pp. 61–7Google Scholar
Deleuze, G., and Guattari, F. 1986. Kafka: Toward a Minor Literature (Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota Press)Google Scholar
Deleuze, G., and Guattari, F. 1987. A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia (Minneapolis, MN, University of Minnesota Press)Google Scholar
Deleuze, G., and Guattari, F. 1994. What is Philosophy? (New York, Columbia University Press)Google Scholar
Fast, S. 1999. ‘Rethinking issues of gender and sexuality in Led Zeppelin: a woman's view of pleasure and power in hard rock’, American Music, 17/3, pp. 245–99CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foucault, M. 1978. The History of Sexuality, Volume One: An Introduction (New York, Pantheon Books)Google Scholar
Foucault, M. 1980. ‘The confession of the flesh’, in Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972–1977 (New York, Pantheon Books), pp. 194–228Google Scholar
Gallope, M. 2010. ‘The sound of repeating life: ethics and metaphysics in Deleuze's philosophy of music’, in Sounding the Virtual: Gilles Deleuze and the Theory and Philosophy of Music, ed. Hulse, B. and Nesbitt, N. (Aldershot, Ashgate), pp. 77–102Google Scholar
Gottlieb, J., and Wald, G. 1994. ‘Smells like teen spirit: riot grrrls, revolution and women in independent rock’, in Microphone Fiends: Youth Music & Youth Culture, ed. Ross, A. and Rose, T. (New York and London, Routledge), pp. 250–74Google Scholar
Hainge, G. 2004. ‘Is pop music?’, in Deleuze and Music, ed. Buchanan, I. and Swiboda, M. (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press), pp. 36–53CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hicks, M. 1999. Sixties Rock: Garage, Psychedelic, and Other Satisfactions (Urbana, IL, University of Illinois Press)Google Scholar
Hulse, B. 2010. ‘Thinking musical difference: music theory as minor science’, in Sounding the Virtual: Gilles Deleuze and the Theory and Philosophy of Music, ed. Hulse, B. and Nesbitt, N. (Aldershot, Ashgate), pp. 23–50Google Scholar
Kartomi, M. 1980. ‘Childlikeness in play songs: a case study among the Pitjantjara at Yalata, South Australia’, Miscellanea Musicologica, 11, pp. 172–214Google Scholar
Keightley, K. 2001. ‘Reconsidering rock’, in The Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock, ed. Frith, S., Straw, W. and Street, J. (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press), pp. 109–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirby, D. 2009. Little Richard: The Birth of Rock ’n’ Roll (New York, Continuum)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laing, D. 1985. One Chord Wonders: Power and Meaning in Punk Rock (Milton Keynes, Open University Press)Google Scholar
Lemish, D. 2004. ‘“My kind of campfire”: the Eurovision Song Contest and Israeli gay men’, Popular Communication, 2/1, pp. 41–63Google Scholar
Marsh, D. 1993. Louie Louie: The History and Mythology of the World's Most Famous Rock ‘n’ Roll Song; Including the Full Details of Its Torture and Persecution at the Hands of the Kingsmen, J. Edgar Hoover's F.B.I., and a Cast of Millions; and Introducing, for the First Time Anywhere, the Actual Dirty Lyrics (New York, Hyperion)Google Scholar
Marsh, K. 2006. ‘Cycles of appropriation in children's musical play: orality in the age of reproduction’, World of Music, 48/1, pp. 9–31Google Scholar
Middleton, R. 1990. Studying Popular Music (Milton Keynes, Open University Press)Google Scholar
Middleton, R. 1999. ‘Form’, in Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture, ed. Horner, B. and Swiss, T. (Malden and Oxford, Blackwell), 141–55Google Scholar
Middleton, R. 2006. Voicing the Popular: On the Subjects of Popular Music (New York and London, Routledge)Google Scholar
Middleton, R. 2007. ‘Mum's the word: men's singing and maternal law’, in Oh Boy!: Masculinities and Popular Music, ed. Jarman-Ives, F. (New York and London, Routledge), pp. 103–24Google Scholar
Miller, J. 1999. Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll (New York, Fireside)Google Scholar
Morton, R. 2006. ‘Cocteau Twins: Heaven or Las Vegas, 1990’, in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, ed. Dimery, R. (New York, Universe), p. 634Google Scholar
Neustadter, R. 1994. ‘The obvious child: the symbolic use of childhood in contemporary popular music’, Popular Music and Society, 18/1, pp. 51–67Google Scholar
Potter, R.A. 1998. ‘Not the same: race, repetition, and difference in hip-hop and dance music’, in Mapping the Beat: Popular Music and Contemporary Theory, ed. Swiss, T. and Sloop, J., Herman, A. (Malden and Oxford, Blackwell), pp. 31–46Google Scholar
Regev, M. 2002. ‘The “pop-rockization” of popular music’, in Popular Music Studies, ed. Hesmondhalgh, D. and Negus, K. (London, Verso), pp. 251–63Google Scholar
Reynolds, S., and Press, J. 1995. The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion and Rock ’n' Roll (Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press)Google Scholar
Robins, W. 2008. A Brief History of Rock, Off the Record (New York, Routledge)Google Scholar
Rose, T. 1994. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America (Hanover, NH, University Press of New England)Google Scholar
Saibel, B. 2007. ‘Beatlemania frightens child expert’, in The Rock History Reader, ed. Cateforis, T. (New York and London, Routledge), pp. 55–6Google Scholar
Semetsky, I. 2004. ‘Learning from experience: Dewey, Deleuze and “becoming-child”‘, in Spirituality and Ethics in Education: Philosophical, Theological and Radical Perspectives, ed. Alexander, H. (Brighton and Portland, Sussex Academic Press), pp. 54–64Google Scholar
Shuker, R. 2001. Understanding Popular Music, 2nd edn (New York and London, Routledge)Google Scholar
Snead, J.A. 1981. ‘On repetition in black culture’, Black American Literature Forum, 15/4, 146–54Google Scholar
Spitz, B. 2007. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah: The Beatles, Beatlemania, and the Music that Changed the World (New York: Little, Brown)Google Scholar
Steedman, C. 1980. ‘The tidy house’, Feminist Review, 6, pp. 1–24Google Scholar
Tagg, P. 1989. ‘Open letter: “black music”, “Afro-American music” and “European Music”‘, Popular Music, 8/3, pp. 285–98Google Scholar
Thornton, S. 1994. ‘Moral panic, the media and British rave culture’, in Microphone Fiends: Youth Music & Youth Culture, ed. Ross, A. and Ross, T. (New York and London, Routledge), pp. 176–92Google Scholar
Waterman, R.A. 1971. ‘Music in Australian Aboriginal culture: some sociological and psychological implications’, in Readings in Ethnomusicology, ed. McAllester, D.P. (New York, Johnson), pp. 167–74Google Scholar
Willhardt, M., and Stein, J. 1999. ‘Dr. Funkenstein's supergroovalisticprosifunkstication: George Clinton signifies’, in Reading Rock and Roll: Authenticity, Appropriation, Aesthetics, ed. Dettmar, K.J.H. and Richey, W. (New York, Columbia University Press), pp. 145–72Google Scholar

Discography

Ace of Base, ‘Donnie’. Cruel Summer. Arista. 1998Google Scholar
The Beatles, ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’. The Beatles. Apple. 1968Google Scholar
Lou Bega, ‘Mambo No. 5’. A Little Bit of Mambo. Lautstark/BMG/RCA. 1999Google Scholar
Chuck Berry, ‘Johnny B. Goode’. Chuck Berry Is on Top. Chess. 1959Google Scholar
Blur, ‘Girls & Boys’. Parklife. Food/SBK. 1994Google Scholar
Cocteau Twins. Heaven or Las Vegas. 4AD. 1990Google Scholar
The Crystals, ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’. The Crystals Sing the Greatest Hits, Volume 1. Philles. 1963Google Scholar
Derek and the Dominoes, ‘Layla’. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Polydor/Atco. 1970Google Scholar
The Exploited, ‘Dead Cities’. Punk's Not Dead [CD reissue]. Secret. 2001 [1981]Google Scholar
Diamanda Galás, ‘Gloomy Sunday’. The Singer. Mute. 1992Google Scholar
Hanson, ‘MMMBop’. Middle of Nowhere. Mercury/Polygram. 1997Google Scholar
Françoise Hardy, The ‘Yeh-Yeh’ Girl from Paris. 4 Corners of the World. 1965 [1962]Google Scholar
Ke$ha, ‘Tik Tok’. Animal. RCA. 2010Google Scholar
The Kingsmen, ‘Louie Louie’. The Kingsmen in Person. Sundazed. 1963Google Scholar
Lady Gaga, ‘Bad Romance’. The Fame Monster. Interscope. 2009Google Scholar
Little Anthony and the Imperials, ‘Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko Bop’. The Best of Little Anthony & the Imperials. DCP. 1965Google Scholar
Little Richard, ‘Tutti Frutti’. Here's Little Richard. Specialty. 1957Google Scholar
The Magnetic Fields, ‘The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side’. 69 Love Songs. Merge. 1999Google Scholar
Nelly, ‘Country Grammar (Hot Shit)’. Country Grammar. Fo' Real/Universal. 2000Google Scholar
Nirvana, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Nevermind. DGC. 1991Google Scholar
The Police, ‘Roxanne’. Outlandos d'Amour. A&M. 1978Google Scholar
Queen, ‘Radio Ga Ga’. The Works. EMI/Parlophone. 1984Google Scholar
Queens of the Stone Age, ‘Feel Good Hit of the Summer’. Rated R. Interscope. 2000Google Scholar
Scissor Sisters, ‘Keep Your Shoes On’. Magic Hour. Polydor. 2012Google Scholar
Sigur Rós. Von. One Little Indian/Smekkleysa. 1997Google Scholar
Sigur Rós. Ágætis byrjun. Fat Cat/Smekkleysa. 1999Google Scholar
Carly Simon, ‘Jesse’. Come Upstairs. Warner Bros. 1980Google Scholar
Paul Simon, ‘50 Ways to Leave Your Lover’. Still Crazy After All These Years. Columbia. 1975Google Scholar
Simon and Garfunkel, ‘Cecilia’. Bridge Over Troubled Water. Columbia. 1970Google Scholar
Donna Summer, ‘Love to Love You Baby’. Love to Love You Baby. Casablanca/Oasis. 1975Google Scholar
Donna Summer, ‘I Feel Love’. I Remember Yesterday. Casablanca/GTO. 1977Google Scholar
Them, ‘Gloria’. The Angry Young Them. Decca. 1965Google Scholar
Gene Vincent, ‘Be-Bop-a-Lula’. Blue Jean Bop [CD reissue]. Capitol. 2002 [1956]Google Scholar
The Who, ‘My Generation’. My Generation. Brunswick. 1965Google Scholar
Larry Williams, ‘Bony Moronie’. Here's Larry Williams. Speciality. 1959Google Scholar
Larry Williams, ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy’. Here's Larry Williams. Speciality. 1959Google Scholar
Larry Williams, ‘Short Fat Fanny’. Here's Larry Williams. Speciality. 1959Google Scholar
‘Weird Al’ Yancovic, ‘Smells Like Nirvana’. Off the Deep End. Scotti Brothers/Volcano. 1992Google Scholar