Songs About Stuttering: Lists

Assembled by Judy Kuster

Note: These resources have been gathered over many years. Some of the links may no longer work. Please be patient. We are continually fixing them.

 

There are songs that have the word "stutter" or "stammer" in them, but stuttering is not actually part of the song itself. Rather, the word is incidental or is used as an illustration. Below are several examples send by Johnnie Nielsen from Denmark. If you care to check the lyrics, you can access them at the International Lyrics Server by typing in the title of the song.

Several songs with the word stutter or stammer were uncovered in AZ Lyrics . A few are referred to in the above list. Some of these lyrics are "R" rated. What is below documents that the lyrics refer to stuttering or stammer. If the reference couldn't be made without the "R" rating, it was not included. For more information about the lyrics, it is suggested you search the AZ Lyrics site.

 

Howard Schwartz from Northern Illinois University began the following list of songs which have stuttering-like behaviors as part of the song. The songs below may be using repetitions only to fill out the rhythm, without any intent of reflecting stuttering, even if the result may appear similar. Perhaps some are more like examples of "normal disfluencies" than stuttering. Andrew Kuster (DMus in choral conducting) wrote, "A type of music, called minimalism, frequently relies on repetition of a few elements over a long time. John Adams' opera Nixon in China has an aria that begins "News...News...News...News...has a kind of mystery...News has a kind of mystery." This isn't musically depicted stuttering, but rather repetition of musical elements for a minimalist purpose of filling in time with few elements. Still, it seems that this could be exploited into actually depicting real stuttering." Lou Heite observed that Philip Glass' opera "Einstein On the Beach," uses electronically created stuttering to deliberately break the rhythm of the passage. The duet between Papageno and Papagena in Mozart's "Magic Flute" contains a long phrase in which Papageno and Papagena exchange "Pa" syllables and then break into "Pa-pa-pageno, Pa-pa-pagena!" It's supposed to resemble bird calls.

 

If anyone can add to the list below, please contact Judy Kuster .

    1. You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive
        In 1975, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" made it to Billboard's #1 chart position. Stutterer Gary Bachman managed his brother Randy's band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The song was written as an inside joke, and the band didn't intend it to be heard by anyone else, but a label executive heard the song and insisted that it be included on an album. (TD Kehoe on Stutt-l, May 8, 1999).
    2. Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood and the Destroyers
    3. Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
    4. Surrender - Miami Sound Machine
    5. Jive Talkin - Bee Gee's (note from Ed Slofkosky, March 18, 2007 "Bee Gees' "Jive Talking" shouldn't be on the list. I distinctly remember listening to the American Top 40 with Casey Kasem way back in the early 80's; he was discussing #1 songs that contained stuttering. He had included "Jive Talking" on his list. However, a couple weeks later he announced a correction to the list. A listener had written him, stating that Barry Gibb sounds like he's singing "J-j-j-jive talking," but he's actually singing "It's just your jive talking.")
    6. Changes - David Bowie
        The lyrics to Changes are available online. On that link also appears an interesting comment: "The stuttering in "ch-ch-ch-ch-changes" was a popular technique at the time (possibly inspired by the Who's My Generation). Further information indicates that stuttering was a common problem amongst Mods in the 1960's as a side-effect of some of the drugs they took."
    7. I Love You Like A Ball And Chain - Eurythmics
        The live version of this 1980s hit can be found on Eurythmics' album "Eurythmics Live 1983-1989" released around 1994. Annie Lennox and the backing vocalist Joniece Jamieson interchange the chorus: " i love youuu...mmmm i love youuu
        jus' like a little ball and ch ch ch ch ch ch ch ...chain chain chain..."
        This song is one of my favourites and I love to sing it particularly the live version which features the "ch-ch-ch" part. One thing I would always notice was I was never able to repeat that part without making a mistake. I myself stutter but also am a huge fan of Annie Lennox's style of singing and am very good at immitating her. I have learnt through the years all the exact places in their recordings where I know she will breathe in or abruptly out produce this or that vocal effect but this little part I was never able to imitate. I would always end up uttering this endless row of blended chchchch's. The tongue just could not obey and listen to me. It always seemed paradoxical but it is true. (submitted on April 7, 2002 by (a-26-year-old-language-teacher-who-copes-quite-well-with-her-stuttering-problem.")
    8. Take a Chance on Me - Abba
    9. Blue Moon - Marcels
    10. Barbara Ann - Regents, Beach Boys
    11. My Generation - The Who (suggested by Robin Sullivan).
    12. The Reflex - Duran Duran (suggested by Gabe Samrock)
        "The Reflex, fle-fle-fle-fle-flex."
        "So, why-i-i-i-i don't you use it?
        Try-i-i-i-i not to bruise it;
        Buy-i-i-i-i time don't lose it."
    13. My Sharona - The Knack
    14. Surfin Bird- the Trashmen (suggested by Bob Wells)
    15. Temptation Eyes - Grass Roots has a line "Temptation eyes, looking through my my my soul" (suggested by Jason Benson)
    16. Katmandu by Bob Seager (suggested by Mark Anderson)
    17. Back in the USSR - Beatles (that georgia's always on my ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma mind.) (suggested by Larry Ripani)
    18. Birthday - Beatles (birthday, I would like you to dance. birthday, take a ch ch ch chance) (suggested by Larry Ripani)
    19. Lola - Kinks (la la la la lola, lo lo lo lo lola) (is it a stutter or Ray Davies just singing "la"???
    20. Be Bop a Lula - Gene Vincent Be bop a lula, she's my baby. Be bop a lula, I don't mean maybe. Be bop a lula she he he he's my baby now. (suggested by Larry Ripani)
    21. Sussudio - is from Phil Collin's "No Jacket Required" album, and the chorus goes..."Su..su... sussudio.. whoa..oa..." (suggested by Molly Laster)
    22. Foolin' by Def Leppard - Fo, Fo, Fo, Fo, Fo Foolin' (suggested by Bruce C. Heather)
    23. "Psycho Killer" - by Talking Heads ("...f-f-f-f-f-f-far better") - (suggested by Ray Brunsberg)
    24. "K-Mart Wardrobe" by Was Not Was ("K-K-Mart, K-Mart Wardrobe" in the refrain) - (suggested by Ray Brunsberg)
    25. "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones (suggested by Tali Moshevich)
    26. "Urgent" by Foreigner from the Foreigner "4" album (suggested by William H)
    27. A Praise Chorus - Jimmy Eat World (suggested by Becca N.)
    28. D'yer Mak'er - Led Zeppelin (suggested by Becca N.)
    29. C-C-C-Cinnamon Lips - OK Go (suggested by Becca N.)
    30. Cherry Bomb - The Runaways (suggested by Becca N.)
    31. Dude (Looks Like a Lady) - Aerosmith (suggested by Becca N.)
    32. Girl O'clock - The Dismemberment Plan (suggested by Becca N.)
    33. I'm Shakin' - Rooney (suggested by Becca N.)
    34. Move Your Feet - Junior Senior (suggested by Becca N.)
    35. My Kingdom - Echo & the Bunnymen (suggested by Becca N.)
    36. Without Me - Eminem (suggested by Becca N.)
    37. Jenny - Stellastarr (suggested by Becca N.)
    38. Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne (suggested by Becca N.)
    39. Welcome To The Jungle - Guns & Roses (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    40. Hey Jude - The Beatles (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    41. Naughty Naughty - John Parr - "Your naughty, naughty, you t-t-t-tease me" (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    42. I Am The Walrus - The Beatles (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    43. The Heart Of Rock & Roll - Huey Lewis & The News - "Th-th-th-they say the heart of rock and roll is still beating" (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    44. Ramble On - Led Zeppelin - lyrics at end of song (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    45. 5:15 - The Who (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    46. Wildfire - Kim Fowley (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    47. Drunk Skitzo - Fishbone (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    48. Kickstart My Heart -- Motley Crue (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    49. I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" The Monkees (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    50. Cool One - Starz (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    51. Boom! Shake the Room - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (suggested by Duaine Detrick)
    52. R.E.M.'s The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite - "Today I need something more sub-sub-sub-substantial" - (suggested by Matt Hall).
    53. Ice Cream Man by Van Halen (Towards the end of the song, David sings "B-b-b-b-b-baby") - suggested by Ed Slofkosky
    54. F-F-F-Falling by The Rasmus - suggested by Ed Slofkosky
    55. Toot, toot, tootsie (goo'by) Kahn-Erdman-Russo.
    56. "See You Again" by Miley Cyirus (suggested by Charley Adams)
    57. pixies - "La La Love You" by Pixies (suggested by Jason Savvy)
    58. "Uncontrollable Urge" by Devo (suggested by Jason Savvy)
    59. "Hey Ya!" by Outkast (suggested by Jason Savvy)
    60. Strut - lyrics by Jimmy Smith (with Taj Mahal, the song's composer)
    61. N-N-Nervous by Ian Whitcomb
    62. Stuttering Mopsy by Lord Brigo
    63. There'll Be Blue Christmas Without You by Elvis Presley (suggested by JL Kato)
    64. Handy Man by James Taylor or Jimmy Jones (suggested by JL Kato)
    65. On The Run Electric Light Orchestra (suggested by Mark Prater)
    66. Sh-Sh-Shakin' Eddie Money (suggested by Mark Prater)
    67. Disney's Duck Tales Original Theme Song at 33 seconds into the video, there is a line "D-d-d-danger! Watch behind you! There's a stranger out to find you!" (suggested by Florian Blaschke)
    68. "Ay ay ay" by Saukrates (suggested by "Funkenstein")
    69. Nobody's Fault But Mine by Led Zeppelin (listen for it at the end!) (suggested by Jeff Foster)
    70. Nobody But Me by Human Beinz (suggested by Jeff Foster)
    71. Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly (suggested by Jeff Foster)
    72. Runaway by Del Shannon (suggested by Jeff Foster)
    73. Too Much Time On my Hands by Styx (suggested by Jeff Foster)
    74. Get A Job by The Silhouettes (suggested by Jeff Foster)
    75. Sugar Town by Nancy Sinatra (suggested by Jeff Foster)
    76. TongueTied by Grouplove (suggested by Kara Steenstra
    77. Stutter by Maroon 5 (suggested by Emily Wheatley
    78. Wake me up before yo go-go by Wham (suggested by Megan Williams)
    79. Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band (suggested by Megan Williams)
    80. TKO by Justin Timberlake (suggested by Megan Williams)

 

Daniel Goldmark, "Stuttering in American Popular Song, 1890-1930." in Sounding Off: Theorizing Disability in Music , co-edited by Joseph Strauss and Neil Lerner, 91-105. New York: Routledge, 2006.

This interesting chapter documents how people who stutter were portrayed in music between 1890 and 1930. Songs which were cited are below. Additional information found in American Memory from the Library of Congress

 

There's another chapter in the book on stuttering, by Andrew Oster about a character who stutters in the Cavalli opera Giasone (from the early 17th century).

 

A very interesting article was posted on "Locust St." on June 24, 2008 - 6 Easy Pieces: Stuttering Songs

 

Old time stuttering songs on YouTube from StutterTalk.

 

Classic Rock News shares videos of what they consider the Top 5 Stuttering Songs

 

Lisa Fields' The 16 Best Stuttering Songs of All Time Blender magazine, April 09 2008

 

Songs With Stuttering is an interesting site featuring 18 popular songs by various artists that have lyrics that "stutter." Each song is linked to song facts, lyrics, and a recording of the song.