Listeners' Lounge - "Novelty Songs" Edition

Oh, Stevie, I love, love, love novelty songs!!!
I think the best novelty song of all time, based on songwriting, was the inimitable Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London". Other favorites: Fish Heads by Barnes & Barnes, "The Scotsman" by Bryan something-or-other, and "Deteriorata" & "Magical Misery Tour" by the National Lampoon.

Now I have to dig out the CD of novelty songs I made for my dad. Lots o' Spike Jones & assorted 50s gems such as "Splish Splash" by Bobby Darren, "Drinking Wine Spo-De-O-De" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and "Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey.

Mairzy Doats!
Mule Skinner Blues!
Snoopy v.s. the Red Baron!
I'm 'enry the VIII, I Am I Am!

K, now I'm late for work. I'll try to check back on my lunch hour. Toodles!

They're Coming to Take Me Away scared the sh@t out of me as a kid. It still gives me the creeps. One of my friends' parents had a whole boatload of 45's, and we'd listen to PUrple People Eater, Witchdoctor, and the like. Of course, there's always "The Streak" by Ray Stevens too.

Vicki, yes, "Hello Mudda..." was a great song, Allen Sherman had a whole LP of novelty songs. I remember "The Vatican Rag" as being another good one from that album.

Frick, if "They're Coming to Take Me Away" 45rpm "A" side scared you, what about the "B" side? Ray Stevens had a whole slew of novelty songs too. Gitarzan, Ahab, Everything's Beautiful, oh wait, maybe that one wasn't ........

* a little novelty song triva, Leon Russell played on "Monster Mash" along with Gary Paxton (Ally Oop) of The Hollywood Argyles.*

Mornin'.

YEAH! My sister and I had the album "God Bless Tiny Tim," and listened to it over and over again. I liked Tiptoe Through the Tulips, but RILLY loved "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight," "On The Old Front Porch," "The Viper
Stay Down Here Where You Belong", and "Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life." These old vaudeville songs are a blast - very catchy tunes, often quite funny - and of course, Tiny Tim's voice was just SO WEIRD - I loved him and his ukelele!

Zelda, maybe you should brush up on your vaudeville act and try out for the MPR show. I have a uke you can borrow.

Also, don't forget about "Ding-a-Ling" (Chuck Berry).

I liked "The Streak" and "Convoy" (with Rubber Duck!).

My sister and I used to sing "They're Coming to Take Me Away" - we thought it was funny. Also "Werewolves of Londong."

ARRROOOOOO!

Stevie, I can't play the uke - I only know piano. Perhaps you could accompany me, huh?

Don't forget "Mr. Jaws"

Frick, was that where they would take short clips of popular songs and edit them to some "reporter's" dialog? I think that was done a number of times through the years.

"My Canary Has Circles under His Eyes"--Ray Noble w/Al Bowilly vcl
"The Who Sell Out"--the entire album. Special mention for "Odorono"
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"--the William Shatner Version
"Flying Saucer"--Buchanan and Goodman
The entire Little Jimmy Dickens and Homer & Jethro oeuvre
The complete works of Tom Lehrer
"Your Red Scarf Matches Your Eyes"--Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
"I'm a Cranky Old Yank in a Clankety Tank"--Hoagy Carmichael
"Swing out to Victory"--Fats Waller
"Stuff up the Cracks"--Frank Zappa
"Happy Together"--Phlo and Eddie on the Frank Zappa Mudshark album. Their version as the Turtles doesn't count.
"Egyptian Ella"--Ted Lewis "All the sheiks in the audience rise to their feet and shout that she's immense."
"Grandpa Stole My Baby"--Moon Mullican

Umm...I'm a sucker for novelty tunes. :) There are lots more where those came from.

Zelda--You need an Arthur Godfrey uke. They came with this thing over the fingerboard with chord buttons on it. You pressed the button for the chord you wanted. It's kind of like a mini-autoharp. I think you could only play in one key though.

I like "Troglodyte," with the deathless lyrics:

"I'll sock it to ya, Daddy" he said "Right on! Right on! Hotpants!
Hotpants! Ugh...ugh...ugh"

Frick, was that where they would take short clips of popular songs and edit them to some "reporter's" dialog? I think that was done a number of times through the years.

Yep, that's the one. They've done tons of them like that, that's just the one that stands out in my mind.

And don't forget "Disco Duck"

And who could ever forget.....



Ho, Ho, Ho

*cough*

someone got a brand new dress.

someone got a brand new dress.

Um, I need a clue...what is this about??

/I already entered my favorite break up song, BTW...

new web design. Is nice.

Now to join the conversation that's really in full swing...

Dunno if it is really considered a novelty song, but I love "Beep Beep". Loooooove it. Maybe it is the car connection but I like Convoy too. How can you go wrong with lyrics like this?

With a thousand screamin' trucks
And eleven long haired Friends of Jesus
In a Chartreuse microbus

Did anyone else have the albums with TV show theme songs? I must have wore out the one with Hawaii 5-0's theme, and it was the only way I could have "Suicide is Painless" around my house.

Besides "Drinking Wine, Spo-de-o-dee" by Jimmy Swaggart's cousin there's the original by Sticks McGhee and "Winehead Swing" by James Tisdom which is very similar.

"You Ought to Know"--Alanis Morrissette. Any jealousy song that extreme has to be considered a novelty tune. "I Can See for Miles" by the Who is another like that.

Hmmm I best bust out a bit about the love/breakup songs. Someone else - anyone else - is more than welcome to post about the albums for... romantic interludes. I'm not touchin' that topic.

"Jolly Green Giant," one of my all time favorites.

The Olympics did several novelty tunes including "Western Movies" and "Along Came Jones."

"No Money Down"--Chuck Berry
"Shopping for Clothes," "Charlie Brown," "Young Blood," "Poison Ivy,"...by the Coasters.

"Pencil Neck Geek"--Ray Blassie

"Jolie Blonde"--Moon Mullican, it's not exactly Cajun French

"The Alphabet Song" as sung by the Three Stooges

"The Name Game"--Shirley Ellis

Most everything by Cake.

Dunno if it is really considered a novelty song, but I love "Beep Beep".

Ooohhh! "Beep Beep"!! I loved that song. My friend and I (same one as referenced above) used to listen to that song incessantly as well.. We'd run around his basement in circles in time with the song, and it got faster and faster and faster, and we'd eventually collapse on the floor in a dizzy, giggling, fit.

Hey Nippy, if you don't mind, I'll sumit "Stuff Up The Cracks" as the best Breakup song.....

"If you decide to leave me....ba,ba,ba,ba... then it's all over.."

Julia, I thought you making a reference to the Big Green's duds. LOL.

All great songs, Nippy. Love the Coasters. Lieber and Stoller were masters at the comic song

"The Name Game"--Shirley Ellis

"Let's do Chuck...."

A couple more we haven't listed yet:

Nervous Norvus - Transfusion
Tie Me Kagaroo Down Sport
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it's Flavour?
Keep Your Eyes on Your Driving (?) ie. Kissing and a hugging w/ Fred

Oh man, I just remembered -- we had a 45 of "King Tut" (Steve Martin). I thought is was hiLARious.
Let's not forget "Valley Girl" - I mean, I'm so SURE! Gag me with a spoon!

HA - we also had the 45 "Dead Skunk" (Loudon Wainright III).

Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin' to high heaven!!

C'mon... STINK!

These are all pretty good. Weird Al is the master!

I lurve Weird Al's "White and Nerdy" tune.

Weird Al's "Smells Like Team Spirit" parody video is a hoot. My 6 year old played that one around 50 times over the weekend. He didn't like "Eat It" because it was too scary when Weird Al's eyes turn yellow at the end. "White and Nerdy" is the biggest hit with him right now.

Apparently Frankie Laine passed away yesterday. Singer of "Rawhide", "Mule Train" and other top hits. He was 93.

We'd run around his basement in circles in time with the song, and it got faster and faster and faster, and we'd eventually collapse on the floor in a dizzy, giggling, fit. - Frick

Well, it is a Wednesday.


Stevie you crack me up. Skimming upwards I can totally see how you'd think that... LOL

Back to the topic at hand, Nippy includes "Most everything by Cake." That did NOT go without notice.

[Auntie enters the lounge, humming "Convoy"] Hey, is there anybody in here?

I'm CRABBY. My job is driving me nuts.

Helllooooooo..... ENTERTAIN me, people!

Well hello.

Auntie...perhaps you need to listen to this song...

ZOLOFT

Gosh, I've been scrolling through comments and I can't believe that nobody has yet raised a tribute to the divine Dr. Demento, the king of Novelty Radio. Gosh, I must have listened to his program a hundred times in college. It was something of a ritual, a group of us would get together for it each Sunday night. Oh the suspense, waiting for the "funny five"! Kudos to you, good doctor, for presenting such a vast array of novelty songs for our immature listening pleasure.

"Shaving Cream" - one of my father's favorites, along with Spike Jone's Horse Race song.

Frick, that's very sad news. The last time I saw Frankie Laine on TV was a couple of years ago on a PBS fund drive. He looked extremely frail.

RIP, Frankie Laine. I will always love the sound of your voice, you were a big part of my childhood music education. I hope you're driving dogies or that great Mule Train in the sky. You were one of a kind.

I have Frankie Laine's LP "Hell Bent For Leather". I always liked that title. RIP.

A few more novelty songs you may or may not remember:

Mr Custer
Mr Johnson (parody of Mr Custer)
Ayatollah (My Sharona)
and everyone's favorites "Short Shorts"

I love the phrase Hell Bent for Leather.

Learn more about it.

Julia, that's not what Zelda told me it meant.......

I thought Judas Priest invented that phrase. I feel an urge to break out singing 'Breaking the Law Breaking the Law!!"

\m/

I always loved "I'm Gonna Buy Me A Dog" and "Your Auntie Grizelda" by the Monkees as kind of novelty songs.

Lest we forget..

I have "The Remains of Tom Lehrer", the entire boxed set. Many many many good songs on there. Masochism Tango, Lubechesvky, The Elements, Selling Out...etc.

I also have a Best of Alan Sherman CD. I used to have almost every album of his on vinyl. Of course, as a 10 year old protestant boy growing up in Minnesota, it was sometimes difficult to understand the "yiddishisms' and Jewish references he made, but he wrote some great parodies. "You Went The Wrong Way Old King Louie", "Grow, Mrs. Goldfarb", "The Rebel", " and of course, Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah as previously mentioned.

w0!!!

Fricktard always jumping the gun...

Frick gets Travis in his sights

Hah, I already cited the complete works of Tom Lehrer. Regardless, he deserves more than one mention. He's definitely one of my most significant role models. I have the live recordings on 12" LPs. They're the same songs as the two 10" LPs but have spoken introductions, asides, and audience reaction. I need to dub them to cd.

Can't remember the title but it was by Gracie Fields, maybe "Anne Boleyn." "With her head tucked underneath her arm she walks the bloody tower..."

"Rumania"--Lebedev

Danny Kaye recorded a lot of great novelty material before he became America's most family friendly bisexual comedian. I have a 10" LP I looted from my folks' house that has things like "Anatole of Paris," "Triplets," "The Babbit and the Bromide,"....

"Hot Rod Race"--Arky Shibley The amazing story of "Hot Rod Race"

Its sequel "Hot Rod Lincoln"--Johnny Bond had the big hit with it although the original was recorded by the author, Charlie Ryan. The song had legs. Commander Cody revived it with a dose of post-modern irony.

Can't remember the title but it was by Gracie Fields, maybe "Anne Boleyn." "With her head tucked underneath her arm she walks the bloody tower..."

I have a version of that.

Let us not forget this classic song:

Or this ditty about Philosphers:

Ah I didn't see that Nippster...

Alright Fricko!

br>
at fifty paces...

Remember to always look on the bright side of life….

"I like to wear lace panties, suspenders and a brar..."

AND

"No poofters."

Travis, do you mind if we start with this first



Then work our way up?

Travis, don't worry. The more references to Tom Lehrer the better off we all are.

"He gives the kids free samples because he knows full well that today's young innocent faces are tomorrow's clientele."--T. L. "The Old Dope Peddler"

Eh no using frozen fish!

[crossing fingers behind his back - Innocent look on face]

Why nooooo Travis! Certainly I would nver use frozen fish... Scout's honor.. Except you must know I only made it to Weebelo.

Bow to the Master:

David Rochester?

LOL!!!! Travis wins the thread!

Julia, that's not what Zelda told me it meant.......

^ ^
* *

Betty Johnson's 1950s classic:

♫ ♪ I wuv you I wuv you
Said the little blue man... ♪
----------------------------------

The Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
-----------------------------------

Mah Na Ma Nah
-----------------------------------

Surfin' Bird
-----------------------------------

Anything by David Seville, including "The Chipmunks"

Ah, I believe I've truly found my place on Gather now! I'm a funny-music fanatic (and third-generation Dementoid on both sides!) When I was a little girl, my dad used to sing to me...not nursery rhymes...he'd sing that Benny Bell classic, "Shaving Cream." My mom's mom, meanwhile, would sing, "Yes, We Have No Bananas," a Spike Jones ditty that now always reminds me of her. (My mom even saw Spike Jones live!) So I grew up with a healthy appreciation of funny music, and when my dad put the Doctor Demento radio show on for me, I was one happy kid! Little did he know that show would save my life!

Long story short: Via the Doctor, I became a devoted "Weird Al" fan. In 1984, I met Al and was utterly smitten. Two years later, I married a guy who kind of looked like Al. When he (John) proved to be a less than trustworthy husband, I divorced him and turned to Al's funny music for comfort. My friend Michael even bought me a bootleg Al concert video he found, hoping it would cheer me up, which it did to a great extent. By this time it was 1995, so when I got the internet, I checked Al's official site daily. One day, I linked to his newsgroup, where I saw a post called "Do Live Vids Exist?" The poster wrote"I live in Australia, and I'll probably never get to see Al live. Does anyone know if any live video exists? -- Hawkeye" Taking pity on my fellow Al fan, I offered to copy the video for him, and he accepted. We became pen pals, and 2 years later when he wrote the funniest scifi novel ever (Spindle by Ian Taylor), I was so impressed by it, I fell in love with him, invited him to America, won his heart, and in April we'll celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. (Meanwhile, Spindle was published two years ago and has gotten fantastic reviews - see Amazon.) Four years ago, Ian was the only witness to a massive seizure I had, which turned out to be the *only symptom* of a massive brain tumor growing in my right temporal lobe. They'd have found that brain tumor in my AUTOPSY if it weren't for Doctor Demento and "Weird Al" Yankovic bringing me together with a funny-music fan from the other side of the globe. Sooo...big smooches to Al and the Doctor! (And Al now has an official live DVD which you should all own.)

Joining the Demento Society is a good way to keep up with funny music, and of course you should all have a copy of Al's latest CD, "Straight Outta Lynwood" by now (it's also a DVD with 6 new music videos!)

I was glad to see everyone showin' the love for Tom Lehrer, although no one mentioned my favorite of his songs: "Poisoning Pigeons In The Park." His classic anti-war song "So Long Mom" is as relevant today as ever, if not more so, but it's "That's Mathematics" that travels through my head most often from his catalog.

Allan Sherman is best remembered for "Hello Muddah," but he did a parody of "Pop Goes The Weasel" called "Pop Hates The Beatles" that is possibly his best...consider these lyrics: "There's Beatle books and T-shirts and rings/And one thing and another.
To buy my daughter all of these things/I'd have to sell her brother."

Auntie S., I too have always loved "Mahna Mahna." I first saw it on Sesame Street, with Muppets singing it, and you'll all be glad to know that that piece of video from our collective childhoods is now available to watch on YouTube! (the link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEogB49nc_g )
Also, Auntie, I believe that "The Scotsman" was done by Bryan Bowers; if you like that song, you should love "The Smallest Thing Known To Man" by Lorne Elliott.
As several of you mentioned, much of the best non-Al comedy music from the last few decades came from Monty Python. The Simpsons have provided a few tunes, as has Bob Rivers, known mostly for his comic Christmas carols such as "O Come All Ye Grateful Dead-Heads." Truly, we're living in a Golden Age of Funny Music, but I suppose that's obvious, since we're alive during Al's lifetime (and he's still touring! Can you imagine telling your grandkids that you saw "Weird Al" live!?! Check the dates at www.weirdal.com.)

Karen / Spindlefan
www.spindlebook.com <-- the only book so hilarious I married the author!

Travis, Fricke, Nippy, Karen, Auntie and other looney song lovers: Thank you for the memories. And let's give a special nod to Mel Brooks.

Looks like it's been a while since this conversation has been active. However, I've had this nagging lapse of memory about a novelty song I fell in love with in the 70's when I was a disk jockey. I played it so much on the air, the manager of the station I worked at ended up banning it. It was "Manamana." This was well before the Muppets made a real hit of it. I've been searching for it, and for the life of me, I don't remember the artist (it was a group). I don't think they ever did another song and I don't remember what their Side B was (it came out on 45 rpm). I'm not certain of the spelling (I've seen it various ways...even for the Muppets). And, as I remember, I think the original was far superior to what the Muppets put out. The vocal, as I recall, was just a single, male voice, laid-back, understated, off-handed "Manamana." Almost an afterthought vocal. I loved it. Can anyone help me out here? It's been nagging at me for, literally, years.