It's entirely possible that Thomas Edison, after inventing the phonograph, recorded a wax cylinder of himself making armpit noises in time to a Sousa march. Well — maybe not, but my point is that silly songs go back a long way, and modern performers such as Weird Al Yankovic are really just the latest in a long parade of singers who make us laugh. Sometimes the songs are satirical and sometimes they're just goofy, but they have one thing in common — they're all funny.
I loved novelty songs when I was a kid, and I think my dad did too because we had an awful lot of them among our
collection of 78's. Or maybe it just seemed that way to me because I played the comedy songs over and over, while pretty much ignoring the regular records. I was still too young to appreciate Sinatra or Tommy Dorsey, but I was a big fan of Phil Harris and Spike Jones, and I just about wore out those old platters listening to those guys and other funny musicians.
Phil Harris made a pretty good living with novelty songs, and that's all I knew about him at that time, but he was actually a versatile performer. At various times he'd been an actor, a drummer (the musical kind, not a salesman — although he probably did that too), a bandleader, a singer, and a comedy star on the radio. In fact, he and his wife, actress/singer Alice Faye, had a very popular radio show together at one time, and apparently working together suited them — they were married for over 50 years. But to me he was just a faceless guy who was making me laugh with comedy songs like "The Thing", "The Preacher And The Bear", and my favorite, "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette". I'd like to think that it's message is still applicable all these years later.
Article comments
1 - Vern Halen
"Mares eat oats, and does eat oats, and little lambs east ivy, a kid'll eat ivy too - wouldn't you?"
But I always wondered why the heck I'd want to eat ivy.
2 - BIg Geez
You got it right, Vern. (Assuming you made a type with the "east" after lambs.)
As to eating ivy, have you ever tried it? Maybe it would make a good salad:-)
3 - BIg Geez
How funny - I made a typo of my own - wrote "type" when I meant "typo".
4 - michael
Enjoyed reading your article. As a collector of novelty songs myself ( see blog ) I'm always pleased to see the genre celebrated and not belittled as it often is. I actually have another CD entitled "Mairzy Doats" that was released on the Music & Memories label in 1995 here inthe uk and contains very similar tracks I imagine to the new version but nearly all the music is from the 30's and the 40's.
5 - BIg Geez
Thanks, Michael. Appreciate the comment and the info. Your blog looks pretty good - if you get a chance, check out my regular blog. (Link above) Although my posts are mostly repeated here on blogcritics, I have some fun with the blog too.
6 - A.L. Harper
Congratulations this article is Assistant Music Editor, A.L. Harper's Editor's pick of the week.
7 - Big Geez
Thanks, Lisa!
8 - Phin
Back in about 1962, while near Portland, ME, I heard a parody of the song "Still" (country song by Anderson???). The one lyric I remember is "Still, I wish I had a Still ..." As I recall it was about a failed romance.
Does anyone remember this and have the person / group who did it? Thanks!
9 - Big Geez
Don't know, Phin. My memory of a song like that was someone (Flatt and Scruggs?) who did a parody of the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hands" called "I Wanna Hold Your Hams".
10 - milo
kids are baby goats
11 - milo
I could add, In the 1950's our seventh grade music teacher played Spike Jones' "Carmen". I would dearley hear it again.