The Riddle (Nik Kershaw song)
1984 single by Nik Kershaw
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"The Riddle" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw, released in 1984 as the lead single from his studio album of the same name. Kershaw described the lyrical content as being nondescript to fill as a "guide vocal" for the production. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and peaked within the top 10 in countries like Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand. An accompanying music video was made for the song and features references to Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865).
| "The Riddle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
![](#/media/File:Nik_Kershaw_The_Riddle_12"_Cover.jpeg) Cover of the 12-inch single | ||||
| Single by Nik Kershaw | ||||
| from the album The Riddle | ||||
| Released | 5 November 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:52 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter | Nik Kershaw | |||
| Producer | Peter Collins | |||
| Nik Kershaw singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Riddle" on YouTube | ||||
The song was covered by many artists, including Gigi D'Agostino (1999), the German Folk band dArtagnan together with Styrian band Visions of Atlantis, Cécile Corbel, Jack Holiday and Mike Candys.
Lyrics
The "riddling" lyrics caused speculation among listeners as to their meaning; Kershaw states that there is in fact no intended meaning at all, the words simply being a "guide vocal" thrown together to fit the music. Kershaw has stated: "In short, 'The Riddle' is nonsense, rubbish, bollocks, the confused ramblings of an 80s popstar."[1]
Music video
The music video to "The Riddle", directed by Storm Thorgerson,[2][3] depicts Kershaw walking through a house shaped like a question mark, making his way through certain obstacles and looking through drawers while singing. The video depicts many references to Lewis Carroll's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) with an appearance of a young girl exiting the room through a small door, two portly gentlemen who resemble Tweedledum and Tweedledee and an observation made by Kershaw to Through the Looking-Glass (1871).
At the beginning of the music video, Kershaw is seen trying to get through a door with a screwdriver. The video ends with the camera moving up away from Kershaw to reveal that the question mark is lying in an alleyway, at which point, a man in a green costume seen earlier in the video comes and picks it up. The green man is the Riddler, a villain from the Batman comics.
Track listing
7" Single (WEA NIK 6)[4]
A: "The Riddle" – 3:52
B: "Progress" (Live) – 3:02
12" Single (WEA NIKT 6)[5]
A: "The Riddle" (Extended Riddle) – 5:08
B: "Progress" (Live) – 3:02
Cassette Single (WEA NIKC 6)[6]
A1: "The Riddle" – 3:52
A2: "Interview"
A3: "Progress" (Live) – 3:02
B1: "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (Extended Mix)
B2: "Wouldn't It Be Good" (Extended Mix)
Credits
"The Riddle"[4]
Produced by Peter Collins
"Progress"
Recorded Live at Hammersmith Odeon.
Mixed by Simon Boswell
"The Riddle (Extended Riddle)"
Produced by Peter Collins
The extended mix is named "Special Extended Mix" on the cover and "Extended Riddle" on the label.
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[29] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Gigi D'Agostino version
| "The Riddle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Gigi D'Agostino | ||||
| from the album L'Amour Toujours | ||||
| B-side | "Remix" | |||
| Released | December 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Genre | Italo dance | |||
| Length | 4:45 | |||
| Label | ZYX | |||
| Songwriter | Nik Kershaw | |||
| Producer | Gigi D'Agostino | |||
| Gigi D'Agostino singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Riddle" on YouTube | ||||
"The Riddle" was covered as a dance song by Italian DJ and record producer Gigi D'Agostino, featuring uncredited vocals by British singer Adam Austin. This version was released on D'Agostino's second studio album, L'Amour Toujours (1999). The same lyrics are used as in Kershaw's song, but the order is changed and the tempo is faster. Although only a top-40 hit in the DJ's home country, the song landed in the top-ten in Canada and several countries in Europe.
Music video
The music video, which was made by Andreas Hykade, features La Linea-styled animation like the "Bla Bla Bla" music video (both of which feature Baba,[30] the same humanoid character), taking place entirely with white lines on a light green background and features the aforementioned character fighting a dragon-like creature on a mountainous terrain.
Weekly charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e Dischi)[31] | 31 |
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[32] | 14 |
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[33] | 8 |
| Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[34] | 12[a] |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[35] | 15 |
| France (SNEP)[36] | 7 |
| Germany (GfK)[37] | 4 |
| Hungary (MAHASZ)[38] | 5 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] | 8 |
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[40] | 4 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[41] | 11 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[42] | 4 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[43] | 4 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[52] | Gold | 25,000* |
| France (SNEP)[53] | Silver | 125,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[54] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[55] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Jack Holiday and Mike Candys version
| "The Riddle Anthem" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Jack Holiday and Mike Candys | ||||
| Released | 19 November 2012 | |||
| Genre | Electronic | |||
| Length | 3:13 | |||
| Songwriter | Nik Kershaw | |||
| Producers |
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| Jack Holiday singles chronology | ||||
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| Mike Candys singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "The Riddle Anthem" on YouTube | ||||
"The Riddle" was covered as a dance song by Swiss DJs Mike Candys and Jack Holiday. It was retitled "The Riddle Anthem" and released in November 2012.
Charts
| Chart (2012–2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[56] | 29 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[57] | 31 |
| France (SNEP)[58] | 43 |
| Germany (GfK)[59] | 44 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[60] | 26 |