"The Riddle" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from the album of the same name. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.

The "riddling" lyrics caused much puzzlement and speculation among listeners as to their meaning; Kershaw claims that there is in fact no meaning at all, 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."

The music video to "The Riddle" 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 Caroll's book Alice in Wonderland with an appearance of young girl exiting the room through a small door, two portly gentlemen who resemble Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee and an observation made by Kershaw to Through the Looking Glass.

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 the street, 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. Kershaw claimed the video was inspired by his love for post-modern artistic expressionism.

7" Single (WEA NIK 6)
A The Riddle - 3:52
B Progress (Live) - 3:02

12" Single (WEA NIKT 6)
A The Riddle (Extended Riddle) - 5:08
B Progress (Live) - 3:02

Cassette Single (WEA NIKC 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)

The Riddle
Produced by Peter Collins

...
Wikipedia