# Songs about strange things... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911 "2003-11-29T14:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/41 "2003-11-30T13:09:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Horseflesh \* > \*\*“Detachable Penis” was the first one that I thought of but I see **peritrochoid** beat me to it. \*\* Yeah, it was the first one I thought of too. I was really surprised it hadn’t been mentioned by the time I got here. > [@](#): > > \*\*“Camel Walk” by Southern Culture on the Skids \*\* GREAT SONG! Somehow I had forgotten about that one, and it is one of my favorites! ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/42 "2003-11-30T13:26:29Z")
Add a couple more that popped to mind. [**Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver**](http://www.thesonglyrics.com/p_song_lyrics/primus_lyric1.html) by Primus. [**I Must Increase My Bust**](http://thelyricshouse.faithweb.com/imustincreasemybust.html) by Lords of Acid. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/43 "2003-11-30T14:19:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \ ***peter morris** I can see 2 possible “hidden meanings” to that song, can you clarify please? (Really curious now.) \*\* “And when the barley sugar, Perfumed with aniseed, Slides down Annie’s throat She is in paradise.” [http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Musee/1489/gainsbourg/texts/lessucettes.html](http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Musee/1489/gainsbourg/texts/lessucettes.html) I can see only one hidden meaning, whats the other one? Interpretations, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/44 "2003-11-30T14:44:40Z")
Nick Lowe’s “Marie Provost” (about a forgotten silent film star who dies alone in her apartment with her pet dachshund, who ends up eating her – “she was a winner/who became a doggie’s dinner”) was the the first thing to come to mind. Nearly the whole Shonen Knife catalog qualifies, but particularly “Black Bass”, “Tortoise Brand Pot Cleaner”, “Twist Barbie”, etc. The Barbarians’ “Moulty”, a mostly spoken monologue by drummer Victor Moulton about losing his hand and overcoming challenges would have to qualify – particularly since Moulton reportedly lost the hand as a result of an attempt to build a pipe bomb (something the song doesn’t address). Mickey Jupp’s “You’ll Never Get Me Up (in One of Those)” is about his fear of flying. Graham Parker’s “Mercury Poisoning” and The Records “Starry Eyes” (apparently) are about music business deals gone bad. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/45 "2003-11-30T22:06:36Z")
What, nobody’s gonna mention “Wooly Bully” by Sam Sham and the Pharohs? Like, you can’t even tell what the guy’s singing about. But “watch it now, watch it, here it comes!” 😕 Tripler One, two, one two tres quattro. . . ---
**Author:** ![Loneraven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Loneraven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loneraven)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/46 "2003-11-30T22:12:31Z")
There’s a song by Type O Negative called “Wolf Moon.” Not as weird as some of the others, but as far as I can tell, it’s either about lycanthropy or menstruation. The fact I’m not sure which probably does qualify as weird. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/47 "2003-12-01T00:40:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cicada2003 \* > \*\*No one has mentioned “Tennessee Birdwalk”! > > (Something like, “think of me, my darlin’, when spring is in the air, and the baldheaded birds are whispering everywhere, you can see them walking southward in their dirty underwear, it’s the Tennesse Birdwalk (cheep cheep).” > > By Jack and Misty somebody or another. > \*\* That would be \*\*Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan \*\*, a cause of furious giggles from my daughter and her cousins circa age 8-10 when their grandmother would play it on her car’s cassette deck. It was featured on one of those “Wacky Novelties” collections. By the way, according to [Allmusic.com](http://Allmusic.com), “The country duo of songwriter/saxophonist/keyboardist Jack Blanchard and his wife, keyboardist Misty Morgan, placed 15 singles on the country charts between 1969 and 1975.” Tennessee Bird Walk was a 1970 country hit that also crossed over to the pop charts. There are whole sub-genres of rock about strange things, viz. Dead Teenager Songs (Teen Angel, Last Kiss, Patches, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Shill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Shill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/48 "2003-12-01T00:45:27Z")
Pretty much anything by the Bonzo Dog (Doo Dah) Band. Some examples: **Shirt** : Self explanatory, I think **The Strain** : a catchy number about constipation **My Pink Half of the Drainpipe** : Neighbours at war **Tent** : About a psycho who’d like to get you in his tent… They were years ahead of their time, I tell you. Years! I also have a song called **Mr and Mrs Manatee** , provenance unknown. It’s all about a happy family of manatees that just want people to stop running them over in speedboats. Finally, something a little more contemporary: **My Girlfriend’s Dead** by the Vandals. A song about someone who’s so embarrassed that his girlfriend split up with him that he just tells anyone who asks that she got run over by a truck. ---
**Author:** ![Shill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Shill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shill)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/49 "2003-12-01T00:50:12Z")
Sorry, just had to post again: There’s someone with less posts than me in this thread! That doesn’t happen very often… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/50 "2003-12-01T17:58:51Z")
A band called Stewed Mulligan appeared on Mountain Stage, singing what they believed to be “the only dance tune about Albert Einstein.” An excerpt: “I had a frame of reference, laid it on a fence. Showed it relativity, Ain’t seen the damn thing since.” (chorus) Albert, dance around, Albert, be profound, Albert, let your hair stick out, And your socks fall down." My quote is imprecise. In a quick search, I couldn’t find my tape of the performance. It contains a verse about a man who looked in a telescope and saw the back of his own head. There’s also a part about a wave and a particle, both asking, “Which one of us am I?” ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/51 "2003-12-01T18:05:11Z")
Of course, this list would not be complete without… [David Duchovney by Bree Sharp](http://www.breesharp.com/lyrics/davidduchovny.asp) Which includes the immortal lyrics… > [@](#): > > David Duchovny I want you to love me - To kiss and to hug me, debrief and debug me - David Duchovny, I know you could love me - I’m sweet and I’m cuddly - I’m gonna kill Scully \ It’s just beautiful!! ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/52 "2003-12-01T21:28:28Z")
How about Dear Penis by Rodney Carrington? _Dear Penis, I don’t think I like you anymore, You used to watch me shave, Now all you do is stare at the floor. Oh dear Penis, I don’t like you anymore._ ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/53 "2003-12-01T22:09:56Z")
**The Mad Bastardo** by the Scared Weird Little Guys ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/54 "2003-12-02T03:31:25Z")
The recent “Another Postcard” by The Barenaked Ladies is about a man who keeps receiving chimpanzees in the mail, and his varied reactions to the idea of having a whole bunch of chimps running around in his house. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/55 "2003-12-02T04:04:52Z")
Jorge Ben Jor, an incredible Brazilian songwriter and singer, has a little ditty about the algal species _Spiro gyra_. It’s got a fun and bouncy tune, and I’ve caught myself singing it in the shower more than once. _Spiro giro E spiro gyra, e spiro gyra. E um bichinho bonito verdinho que da na agua…_ ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/56 "2003-12-02T05:11:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AskNott \* > (chorus) > Albert, dance around, > Albert, be profound, > Albert, let your hair stick out, > And your socks fall down." > > My quote is imprecise.\*\* Actually, you’re pretty close. I just happen to have the lyrics to it, in a book of astronomy songs that got passed out at a planetarium conference a few years back. > [@](#): > > A man looked through a telescope ‘til his eye was red > He looked through outer space and saw the back of his own head > … > A wave and a particle were walkin’ side by side, > One said to the other, which one of us am I? My first thought opening the thread was “Holding Down a D” by Australian group Hunters and Collectors. It’s quite clearly about trying very hard not to vomit after drinking too much beer. Those with strong constitutions click [here](http://www.elyrics.net/go/h/Hunters_&_Collectors/Holding_Down_A_D/) ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/57 "2003-12-02T06:44:30Z")
If we’re thinking of songs about unlikely celebrities, how about “Alec Eiffel,” by the Pixies? ---
**Author:** ![heresiarch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@heresiarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heresiarch)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/58 "2003-12-02T06:46:41Z")
One of my favorite novelty songs is [The Great Smoke-Off](http://www.banned-width.com/shel/works/smokeoff.html), by Shel Silverstein. It’s about a contest between the world’s fastest joint roller and the world’s fastest joint smoker. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/59 "2003-12-02T08:12:15Z")
Saw one the other day called “Old Moldy Dough”, never heard it though. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911/60 "2003-12-02T10:52:47Z")
I wrote a song about wanting to dress up puppies in lederhosen… > [@](#): > > Well I saw a fuzzy puppy today > It made me sad in a sad sort of way > “oh little puppy” I said > “I can’t help you” > > Well I saw a fuzzy puppy on TV > Funny how he seemed to look right at me > “Oh little puppy” I said > “I’d love to dress you” > > Someone tell me why the puppies can’t wear lederhosen > Someone tell me why they can’t wear lederhosen > But I think that I know > They’ve got the wrong sort of waist …and it goes on like that. Funny what a dare and 30 minutes with a mic and a piano can create eh? The mp3 file is here if you want to give it a go. [http://www.tictokmen.com/temp/puppy-lederhosen.mp3](http://www.tictokmen.com/temp/puppy-lederhosen.mp3) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-strange-things/215911.md?page=4)