# Origin of a Specific Song **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 1999, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892 "1999-10-13T16:03:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 1999, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892/1 "1999-10-13T16:03:00Z")
When I was in 4th grade (Warrenton, VA, 1976) our music teacher taught us the following song: > [@](#): > > As I was walking down the street > One dark and dreary day > I came upon a billboard > And much to my dismay > The sign was torn and tattered > The storm the night before > The wind and rain had done their work and this is what I saw: > > Smoke Coca-Cola Cigarettes > Chew Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum > Beer > Ken-L-Ration Dog Food makes your complexion clear. > Simonize your baby with a Hershey’s candy bar > And Texaco’s the beauty cream that’s used by all the stars > So take your next vacation in a brand new Frigidaire > Learn to play the piano in your brand new underwear > Doctors say that babies should smoke until they’re three > And people over sixty-five should bathe in Lipton Tea… > Lukewarm! Does anyone recognize the song? Title? Author? I’m wondering about its origins. Thanks! * * * Most common question I ask: “What?” Most common question I get: “Are you really hearing impaired?” ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 1999, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892/2 "1999-10-13T16:08:00Z")
There you go, Cant: [http://gunther.simplenet.com/v/data/billboar.htm](http://gunther.simplenet.com/v/data/billboar.htm) origins seem uncertain… ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 1999, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892/3 "1999-10-13T16:19:00Z")
omniscientnot, You should change your name to omniscientkinda! Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892/4 "1999-10-14T05:58:00Z")
C.: I _would_ change it to omniscient, which would be much closer to reality, but my sometimes evil twin beat me to it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 1999, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892/5 "1999-10-13T23:07:00Z")
Actually I have a recording by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs singing this song. For the youngings they were a couple of bluegrass players with a very distinctive style. They did comedy and songs on stage. You might get a glipse of them on “The Berverly Hillbills”. They were before my time too, I’m not that old. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892/6 "1999-10-14T01:13:00Z")
Phobia says (re Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs): “They were before my time too, I’m not that old.” ## But you have good taste! Bob the Random Expert “If we don’t have the answer, we’ll make one up.” ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 1999, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-a-specific-song/3892/7 "1999-10-14T01:40:00Z")
Less filling!