# "Odd" songs by seemingly "normal" artists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787 "2004-07-12T22:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/21 "2004-07-13T14:47:15Z")
> [@williamweigand](#): > > Perhaps you’re whooshing us - but,if not - the title of that song is **Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft** - originally done by my favorite Canadian group **Klaatu**. No whoosh there- I have the Carpenters single (alas, did not buy the Klaatu albums, tho I well remember the “re-united Beatles” rumor). Now for a bit of added trivia, the lyrics of “COoIC” was actually a message developed by George Hunt Williamson’s 1950s-60s UFO Contactee group to send telepathically to attract Extraterrestrial contact. I found it in an essay included in Jay David’s THE FLYING SAUCER READER. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/22 "2004-07-13T14:52:34Z")
> [@williamweigand](#): > > Perhaps you’re whooshing us - but,if not - the title of that song is **Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft** - originally done by my favorite Canadian group **Klaatu**. Nope, not a whoosh. The Carpenters really did record “Calling Occupants…” and (I think) they may have recorded it _before_ Klaatu. They did it for something called “World Contact Day”. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/23 "2004-07-13T14:58:37Z")
[Miss Gradenko](http://www.lyrics.net.ua/song/19805) by The Police. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/24 "2004-07-13T15:20:28Z")
I haven’t heard much of their songs except the ones on the radio, but **Big Balls** is the only AC/DC song I can tolerate, due to it’s incredible goofiness. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/25 "2004-07-13T16:42:45Z")
The Carpenter’s version of “Calling Occupants” came after Klaatu’s, though it was a marginally bigger hit in the US. **Beth** by Kiss is atypical of them. Emerson Lake and Palmer, best known for bombastic art rock, also did **Are You Ready, Eddie** , a hard rocking jam. ---
**Author:** ![joemama24\_98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce7236/32.png) [@joemama24\_98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joemama24_98)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/26 "2004-07-13T17:13:41Z")
> [@](#): > > If Dr. D was gonna go with a Pearl Jam song, he might as well have gone with “Last Kiss” – even if it was a big hit. “Last Kiss” fits the criteria quite well, IMHO. > . I thought for sure you were going to say “Dirty Frank” as the odd-song out for Pearl Jam. Definitely different for them. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/27 "2004-07-13T19:08:30Z")
In 1968, Van Morrison recorded the following tracks in order to fulfill a recording countract: > [@](#): > > 1 Twist And Shake > 2 Shake And Roll > 3 Stomp And Scream > 4 Scream And Holler > 5 Jump And Thump > 6 Drivin Wheel > 7 Just Ball > 8 Shake It Mable > 9 Hold On George > 10 Big Royalty Check, The > 11 Ring Worm > 12 Savoy Hollywood > 13 Freaky If You Got This Far > 14 Up Your Mind > 15 Thirty Two > 16 All The Bits > 17 You Say France And I Whistle > 18 Blow In Your Nose > 19 Nose In Your Blow > 20 La Mambo > 21 Go For Yourself > 22 Want A Danish > 23 Here Comes Dumb George > 24 Chickee Coo > 25 Do It > 26 Hang On Groovy > 27 Goodbye George > 28 Dum Dum George > 29 Walk And Talk > 30 Wobble, The > 31 Wobble And Ball How odd are they? Go [here](http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2682791) for a samples. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/28 "2004-07-13T19:13:00Z")
The Beatles- Run for Your Life The first line of the song is, “Well I’d rather see you dead little girl than to be with another guy.” :eek: 😕 The song comes at the end of Rubber Soul so its a bit of a shift from “Michelle” and “Drive my Car.” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/29 "2004-07-13T21:21:25Z")
I submit that the Police don’t count, considering that I was going to use “Be my girl/Sally”, and if they have 3 “odd” songs they can’t really be a “normal” artist, cant they. And anyway, one must question their sanity upon having to remake “Don’t stand so close to me”…but i digress. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/30 "2004-07-14T00:21:29Z")
Take a listen to any of the songs from Genesis’ first album, \*From Genesis to \* _Revelation_. Sounds NOTHING like Gabriel era Genesis. From the Phil Collins era, Whodunnit? from _Abacab_ is a pretty strange song. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/31 "2004-07-14T01:37:26Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > David Bowie’s first single. Forgotten the title, fortunately, but the song consists of an extended series of puns about gnomes. Musta been desperate. I believe you’re thinking of “The Laughing Gnome,” which includes Bowie doing vocals as a… laughing gnome. My roommate used to play that album all the time. Weird stuff. “Sell Me a Coat” is pretty strange, too. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/32 "2004-07-14T02:29:58Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > And anyway, one must question their sanity upon having to remake “Don’t stand so close to me”…but i digress. I offered up a Police song, but your reasoning is valid. Add to that the fact that Sting allowed Puff Daddy to creamate “Every Breath You Take”, and your motion is that much more rock solid. ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/33 "2004-07-14T03:12:39Z")
how about ‘The Crunge’ from ‘Houses of the Holy’ by Led Zeppelin? Kind of a ‘hats off to James Brown’ thing, no? ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/34 "2004-07-14T04:47:53Z")
I always thought “Moribund the Burgermeister” by P. Gabriel was pretty weird, for him at least. Zep did an ersatz-country ditty called “Hot Dog” which had the brilliant lyric “She took my car, she took my keys, from in my old blue dungarees, and I’m never goin’ to Texas anymore.” I think Abba’s “Super Trooper” is among the most fucked-up things I’ve ever heard. Garth Brooks’ had an entire album’s worth of celebrity-meltdown-quality weirdness with his Chris Gains personna. “Big Balls” by AC/DC. Good gag number. “Big Ten Inch” Aerosmith - They’re actually kidding around in this song, about, you know, his thingy. Only, it’s not, it’s something else. You’re just supposed to think about, you know, wieners. Get it? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/35 "2004-07-14T05:37:16Z")
Styx “Plexiglass Toilet” the unlisted track from “The Serpent Is Rising”. I can’t even describe it. But of course hardly anyone knows their first 4 albums exist. They all sound “odd”. Much like Journey’s first 3. Which brings to mind Journey’s fusion cover of “It’s All Too Much”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/36 "2004-07-14T06:37:34Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > “Big Ten Inch” Aerosmith - They’re actually kidding around in this song, about, you know, his thingy. Only, it’s not, it’s something else. You’re just supposed to think about, you know, wieners. Get it? I don’t think this really counts as a weird song for them- the maturity is really pretty average by their standards. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/37 "2004-07-14T06:44:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I used to do a radio show featuring this sort of thing. Some include: > > **The Who** – “Cobwebs and Strange” (instrumental) and “Boris the Spider” Did you ever get a chance to play their REAL weird stuff, like their cover of the “Batman” TV show theme? ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/38 "2004-07-14T07:12:16Z")
How about the Beatles’ “Revolution 9” which I would say is my favorite song, except someone would come and tell me it wasn’t actually a song. So it’s my favorite recorded collection of sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/39 "2004-07-14T12:13:06Z")
Someone familiar with only the more recent **Pink Floyd** offerings (say, from Dark Side of the moon onwards) maybe a little bemused by such tracks as _Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict_. However, the song is not so unusual when put in the context of other experimental **PF** tracks of the time. ---
**Author:** ![edwino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@edwino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwino)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787/40 "2004-07-14T14:15:30Z")
> [@tanstaafl](#): > > Nope, not a whoosh. The Carpenters really did record “Calling > Occupants…”. Just as weird as that song is the decision by Sonic Youth to cover The Carpenter’s “Superstar” (though it is a great cover). The Wedding Present cover a Monkees song on _Hit Parade_ – “Pleasant Valley Sunday” which is also a reasonable cover. And Smashing Pumpkins did Stevie Nicks’s “Landslide” a few years before the Dixie Chicks. I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the Bee Gees first album, containing such disco-tastic numbers as “New York Mining Disaster 1941.” The OP mentioned Fleetwood Mac – their first album, which sounds vaguely Stones-like British Blues, sounds totally different than their later stuff. Speaking of Pink Floyd, **1920sSDR** , about every two albums they were doing out-there things. Their first album _Piper at the Gates of Dawn_ (under Syd Barrett) sounds pretty much like drug-inspired nursery rhymes, like the song"Bike" (I’ve got a mouse/and he hasn’t got a house/I don’t know why/I call him Gerald/He’s getting rather old but he’s a good mouse). After they got all experimental, they would still throw an occasional track out to Richard Wright, who complied by writing a pop song about a one-night stand. Paradoxically, these are the songs that stand out. (“Summer '68” on _Atom Heart Mother_ and “Stay” on _Obscured by Clouds_). It’s odd when it is expected for a band to pen lines like “If I go insane/please don’t stick your wires in my brain” (“If” on _AHM_) but on the next track when Wright is singing lines like “Tomorrow brings another town/Another girl like you” it sticks out like a sore thumb. Likewise, the Beatles threw the few infamous tracks to Richard Starkey, with the number-one-in-Sweden (so I’m told) genius of “Don’t Pass Me By” resulting. I think a pretty bizarre one is a 10-year old Michael Jackson singing I’ll be your sugar daddy/give you honey/all my money. Who’s he gonna be a sugar daddy to? A 6 year old? (Let’s not even go there…) Do we get to count the Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin reworking of the bloody theme of the Berthold Brecht’s “Three Penny Opera” into “Mack the Knife”? [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmacktheknife.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmacktheknife.html) OK, there, I’ve gone and mentioned Sonic Youth, the Dixie Chicks, and Michael Jackson in one post. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-songs-by-seemingly-normal-artists/254787.md?page=3)