# Are there any songs you can't listen to without thinking of a parody? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [November 28, 2021, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045 "2021-11-28T05:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/121 "2021-12-02T11:10:28Z")
Another one of _ **MAD Magazine** _’s “Songs of Food”: Sung to the tune of “Moon River”: _Chopped liver,_ _onions on the side,_ _my social life has died_ _from you._ _My friends_ _shun me,_ _they outrun me,_ _the smell of my breath_ _is slow death,_ _sad but true._ _But I know_ _your smell_ _will not end._ _Always I’ll offend,_ _my halitosis friend._ _Chopped liver_ _in me!_ ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/122 "2021-12-02T11:22:47Z")
**Mull of Kintyre** , although I don’t remember the parody. Someone from Sheffield sang it once and I thought it was hilarious (which means nothing, 30 years later). I’ve poked around online without finding it. It’s not “Mulligan’s Tires” or the one about soccer (football). Another is The Monkees’ **Daydream Believer** and the line “I dance like Axl Rose in my fruity sixties clothes.” Can’t find it online, either. I see references to it but not the whole thing. On Saturday Night Live, Bill Murray had some hilarious bits as a lounge singer whose name was either Nick Winters or Nick Summers, depending on the time of year, as I recall. He was parodying singers rather than songs, but he made an indelable impression on me with his renditions of the **theme from Star Wars** (mentioned upthread) and especially **Scarborough Fair**. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/123 "2021-12-02T11:27:42Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > Another is The Monkees’ **Daydream Believer** and the line “I dance like Axl Rose in my fruity sixties clothes.” Can’t find it online, either. I see references to it but not the whole thing. [This](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x71wj1o) one? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/124 "2021-12-02T11:44:53Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > Bill Murray had some hilarious bits as a lounge singer whose name was either Nick Winters or Nick Summers, depending on the time of year, as I recall. He was parodying singers rather than songs, but he made an indelable impression on me with his renditions of the **theme from Star Wars** … [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ljiVRV5B5i8/maxresdefault.jpg "Nick The Lounge Singer Sings Star Wars Theme - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljiVRV5B5i8&t=336) My favorite was his theme from _ **Hawaii Five-O** _, which went something like this… _There’s a man named McGarrett,_ _and he gets lots of sun._ _There’s a man named McGarrett,_ _and he packs a gun!_ _… It’s Hawaii Five-O!_ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/125 "2021-12-02T11:50:59Z")
I left out the best part: _Your odor’s_ _twice as bad as beer,_ _and people who drink beer_ _agree!_ ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/126 "2021-12-02T12:02:40Z")
@The_Other_Waldo_Pepper and @terentii: Yep, dem’s de ones! ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/127 "2021-12-02T18:53:56Z")
It just happened: The store speakers were playing an instrumental version of “Angels We Have Heard On High” and my mind immediately filled in the second line with Tom Lehrer’s “tell us to go out and buy” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/128 "2021-12-02T22:00:09Z")
As soon as I read “Angels we have heard on high”, I filled in Tom Lehrer, too! ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/129 "2021-12-02T22:01:55Z")
Pretty much anything Weird Al has parodied is ruined for me. Also, Hey There Delilah [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ut82TDjciSg/hqdefault.jpg "Hey There Chthulhu [a Lovecraftian song]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut82TDjciSg) and I Only Want To Be With You [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/l7TQPuFtBAI/maxresdefault.jpg "Three Inch Tool") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7TQPuFtBAI) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/130 "2021-12-06T02:37:22Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Glory glory Hallelujah. Teacher hit me with a ruler. I bopped her on the bean with a rotten tangerine. The truth goes marching on. The version my brothers taught me would get us all arrested, or at least expelled these days: “Glory glory Hallelujah. Teacher hit me with a ruler. Shot her with a rusty forty-twoooooo-er, now the teacher ain’t a teacher any more”. I think mine scans better than yours. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/131 "2021-12-06T02:59:24Z")
Last night, I heard Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” while I was in the car, and was reminded of the parody lyric that my college roommate used to sing (and which I always “hear” when I hear Madonna’s song). Instead of “Last night, I dreamt of San Pedro,” I hear, “Last night, I ate my sombrero!” ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/132 "2021-12-06T20:36:29Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > > [@carrps](#): > > > > Glory glory Hallelujah. Teacher hit me with a ruler. I bopped her on the bean with a rotten tangerine. The truth goes marching on. > > The version my brothers taught me would get us all arrested, or at least expelled these days: > “Glory glory Hallelujah. Teacher hit me with a ruler. Shot her with a rusty forty-twoooooo-er, now the teacher ain’t a teacher any more”. My school’s was “Glory glory Hallelujah. Teacher hit me with a ruler. Hit her in the butt with a rotten coconut, and she ain’t gonna teach no more” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/133 "2021-12-06T20:54:09Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Instead of “Last night, I dreamt of San Pedro,” I hear, “Last night, I ate my sombrero!” My wife hears this as “Last night I dreamed of Salt Bagels” My father always heard “Guantanamero” as “One Ton of Metal”. which scans and fits the stresses much better than the more popular “One Ton Tomato” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/134 "2021-12-06T22:01:26Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I was never a Michael Jackson or Madonna fan so whenever I hear certain songs of their’s I’m expecting the words from the Weird Al parodies. “Like A Surgeon”, definitely. There’s also the “Stairway To Heaven” parody performed by a short-lived band for which I played keyboards, which featured lines such as: _Injuries by the brook_ _where a submarine sinks_ _Sometimes olives are trout,_ _with pimentos_ ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/135 "2021-12-06T22:14:10Z")
Apparently he has a show which can be heard on Internet radio. > **[Web Radio Classics \\ WRC - The Greaseman](https://www.webradioclassics.com/greaseman.htm)** > > The Best Music You Forgot from the late 50s to early 80s with The Greaseman 6-10pm Mon-Fri Too bad he self-destructed as an on-air personality. He did some great (if gross) stuff back in the days when I picked up his show while commuting in the Philadelphia area (circa 1995). ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/136 "2021-12-07T02:01:03Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > I can’t hear Annie’s Song without thinking “You came on my piiiiiillllloooow Monty Python ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/137 "2021-12-07T02:09:20Z")
Every time I hear NWA’s Boyz N’ The Hood, I can’t help but think about Dynamite Hack’s wonderful acoustic finger-picking cover. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045/138 "2021-12-08T01:09:20Z")
Then of course, are David Prowse’s (the original guy in the Vader suit) version: _Star Wars_ _Made me a fortune_ _Paid of the mortgage_ _Bought me a car._ * * * Then there’s the parody that is not only a more upbeat song than the original, but even got a movie made around it: _ **Born in East L.A.** _ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-songs-you-cant-listen-to-without-thinking-of-a-parody/955045.md?page=6)