First, a couple of semantic questions regarding the word ‘nonsense’.
1. Can it be used as a noun, or simply an adjective?
2. If a noun, does it have a plural?
The reason I ask is that there was a sequence of nonsenses that led me to write this post.
The first was from the 60s British pop star Donovan, who wrote a song called ‘Mellow Yellow’ (as in “They call me…”).
The second was, I thought, provided by my wife Bobbie, who asked “what’s that song that goes ‘eeelectrical ba-NAN-a…’?”. I knew the tune she meant (neither of us are great singers – or indeed singers of any kind – but after almost 10 years marriage, we can usually tell what notes the other was aiming for), and I laughed. I was convinced it was a misheard lyric – so I went on line to check for the correct ones. Y’know… so I could be right.
The internet’s a great venue for correcting people on misheard lyrics.
Sadly, thanks to nonsense event #1 mentioned above, the correct lyrics are, in fact, ‘electrical banana…’.
I apologise for doubting. But in my defence, what was he on when he wrote that?!
The Google search that led me to that humbling discovery, also led me to a New Zealand weblog called Electric Banana, which has some rather nice random stuff on it, and lots of perfectly good nonsense – like a thingy-shaped eggplant (not, in this case, a turnip).
I was particularly taken by a reference on the electric banana blog to the first ever radio performance of John Cage’s famous silent work, 4’33”. You can listen to the broadcast by clicking here. The commentary that accompanies it is perfect – and explains nicely why an orchestra sitting still for a set period of time is much more than simply a postmodern joke.
Listen to the end of it too – in the wrapup, there’s a nice piece of trivia about the technical difficulties of broadcasting silence on the BBC. Still, it’s a lot less fraught with difficulty than some stuff the BBC has put to air over the last little while… but I’m yet to meet anyone who will come out in support of the Hutton document. History, I suspect, will not be kind to a number of contemporary Western world leaders.
Yet again, Russell Brown had it right – the standard of proof for a radio broadcast obviously needs to be higher than the standard of proof required to take a nation to war.
It’s all nonsense. Glorious, hilarious, awesome and terrible nonsense – noun and adjective.
I’m tempted to verb it too: I need to nonsense certain areas of my life. I’m off to the park to nonsense for a bit – back soon. Who nonsensed my CD collection?!
Yeah – that works.
No word from Westminster. Perhaps if I disconnect from the internet, they might be able to call me.
