The Y! Music Playlist Blog

Playlist: Glossolalia Songs

By | The Y! Music Playlist Blog – Fri, Jun 6, 2008 2:30 PM EDT

What's a "Glossolalia Song" you ask? Well, the dictionary descibes glossolalia as follows:

glos·so·la·li·a ( P ) Pronunciation Key (glôs-ll-, gls-)
n.
1. Fabricated and nonmeaningful speech, especially such speech associated with a trance state or certain schizophrenic syndromes.
2. The gift of tongues.

In other words, "Glossolalia Songs" are songs whose lyrics are made-up words. Some bands have actually created their own personal languages as in Sigur Rós' "Hopelandic", and "Kobaian" a language created by the French prog rock outfit Magma. Besides these two obvious choices, this playlist contains 13 other artists who have used glossolalia in song.

Know any other songs with made up words for lyrics? Add them to the comments.

Glossolalia Songs

1. Iceblink Luck - Cocteau Twins

2. Cantara - Dead Can Dance

3. Salka - Sigur Ros

4. I Zimbra - Talking Heads 

5. Solar Prestige A Gammon - Elton John

6. Warszawa - David Bowie

7. The Great Gig In The Sky - Pink Floyd 

8. Mahna Mahna - Cake

9. Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz - Mr. Bungle 

10. Oompa Radar - Goldfrapp

11. The O-Men - Butthole Surfers

12. Twist - Korn 

13. Tubular Bells: Part Two - Mike Oldfield

14. Tourette's - Nirvana 

15. Iridium Flares - Magma 

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