# It may be a Novelty Song, but it’s also a \*good\* song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [September 3, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737 "2020-09-03T18:06:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/21 "2020-09-03T21:52:59Z")
Blotto’s “I Want to be a Lifeguard.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CBRJ6jQfap0/hqdefault.jpg "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard by Blotto") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBRJ6jQfap0) ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/22 "2020-09-03T22:44:10Z")
I’m fond of the Playmate’s song Beep Beep. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/h5qd2M8OmQc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Playmates - Beep Beep 1956 HQ Novelty Songs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5qd2M8OmQc) . ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/23 "2020-09-03T23:05:17Z")
Good film, but it’s no _Conqueror Worm_. Interesting song. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/24 "2020-09-03T23:14:59Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zFbnYwRzSyY/hqdefault.jpg "Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby (Original) HQ 1953") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFbnYwRzSyY) ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/25 "2020-09-03T23:19:41Z")
I find “Timothy” (by the Buoys) quite amusing. I’m aware this says a few things about my sense of humor. I’m fine with that. ---
**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:** [September 3, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/26 "2020-09-03T23:24:48Z")
A companion piece: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HbhvZ2y1V80/hqdefault.jpg "Nervous Norvus - Transfusion (1956)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbhvZ2y1V80) ---
**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:** [September 3, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/27 "2020-09-03T23:42:05Z")
Music! BAT music! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cjTdY-P2veQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Batman Theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjTdY-P2veQ) https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLNFJ-D4y5E2luwsfd0FkMUmjJNii3u5Vb&wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=1&enablejsapi=1 https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLNFJ-D4y5E2luwsfd0FkMUmjJNii3u5Vb&wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=1&enablejsapi=1 ---
**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:** [September 3, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/28 "2020-09-03T23:48:30Z")
Missed the edit, sorry. ☹ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/W06VbI3FjCs/maxresdefault.jpg "The Marketts -- Bat Cave") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W06VbI3FjCs) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/29 "2020-09-03T23:50:43Z")
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for [Little Red Riding Hood](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cdVVLbe1rfY) by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/30 "2020-09-04T00:26:49Z")
**SNAFU** = Situation Normal, All Fucked Up! Looie = Lieutenant Topkick = Sergeant Pot = Toilet I used to have a girlfriend who was a dead ringer for Mitzi Mayfair, the little one on the left. 🥰 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Cq-If5vVvcc/maxresdefault.jpg "SNAFU 1944") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq-If5vVvcc) You’ll recognize this one if you’ve seen the Ukrainian TV series _ **Naked and Funny** _ (available on YouTube 😉 ). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8CTs8a7dVa0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHWBIAC4AOKAgwIABABGD0gTCh_MA8=&rs=AOn4CLB1Tdyg1j16J8Q4JsVK9ktrcLCMxg "Jackie Wilson - Reet petite") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CTs8a7dVa0) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/31 "2020-09-04T00:31:25Z")
almost anything on the various versions of the dr demento shows ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/32 "2020-09-04T02:21:21Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FYbavuReVF4/maxresdefault.jpg "King Tut - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYbavuReVF4) ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/33 "2020-09-04T02:26:07Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-n91lSO0wJQ/hqdefault.jpg "Hong Kong Phooey Intro") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n91lSO0wJQ) The Sublime cover [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gz-kWEkazKg/hqdefault.jpg "Sublime - Hong Kong Phooey (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz-kWEkazKg) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/34 "2020-09-04T02:34:20Z")
To this day, the best thing Steve Martin has ever done. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/35 "2020-09-04T02:38:12Z")
Several Flight of the Conchords and They Might Be Giants songs would count as novelties but good, I’d say. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/36 "2020-09-04T02:42:08Z")
Hayseed Dixie, a novelty act that started out with doing bluegrass covers of AC/DC songs (hence their name), are really good musicians, too. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Nlm5pqFKnW4/maxresdefault.jpg "Back in Black") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlm5pqFKnW4) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/37 "2020-09-04T02:43:30Z")
I could never figure out whether Jim Stafford wrote novelty songs, or was a country artist whose material was a lot lighter than the typical “hurtin’ and cheatin’” country music. Certainly, his music was good enough to hit the charts–“Wildwood Weed” hit number 7 in the US back in 1974. Not bad for a song that was all about marijuana, without actually ever saying so: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xyjlxIcu8AM/hqdefault.jpg "Wildwood Weed (Jim Stafford) w/ lyrics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyjlxIcu8AM) And then there was “Spiders and Snakes,” in with the singer and his girlfriend steal off into the woods for–you know–but things don’t go exactly as planned: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4vudA72hibg/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AG-AoAC8AGKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAvla5H-7H6j1zsnHDe9Cj7JcRshg "Jim Stafford Spiders and Snakes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vudA72hibg) At any rate, if his stuff consists of novelty songs, then they’re pretty good. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/38 "2020-09-04T03:20:24Z")
**NB:** Bottles of full-cream milk had (have?) gold tops instead of silver ones. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8e1xvyTdBZI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC2AOKAgwIABABGE4gZShTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBc_aE-HRyqtDsxyXZwGa9p5o33aQ "Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI) ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/39 "2020-09-04T03:42:00Z")
Not sure if they are novelties, but here’s a few favorites. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Gtffv9bpB-U/maxresdefault.jpg "Green Jelly - Three Little Pigs (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtffv9bpB-U) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WeYsTmIzjkw/maxresdefault.jpg "Afroman - Because I Got High") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeYsTmIzjkw) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kT8cX2-_7pQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Danny Don't You Know - NSP") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT8cX2-_7pQ) Pretty much the entire NSP catalog would qualify. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/40 "2020-09-04T04:30:03Z")
To be honest, I prefer this one: 😉 https://www.youtube.com/embed/B87c4oN8CdU?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLed8WZn7STv9LXJ1MOxjn2iItVPGnsqYw [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737.md?page=3)