Danmarks logofile orkester: Shu-bi-dua og sproget

Abstract

The band Shu-bi-dua (founded in 1973) is well-known to three generations of Danes for its remarkable treatment of language. However, apart from a few essays pointing out imprecise features like ‘language play’ and ‘funny language’, no serious attempt to describe how the band uses language has been made. A thorough linguistic analysis of their language techniques has hitherto been lacking. This contribution takes the first step towards such a task by focusing mainly on phonology, morphology, lexicology, phraseology, semantics, and text linguistics. We have identified a number of techniques which characterize the band’s language use, e.g. syllable sharing, morphological and phraseological modification, an extensive use of elements from foreign languages, of place names and personal names, of intertextuality, and of rhyme manipulation. The creation of new words and phrasemes, some of which have found their way into everyday vocabulary, is another important linguistic feature of the band.