- NEW!
by An Educated Optimist on August 7th, 2007
It doesn't mean anything; it's a filler sound like la la la or "a-down-a-down-a-down-a" (Hamlet), used to keep the tune in old songs. Sometimes, an entire refrain was nonsense syllables.
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You're reading Anyone know what "Tirra lirra" means? A line in the Lady Shalott says: "Tirra lirra" by the river sang Sir Lancelot.
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Comments
wow - that didn't occur to me at all! (It's hard to know these things, when you're not english-speaking:))
Thanks!
by Anonymous on August 7th, 2007
You're very welcome! I never considered how confusing that must be to people learning English as a second language.
by An Educated Optimist on August 7th, 2007