# Song parodies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 3, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068 "2020-05-03T14:41:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/21 "2020-05-03T22:44:14Z")
[I Went To Your Wedding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U-w-IcAWP8) - Spike Jones parody of the original ballad. I used to laugh myself dizzy listening to that. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/22 "2020-05-04T00:51:31Z")
As a long-time conventioneer, I have to mention [filk music.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filk_music). ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/23 "2020-05-04T15:23:36Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > You can listen to most of it on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhle\_xOp5pD-SQ\_xPTZw3jbw5QKzAFqAf](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhle_xOp5pD-SQ_xPTZw3jbw5QKzAFqAf) > > Almost all of it is pretty great stuff. I didn’t realize John C. Reilly was that good a singer. Here’s a full video clip of “Let’s Duet”, a masterpiece of sexual double entrendre. In the context of the movie, Jenna Fischer is the June Carter to John C. Reilly’s married Johnny Cash-like character, and the sexual tension is running high. A criminally underrated comedy, in my opinion: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZBIRqY602lo/maxresdefault.jpg "Dewey Cox - Lets Duet") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBIRqY602lo) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/24 "2020-05-04T16:33:33Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > As a long-time conventioneer, I have to mention [filk music.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filk_music). _I wanna, I wanna, I wanna be an Imperial Engineer [something, something, something] for half a million years…_ I heard that about 35 years ago. That’s all I can remember. Did you ever run into [Filthy Pierre](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNzqCkWjch0)? . ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/25 "2020-05-04T19:59:57Z")
What? No love for “Leader of the Laundromat,” by The Detergents (Ron Dante)? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/26 "2020-05-04T20:17:11Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > The [Hoosier Hot Shots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosier_Hot_Shots) were a country novelty group that performed from the 30s through the 70s. Also in the country vein there’s “Homer and Jethro”, who won a Grammy for their parody “The Battle of Kookamonga” (parodying “The Battle of New Orleans”). My favourite is [“B-A-C-O-N and E-G-Gs”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI9vyHu8xco) (parodying “D-I-V-O-R-C-E”). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/27 "2020-05-04T20:48:03Z")
Not sure if it counts as what OP is looking for, but I enjoy when people do folk covers of hardcore rap songs. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870258&highlight=folds](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870258&highlight=folds) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/28 "2020-05-04T21:00:22Z")
Similar thread from last year: [Cases where the parody are more well known than the Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=784475). There’s evidence _On Top of Spaghetti_, which was published in 1962, is actually a parody of _The Pizza Song_, which was released in 1961 by Dick Biondi. _The Pizza Song_, in turn, was a parody of _On Top of Old Smokey_. If this is accurate, then _On Top of Spaghetti_ is a parody of a parody, and I further wonder if this is the only case of a parody of a parody. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/29 "2020-05-04T21:05:37Z")
It seems like multiple artists have done parodies on the theme “You Picked a Fine Time To Leave Me, Loose Wheel”, each with different lyrics apart from the quoted bit. YouTube is blocked at work, but here’s an example of [some lyrics](http://www.amiright.com/parody/70s/kennyrogers12.shtml). But I know I’ve heard other “Loose Wheel” parodies with different lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Sean\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/30 "2020-05-04T21:22:36Z")
George Carlin did his own version of “America the Beautiful” on Class Clown. When I was much younger, I had my own version of The Guess Who’s “Laughing”: I should laugh, but I cry, Because your barf didn’t pass me by You took me by surprise, I didn’t realize, that you were Barfing Time goes slowly, but carries on, Now that the best meal has come and gone, You took me by surprise, I didn’t realize, that you were Barfing Barfing Wontcha ya look what you did to me? You ruined everything I wore when you threw up on me-ee-ee I go alone now, please stay away, Because I’m wearing new clothes today You took me by surprise, I didn’t realize, that you were Barfing Barfing Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-barf and so on… * * * “Stay the blazes home” - Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia ---
**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:** [May 4, 2020, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/31 "2020-05-04T21:58:13Z")
DC-area a capella group Da Vinci’s Notebook has “[Secret Asian Man](https://genius.com/Da-vincis-notebook-secret-asian-man-lyrics)”, primarily referring to the espionage documented in [the Cox Report](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox_Report). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/32 "2020-05-06T14:45:07Z")
Just remembered [“Hey Little Minivan”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9zWh9gR45U&frags=pl%2Cwn) by the Austin Lounge Lizards. It is not exactly a Beach Boys song. _On icy mornings when I’m feeling my age, I’m protected and warm in my steel cage Her climate control really pumps out the heat, And her dual air bags just can’t be beat She’s rated real high by Consumer Reports And her two front seats have got lumbar support… Hey, little minivan, we’re goin’ to the pediatrician_ ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/33 "2020-05-06T17:23:04Z")
In the filk-esque vein, there’s _[A Shoggoth on the Roof](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Shoggoth_on_the_Roof)_, an entire musical to the score of _Fiddler…_, with parody Lovecraftian lyrics. For obvious reasons, it is rarely performed. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/34 "2020-05-07T07:08:59Z")
Probably Frank Jacobs at MAD (from memory): I’m looking over My dead dog Rover I ran over with the power mower One leg is missing The second is gone Third one’s in pieces all over the lawn No need explaining The one remaining Is stuck to my neighbor’s door I’m looking over My dead dog Rover I ran over with the power mower Traditional?: My Bonnie looked into the gas tank The height of its contents to see She lit a small match to assist her Oh bring back my Bonnie to me! Tune: When Johnny Comes Marching Home When I was eight days old, me boys, hurrah, hurrah When I was eight days old, me boys, hurrah, HURRAH The rabbi came with a big, sharp knife And I surely thought he would take my life But all - he - took - was A little bit off the top (ooh!) The Napalm Song Recalled from either SING OUT or BROADSIDE Tune: Yellow Submarine In the town where I was born Lived a man who went to war And he told us of his life In the battle zone where he was based He’s the pilot of a plane Blowing bridges up and bombing trains And they sing this little song As they merrily fly along We’re all dropping jellied gasoline, jellied gasoline, jellied gasoline We’re all dropping jellied gasoline, jellied gasoline, jellied gasoline Peter, Paul and Mary did a nice multi-parody of Old Blue on their early double live album, including the “children’s music” rock-n-roll version (more doo-wop really). > [@guizot](#): > > Lehrer wrote his own music, so it wasn’t parody in the sense being used here. Maybe you could say he parodied genres. In any case, that’s what made him far superior to any of these others. He “borrowed” the Chemical Elements tune from Gilbert & Sullivan but that’s not quite a parody, merely an amazing exercise. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/35 "2020-05-07T07:17:04Z")
Damn edit window. Forget that I duped a mention of Lehrer above. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/36 "2020-05-07T18:25:19Z")
Dr. Z does a lot of medically themed parodies. Most are also “message” songs that are trying to get across some point. A sample: [Readmission | R. Kelly "Ignition (Remix)" Parody - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS3xaXsh6vo) ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/37 "2020-05-07T18:33:00Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Similar thread from last year: [Cases where the parody are more well known than the Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=784475). > > There’s evidence _On Top of Spaghetti_, which was published in 1962, is actually a parody of _The Pizza Song_, which was released in 1961 by Dick Biondi. _The Pizza Song_, in turn, was a parody of _On Top of Old Smokey_. > > If this is accurate, then _On Top of Spaghetti_ is a parody of a parody, and I further wonder if this is the only case of a parody of a parody. I still like Allan Sherman’s brief parody: On top of Old Smokey All covered with hair Of course I’m referring To Smokey the Bear. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/38 "2020-05-07T18:39:02Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > He “borrowed” the Chemical Elements tune from Gilbert & Sullivan but that’s not quite a parody, merely an amazing exercise. And also borrowed “My Darling Clementine” which he did in various styles > [@ZonexandScout](#): > > What? No love for “Leader of the Laundromat,” by The Detergents (Ron Dante)? I was just singing that the other day. “Tenderly I kissed her goodbye, picked up my clothes, they were finally dry, but I won’t forget my leader of the laundrymat” (who’s that playing the piano). ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/39 "2020-05-07T19:15:35Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > DC-area a capella group Da Vinci’s Notebook has “[Secret Asian Man](https://genius.com/Da-vincis-notebook-secret-asian-man-lyrics)”, primarily referring to the espionage documented in [the Cox Report](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox_Report). When did that get created? Back in 1983 I worked with a guy who would sing that exact phrase over and over because we had an Asian manager with whom he locked horns all the time. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2020, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068/40 "2020-05-07T20:41:22Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > When did that get created? Back in 1983 I worked with a guy who would sing that exact phrase over and over because we had an Asian manager with whom he locked horns all the time. I remember seeing them perform the song at the Lubber Run Amphitheater in the late Nineties but the concept of replacing “agent” with “Asian” is probably older. As noted, these lyrics specifically refer to then-current reports of Chinese agents stealing nuclear secrets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-parodies/853068.md?page=3)