Adriano Celentano, a well-known Italian singer/actor from the 1960s and ’70s, wrote the song Prisencolinensinainciusol as a parody of English-language music. He was trying to make the point that Italians, at least at the time, were so obsessed with American culture that they would buy anything that sounded like it came from the US. Not only was the song a hit in Italy, it also made the music charts in several other European countries as well!

The song lyrics are complete gibberish, but Celentano wrote them to sound like American English to Italians. Combining “a bit of Elvis, a bit of Jerry Lewis, and a bit of folk singer,” Celentano performed it with his usual style, characterized by (according to critics) his “loud lyrics and inelegant body movements.” The song has been credited by some as the first true Europop song. Because parts of the song are spoken, Celentano somewhat outrageously also claimed that with this song he invented rap music.

“Ever since I started singing, I was very influenced by American music and everything Americans did. So at a certain point, because I like American slang—which, for a singer, is much easier to sing than Italian—I thought that I would write a song which would only have as its theme the inability to communicate. And to do this, I had to write a song where the lyrics didn’t mean anything.”

If I weren’t paying attention, I think I’d also be fooled that the song was in English. It’s a very skillful impression. It’s annoyingly catchy, and I can’t seem to stop playing it. Knowing it’s nonsense somehow makes it even more intriguing.

You can follow the now 87-year-old Adriano Celentano on his website and on YouTube.