3 Hit Songs From 1964 That Don’t Make Much Sense, but We Still Love Them Anyway
This is a light music-nostalgia listicle from American Songwriter highlighting three 1964 hit singles whose lyrics are quirky or nonsensical yet remain beloved by fans of 1960s pop. It's a retrospective feature rather than breaking news, celebrating the era's playful, unrestrained songwriting.
The three songs featured are Bobby Freeman's "C'mon And Swim" (actually about a dance move, not swimming, and his second Top 5 pop hit), The Newbeats' "Bread And Butter" (their debut and biggest single, about a partner's odd food preferences), and Major Lance's "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" (his only R&B number one, which also reached the pop Top 5). Each track is noted for its charting success and enduring appeal despite lyrics that make little literal sense.
- Feature revisits three quirky-lyric hit songs from 1964.
- Bobby Freeman's "C'mon And Swim" was actually about a dance.
- Newbeats and Major Lance tracks also had big chart success.