# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/61 "2020-09-04T19:03:10Z")
I love Frank Zappa and the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band, but I came here to mention [John Kettley is Weatherman](https://youtu.be/Db6WHtNV5-I?t=25) by A Tribe of Toffs. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/62 "2020-09-04T19:08:41Z")
You beat me to, “[Spiders and Snakes.](https://youtu.be/4vudA72hibg)” I rediscovered it recently, and decided it was too catchy to be relegated to mere novelty status. Cheech & Chong’s, “Earache my Eye” has a great parody of Alice Cooper & David Bowie at the beginning. “I OWN APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND SHOPPING CENTERS!!! I ONLY KNOW THREE CHORDS!!!” It’s only slightly hurt by replacing the need for an ending with a record scratch. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XqyegIAGlmk/maxresdefault.jpg "Earache My Eye") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqyegIAGlmk) ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/63 "2020-09-04T19:22:25Z")
After posting about Zappa, I decided to listen to Joe’s Garage again. Really appreciating the song [Joe’s Garage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oH8u9PxWJo) and should have added that and [Dong Work for Yuda](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL5usTutJgU) to my list. Sorry, John, sorry. Better try it again. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/64 "2020-09-04T19:31:20Z")
Nice little tribute to Andy Griffith here. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jR7rWvj5s4k/maxresdefault.jpg "Darryl Worley , "The Fishin' Hole" (Andy Griffith Show theme song)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR7rWvj5s4k) ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/65 "2020-09-04T20:16:11Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > After posting about Zappa, I decided to listen to Joe’s Garage again. _Joe’s Garage_ should be adapted as a rock opera and staged on Broadway. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/66 "2020-09-04T20:21:47Z")
I don’t think Broadway is ready for Elron Hoover and Apliantology. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/67 "2020-09-04T21:47:19Z")
Today in the car, the “Petticoat Junction” theme came up on shuffle play and my wife made fun of me for having it in my playlist. Then a minute later she said, “That’s some good banjo work though.” Exactly! I have “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” in there too. Lester and Earl are beyond reproach. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/69 "2020-09-05T05:58:09Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Then there’s the Christmas Jug Band’s “[Santa Lost A Ho](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zstIIfa1qMA),” a bawdy little ditty that’s built around a single, rather weak, pun. But the Jug Band is full of guys with undeniable musical bona fides, with ties to acts like Country Joe and the Fish, Commander Cody, and even Van Morrison. And they can _play_ . Not to mention Dan Hicks himself. “Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit” has been my favorite Christmas song for about 25 years. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/70 "2020-09-05T16:29:50Z")
That reminds me of Ella Fitzgerald’s [Santa Claus Got Stuck in my Chimney](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RFvBCXb8xg) (YouTube link), which Ella sings so innocently that one is almost tempted to wonder if she got the risque double-entendre. ---
**Author:** ![Caprismall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@Caprismall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprismall)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/71 "2020-09-07T21:44:02Z")
If commercials count, Chasing Gold is one of the best. Total ear worm. > **[Darren Criss Sings a Love Ballad to Nacho Fries in Taco Bell's Latest Fake Movie](https://musebycl.io/music/darren-criss-sings-love-ballad-nacho-fries-taco-bells-latest-fake-movie)** > > The Golden Globe winner is 'Chasing Gold' ---
**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 7, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/72 "2020-09-07T22:27:12Z")
Oh, if we’re doing commercials… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/b0AGiq9j_Ak/hqdefault.jpg "Be Like Mike Gatorade Commercial (ORIGINAL)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j_Ak) ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/73 "2020-09-08T00:32:42Z")
Istanbul (not Constantinople) [https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Istanbul+Constantinople+Song&&view=detail&mid=F1DD51CF991EEAE07197F1DD51CF991EEAE07197&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DIstanbul%2BConstantinople%2BSong%26FORM%3DVDMHRS](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Istanbul+Constantinople+Song&&view=detail&mid=F1DD51CF991EEAE07197F1DD51CF991EEAE07197&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DIstanbul%2BConstantinople%2BSong%26FORM%3DVDMHRS) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/74 "2020-09-08T02:32:07Z")
I don’t know if this technically counts as “Novelty” but it’s a lot better than most movie themes that try to shove the title in somewhere. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UbxUSsFXYo4/maxresdefault.jpg "Dolly Parton - 9 To 5") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxUSsFXYo4) ---
**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 8, 2020, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/75 "2020-09-08T05:01:08Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Oh, if we’re doing commercials… I know the guy who wrote the lyrics to “Be Like Mike.” 😃 ---
**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 8, 2020, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/76 "2020-09-08T06:17:01Z")
Love that flex. Wish there was a full-length version of it. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/77 "2020-09-08T07:24:38Z")
It’s a beautiful song, but it still counts as a novelty track because the lyrics are silly - and more importantly, because it’s based on a throwaway Simpsons gag: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hpM8FjO4Vko/hqdefault.jpg "Lyle Lovett - If I Had A Boat") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpM8FjO4Vko) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/78 "2020-09-08T09:39:32Z")
Really, they ought to use this one: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/npjF032TDDQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Raining Tacos - Parry Gripp & BooneBum") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjF032TDDQ) ---
**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 8, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/79 "2020-09-08T20:16:06Z")
@terentii Whoa, I’d forgotten about that album! I had that as a kid! ---
**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 8, 2020, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/80 "2020-09-08T20:20:48Z")
I had this album too (Christmas 1965): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0DjN1ceJ6EE/maxresdefault.jpg "At Home With The Munsters.....side A") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DjN1ceJ6EE) ---
**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 8, 2020, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737/81 "2020-09-08T20:30:06Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > In addition to the Snoopy songs (I think “Snoopy’s Christmas” may be a bit more familiar than “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron,” just because it gets played during the holidays a fair amount), The Royal Guardsmen did a lot of covers, and a lot of songs about airplanes. They seemed to be _obsessed_ with World War I aviation. WWI was in vogue during the mid-60s because it was the 50th anniversary. CBS devoted a whole documentary series to it, narrated by Robert Ryan. One of the best things ever on TV! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-may-be-a-novelty-song-but-it-s-also-a-good-song/919737.md?page=5)