Novelty Songs in the World of Music

TR Robertson — In the music business, novelty songs are defined as “comical or nonsensical songs performed principally for “comical effect”. This particular type of song was very popular between 1920-1930 and found new life from 1950-1960 and again 1970-1980. Today, occasionally, you will see an artist, more than likely a country music artist, who will have a bit of fun and produce a song that could fall into the category of a novelty song. Making a novelty song is not limited to any particular type of music and making a song that is humorous does not necessarily make that song a novelty song.

Many novelty songs parody other songs, such as most of Weird Al Yankovic’s songs, like “Eat It”. Many of the songs use unusual lyrics or subjects, and in many cases sounds or instrumentation. Lots of the songs wouldn’t even be classified as musical. The eerie 1966 novelty song “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Ha!”, by Jerry Samuels – aka – Napoleon XIV, has little music (using only a snare drum and a tambourine) and a repetitive verse and rhythm. In the 1970-80’s, progressive rocker Frank Zappa had a number of novelty song hits, many of them played on Dr. Demento’s syndicated radio show.

Many individuals or groups that have recorded a novelty song have been one-hit wonders. Some of these novelty songs have charted in the top 10 for most popular songs in the U.S. Here are a few of the songs (non-country) that were very successful. You should know the words to many of these:

“The Thing” – Phil Harris – #1 – Dec. 1950

“Splish Splash” – Bobby Darin – #2 – May 1958

“The Purple People Eater” – Sheb Wooley – #1 – June 1958

“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini – Brian Hyland – #1 – August 1960

“Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor” – Lonnie Donegan – #5 – August 1962

“Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport” – Rolf Harris – #3 – June 1963

“Monster Mash” – Bobby Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers – #1 – September 1962

“My Ding-a-Ling” – Chuck Berry – #1 – September 1971

“Surfin Bird” – The Trashmen – #4 – December 1963

“Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” – Allen Sherman – #2 – August 1963

“Short Shorts” – The Royal Teens – #3 – February 1958

“Yakety Yak” – The Coasters – #1 – June 1958

“Convoy” – C.W. McCall – #1 – January 1976

‘Disco Duck” – Rick Dees and his Cast of Idiots – #1 – September 1976

Recently “Baby Shark” took the world by storm with people young and old singing this children’s novelty song. The song came from Korean education brand Pinkfong’s cover version taken from an online viral video. The song moved into the top 40 for songs in the U.S.

One genre of music that has benefited immensely over the years from novelty songs is country music. Many feel country music has been able to poke fun at itself and at serious life situations finding humor in everyday experiences, like – unfortunate looking offspring, dating, break-ups, unhappy marriages, religious overenthusiasm, technology and much more.

Consider one of the top classic country western novelty songs is Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue”. The song was written by poet Shel Silverstein who got the idea after attending a speaking engagement and hearing a speaker named Sue K. Hicks, a former judge from Tennessee. Hicks was named after his mother, by his father, after the mother passed away during childbirth. Johnny Cash recorded the song in 1969 as part of his concert at San Quentin Maximum Security Prison. Sometimes the story of the song is as interesting as the song.

Here a few of the many country western novelty songs that have appeared over the years and the artist that sang them. They are in no particular order, Some of the titles of the songs are as funny as the songs themselves. Some might not be totally PC as well.

“All My Exes Live in Texas” – George Strait

“Dang Me” – Roger Miller

“Bubba Shot the Jukebox” – Mark Chestnut

“Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox if I Die” – Joe Diffie

“You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly” – Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty

‘The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” – Ray Stevens

“Redneck Woman” – Gretchen Wilson

“Elvira” – The Oak Ridge Boys

“Friends in Low Places” – Garth Brooks

“How Do You Like Me Know” – Toby Keith

“It’s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long” – The Cherry Bombs

“Did I Shave My Legs for This” – Deanne Carter

“Like My Dog” – Billy Cunningham

“Thank God and Greyhound You’re Gone” – Roy Clark

“She Got the Goldmine and I Got the Shaft” – Jerry Reed

“She Just Started Liking Cheatin’ Songs” – John Anderson

“Save a Horse – Ride a Cowboy” – Big & Rich

“She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” – Kenny Chesney

“The Interstate is Coming Through My Outhouse” – Sadie Green Sales Ragtime Jugband

“I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our House” – David Frizell

“Drop Kick Me Jesus, Through the Goal Posts of Life – Bobby Bare

“I’ve Never Gone to Bed With an Ugly Woman, But I Sure Woke Up With a Few” – Bobby Bare

“How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away? – Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks

“Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart” – Johnny Cash

“I’d Like to Check you For Ticks” – Brad Paisley

“She Got the Ring and I Got the Finger” – Chuck Mead

“Out of My Head and Back in My Bed” – Loretta Lynn

“My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, and I Sure Do Miss Him” – Freddie Dean Sr.

“Take This Job and Shove It” – Johnny Paycheck

“You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd” – Roger Miller

“Store Bought Teeth” – Lulu Belle

“Don’t Squeeze My Sharman” – Carl Belew

“How Come Your Dog Don’t Bite Nobody But Me?” – Web Pierce & Mel Tillis

“Thanks to the Cathouse I’m in the Dog House With You” – Johnny Paycheck

“Tullohoma Dancing Pizza Man” – Eddie Rabbitt

“The Phantom of the Opry” – Jerry Reed

“I Wouldn’t Take Her to a Dog Fight” – Charlie Walker

“Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous” – Tracy Byrd

“May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” – Little Jimmie Dickens

“You Don’t Have to Go Home But You Can’t Stay Here”– Oak Ridge Boys

It may be hard to believe but this is just a small sampling of the many country western novelty songs that have been recorded over time. You have to remember these were written to be amusing and to poke fun at common situations, stretching these situations as far as they could be stretched. No one said these were Grammy winners and they are not for everyone’s taste. Novelty songs have been around for a long time and I am sure they will be around for years to come.