# The name/author of the song about the funny farm **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020 "2004-02-07T19:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bonezzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@bonezzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonezzz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/1 "2004-02-07T19:40:55Z")
There is an old song that goes something like: “Their coming to take me away haha Their coming to take me away hoho hehe haha to the funny farm! Where life is beautiful all the time, And I’ll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats, Their coming to take me away haha” Or something like that. I haven’t heard it in many years. My sibling was asking me who sang that song and I have no idea. I don’t know what the actual title is either. Can anyone help me out? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/2 "2004-02-07T19:45:26Z")
I just googled it for you, and it’s called “They’re coming to take me away, ha-haa” by Dr Demento. Here’s a link to the full lyrics: [http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~norm/TakeMeAway.html](http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~norm/TakeMeAway.html) ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/3 "2004-02-07T19:46:55Z")
I found a [link](http://www.songlyrics.com/song-lyrics/Napoleon_Xiv/Miscellaneous/They_re_Coming_To_Take_Me_Away_Ha-haaa!/108879.html) that says it was done by Napoleon XIV. ---
**Author:** ![bonezzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@bonezzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonezzz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/4 "2004-02-07T19:53:37Z")
Thanks! People here always know the odd and end stuff that I have always wondered about ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/5 "2004-02-07T20:11:07Z")
It was originally recorded by an artist identified as Napoleon XIV. Who that actually is in the real world I have no idea. The song being attributed to Dr. Demento is probably a side-effect of file-sharing. Just about every novelty/comedy song available on P2P filesharing servers is credited to Dr. Demento. In reality, I don’t think the good doctor ever actually recorded any songs of his own. Of course, song credits in P2P are a joke anyway…it seems to be based on the “best guess” model… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/6 "2004-02-07T20:44:07Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > The song being attributed to Dr. Demento is probably a side-effect of file-sharing. Just about every novelty/comedy song available on P2P filesharing servers is credited to Dr. Demento. In reality, I don’t think the good doctor ever actually recorded any songs of his own. Also Weird Al. If it’s a novelty tune, somone thinks Weird Al did it. IIRC, Dr. Demento recorded the novelty tune “Shaving Cream”. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/7 "2004-02-07T20:52:38Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Also Weird Al. If it’s a novelty tune, somone thinks Weird Al did it. > > IIRC, Dr. Demento recorded the novelty tune “Shaving Cream”. Benny Bell recorded “Shaving Cream”. But you’re right, the filesharing kiddies all seem to think either DD or Weird Al recorded every novelty song ever put on a playable medium. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/8 "2004-02-07T21:15:49Z")
For what it’s worth, the real name of Napoleon XIV was Jerry Samuels, and you can find out more than you probably ever wanted to know about him [here.](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDCASS80402061641470648&sql=Bx7qvad1kt8w2) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/9 "2004-02-07T21:29:50Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > IIRC, Dr. Demento recorded the novelty tune “Shaving Cream”. My mistake, **Revtim**. Dr. D did do a cover of “Shaving Cream”. He also had a few recordings of his own and appeared in several of Weird Al’s videos and in the movie “UHF”. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/10 "2004-02-07T22:06:31Z")
> [@Magickly Delicious](#): > > I found a [link](http://www.songlyrics.com/song-lyrics/Napoleon_Xiv/Miscellaneous/They_re_Coming_To_Take_Me_Away_Ha-haaa!/108879.html) that says it was done by Napoleon XIV. The band LARD (Jello Biafra with Ministry) do an INSANE cover of this on the “Last Temptation Of Reid” album with a few extra lyrics like: “And They’re coming to take me away Ha Ha They’re coming to take me away ho ho he he ha ha To the loony bin with all you can eat perscription drugs like thorizine, and lithium, and electric shock eels They’re coming to take me away Ha Ha” ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/11 "2004-02-07T22:28:25Z")
**Labdad** It seems the site you posted for **Jerry “Napoleon XIV” Samuels** did not contain evrything you might want to know about this “gifted” musician. It does mention he wrote songs for Sammy Davis Jr but it does not mention anything specifically. I happen to know Mr Samuels wrote **"The Shelter of Your Arms**" for Mr Davis who had a moderate hit with it in 1964. This song has also beeen recorded by Neil Diamond and Willie Nelson. Here is a link to the lyrics: [http://www.sammydavisjunior.com/Shelterofyourarms.htm](http://www.sammydavisjunior.com/Shelterofyourarms.htm) Surprising to think that this song and “They’re Coming to Take Me Away” were written by the same person. ---
**Author:** ![Ultraviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/12 "2004-02-07T22:42:58Z")
When I was young, my friend’s mother had a vinyl single of “They’re coming to take me away”. Interestingly enough, the B-side was the song in reverse. The song itself was amusing, but the backwards B-side was bizarre. I guess they thought it fit in with the whole “insanity” motif. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/13 "2004-02-07T23:06:49Z")
> [@Ultraviolet](#): > > When I was young, my friend’s mother had a vinyl single of “They’re coming to take me away”. Interestingly enough, the B-side was the song in reverse. The song itself was amusing, but the backwards B-side was bizarre. I guess they thought it fit in with the whole “insanity” motif. An old legend says an entire bar was clear when that song (officially called _!Aaa-ah, Yawa Em Ot Gnimoc Er’yeht_) was played on the jukebox. ---
**Author:** ![peasea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@peasea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peasea)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-author-of-the-song-about-the-funny-farm/228020/14 "2004-02-07T23:19:40Z")
I have the song on mp3, so I just reversed it with an editor. Sounds kinda like Russian. Some of it, anyway. To someone who doesn’t know Russian.