Nik Kershaw – “The Riddle”
A catchy pop puzzle that wasn’t meant to be solved
Released on 5 November 1984, “The Riddle” was the lead single from Nik Kershaw’s second album of the same name. It quickly became one of his biggest hits, reaching No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and cracking the Top 10 in countries like Ireland, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden. It even made a dent in the U.S., peaking at No. 7 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under chart — just shy of the Hot 100.
But what really made the song stand out wasn’t just its synth-pop shimmer — it was the lyrics. Or rather, the lack of meaning behind them.
Wait… what does it mean?
Lines like “Near a tree by a river, there’s a hole in the ground…” had fans scratching their heads for decades. Was it a metaphor? A political allegory? A spiritual journey?
Nope. According to Kershaw himself, it’s “nonsense, rubbish, bollocks — the confused ramblings of an ’80s pop star.” The lyrics were originally just placeholder gibberish to fit the melody. But when it came time to finalize the song, nothing else sounded quite right — so he kept them. And cheekily named the track “The Riddle” to lean into the mystery.
Synths, riddles, and a house shaped like a question mark
Musically, the song is a bright, upbeat blend of synth-pop and new wave, with a Celtic-tinged melody and a driving rhythm. Produced by Peter Collins, it features Kershaw’s signature melodic flair and a vocal that’s both smooth and urgent.
The music video, directed by Storm Thorgerson, is just as surreal as the lyrics — full of Alice in Wonderland references, a house shaped like a question mark, and a cameo from The Riddler (yes, the Batman villain). It was a staple on MTV and helped cement the song’s quirky appeal.
Still puzzling after all these years
Despite being “about nothing,” “The Riddle” became one of Kershaw’s most iconic tracks. It’s been covered and remixed by artists like Gigi D’Agostino, Jack Holiday, and Mike Candys, and it still gets people humming that unforgettable chorus — even if they have no idea what it means.
And maybe that’s the point. Sometimes, the best pop songs don’t need to make sense — they just need to sound like they do.