# Kids' strangest favorite songs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 13, 2008, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519 "2008-11-13T12:24:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/21 "2008-11-13T17:59:05Z")

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I have happy memories of my girls and I dancing around to Devo’s “Whip It”. They loved that song, so I bought it for them.

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**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/22 "2008-11-13T18:01:30Z")

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My three-year-old daughter is enamored of the chorus to [Jonathan Coulter’s song “Re Your Brains,”](http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Re%20Your%20Brains) a pretty tune sung from the point of view of a bunch of zombies:

All we want to do is eat your brains  
We’re not unreasonable, I mean  
No one’s going to eat your eyes

I also await the call from preschool, though I figure if nothing else this balances out the growing fascination with Disney princesses.

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**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/23 "2008-11-13T18:01:43Z")

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> [@Hal\_Briston](#):
>
> The Littlest Briston will happy walk around for hours singing “Keep bweeding…keep, keep bweeding love…keep bweeding…keep, keep bweeding love…”

It took me a second. Now I’m laughing since I’m singing it and from now on it will always be, “keep bweeding”.

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**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/24 "2008-11-13T18:33:40Z")

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> [@overlyverbose](#):
>
> \*Oh, poopy night!  
> You went right on the potty,  
> At least it wasn’t in your room.  
> The closet is safe,  
> And so is the laundry.  
> Too bad you didn’t miss your shoe. \*
> 
> \*\*And so on. \*\*

Well?

I want to see if I can hit the high note while cracking up. 😃

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**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/25 "2008-11-13T18:55:51Z")

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Did I say Jonathan Coulter? Yes. Did I mean Jonathan Coulton? Yes to that, too.

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**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/26 "2008-11-13T20:09:36Z")

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When she was three or so, I introduced the kid to Split Enz, a kiwi band from the 70’s & early 80’s. They’re a bit quirky, but I was surprised that her absolute favourite song of theirs was (and still is) - Hermit McDermitt - a boppy little number about being a social outcast, that finishes with the line-  
_“One day soon we’ll all return and kill you in your beds”_

Didn’t go down too well at the kindergarten sing a long!

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**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/27 "2008-11-13T20:25:23Z")

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One of my daughter’s favorite CDs is _Spamalot_. I had to admonish her against singing _You Won’t Succeed on Broadway (If You Don’t Have Any Jews)_ outside of the apartment because some people might get upset with her (she was 7 at the time). So a few weeks later I had her with me at a theater rehearsal and I heard her start singing the song to one of the actors. I tapped her on the shoulder and reminded her that some would find the song offensive. She gasped, looked up at the guy apologetically, and said “I’m sorry…you’re not a Jew, are you?”

:eek: :smack: :o :dubious:

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**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/28 "2008-11-13T20:27:25Z")

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> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> Well?
> 
> I want to see if I can hit the high note while cracking up. 😃

Ah, but that’s part of the fun - making up brand new words every single time. His all-time favorite version of the song used to have the word “Boing!” every other word accompanied by a poke to his armpit or tummy. The kid loves to say the word boing, but apparently the song just wasn’t complicated or gross enough.

Lemme see, another few verses might sound like:

\*Long lay the turd,  
All bright and new and shiny.  
In your shoe,  
Until you tossed it out.

A thrill of hope,  
You may have flushed the toilet,  
As yonder breaks  
A new and glorious toot.

Fall on your knees!  
That one was really stinky.  
Whaaaaat did you eat?  
Oh, what, what did you eat?

Did you  
Have beeeeeaaaans?  
Oh, God,  
Noooootttt the beans!\*

As you can see, I should have been a songwriter instead of a product manager.

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**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/29 "2008-11-13T20:43:44Z")

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_clapping_ You have a gift!

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/30 "2008-11-13T22:58:11Z")

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> [@42fish](#):
>
> The ‘whores on 7th Avenue’ ref in ‘The Boxer’ could’ve been problematic, too.

Someone told her it was “hordes” and I never corrected it.

There should be a sheepish smiley.

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**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/31 "2008-11-14T00:54:01Z")

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“The Star Spangled Banner” (yes, the U.S. National Anthem) was my oldest son’s favorite song when he was young. He asked me to sing it one day while we were shopping for groceries. I couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse not to, but I sure felt conspicuous.

I was in the Air Force, and we had been living in Turkey for two years. They played the National Anthem before every movie in the movie theater. And the Armed Forces Television Network was not allowed to show American commercials, so we only saw military recruiting commercials and public service announcements. One day, we got into the car to drive somewhere, and my husband was drinking a Pepsi, and my son yelled: "NO DADDY! DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!! DRINK AND DRIVE MEANS KILL!!

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**Author:** ![jaclynhyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@jaclynhyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaclynhyde)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/32 "2008-11-14T01:29:02Z")

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My mother is a huge Beatles fan, so my favorite song as a kid was “I Am the Walrus.”

(And my favorite Beatle was Ringo.)

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**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/33 "2008-11-14T02:06:22Z")

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Imagine, Sicily, 1969 . . .

Well, that doesn’t quite work, so how ‘bout imagining a deeply Baptist woman in the US in 1969, with her precious 5 year old Granddaughter singing (loudly. I’ve always been loud) herself to sleep with Hank Williams’ “Rye Whiskey” – “If the ocean were whiskey, and I were a duck, I’d dive to the bottom and never come up!” – even when The \<church\> Ladies were over.😃

By the time my silly self had memorized _Lady Marmalade_, the family had almost learned to ignore with my poor singing-out-loud judgment. Mostly because no one but my rather Edwardian Great Grandfather spoke French. :smack:

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**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/34 "2008-11-14T02:43:54Z")

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These stories are so sweet that I have to share my own. One of my favorite childhood songs was The Police’s “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da”, which does of course have a ‘problematic’ lyric: _But when their eloquence escapes you/Their logic ties you up and rapes you_. Of course, it never posed a problem for me, as I simply went on thinking the lyric was “ties you up and wrecks you” for years.

Similarly, Stevie Nicks’ “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was a favorite because “I love songs about dragons!”

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**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/35 "2008-11-14T02:50:12Z")

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Let me see if i can remember that far back.  
I loved songs (does anyone else recall them?) Gimme Dat Ding and Chick A Boom.  
My son enjoyed Rockaway Beach (cause his mum has good taste)😃

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**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/36 "2008-11-14T02:58:56Z")

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My fav. songs as a kid were “ABC’s” by the Jackson 5, because… well, there was ABCs and counting in it!  
And then I loved “Hell’s Bells” By AC/DC because of the Gong over and over.

Just a wee bit different, but still two very cool songs that are kinda odd though for a kid to be listening to

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**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:** [November 14, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/37 "2008-11-14T02:59:27Z")

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The then 5-year-old son of a friend of mine’s favourite song was _Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner_.

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**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/38 "2008-11-14T03:22:33Z")

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> [@jayjay](#):
>
> That’s “Those Were The Days” by Mary Hopkins.

Nitpick: [Mary Hopkin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hopkin).

My young cousin’s favorite song when he was around three years old was, as he called it, “Paint It Black By The Rollin’ Stones.” His parents are more the type to listen to country or '80s pop, but he learned it from his babysitter and (as most kids do) had a killer dance that went with it. He’s seven or eight now, and I think he may have forgotten it. Well, maybe not - he and his brother both play Guitar Hero.

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**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/39 "2008-11-14T03:49:46Z")

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My brother and I used to love “the 1812 overture” and bounce around the house whenever it was played. Does that count as strange?

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**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kids-strangest-favorite-songs/472519/40 "2008-11-14T04:12:13Z")

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My favorite song when I was little was “Afternoon Delight.” I, of course, thought it was about having a snack, or going out for ice cream or something, since the Spanish-speaking DJ on the radio only translated the title.

When the Princess was an infant, she liked to be rocked to sleep while listening to “Something So Right” by Paul Simon and “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. I was surprised to find her singing along to “Buy U a Drank” earlier this year. :eek: Now that she’s almost 7, her favorite songs are “So What” by Pink (I like it too, but for a different reason) and “Womanizer” by Britney Spears. :smack:

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