# They're coming to take me away! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2017, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949 "2017-10-27T04:22:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/1 "2017-10-27T04:22:18Z")
Is that his girlfriend or his dog he is singing to? \*Remember when you ran away .... You thought it was a joke And so you laughed You laughed when I said That losing you would make me flip my lid ....a I cooked your food I cleaned your house And this is how you pay me back For all my kind unselfish, loving deeds Ha! Well you just wait They'll find you yet and when they do They'll put you in the A.S.P.C.A. You mangy mutt..." \* 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/2 "2017-10-27T12:19:13Z")
Maybe he was calling his girlfriend a bitch?? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/3 "2017-10-27T13:01:17Z")
It is hard to tell because it is literally a song about complete insanity. He could be singing to his mother or absolutely no one at all other than his imagination. I certainly never guessed he was singing to his dog but I suppose that is as possible as anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/4 "2017-10-27T13:08:51Z")
I always thought it was his dog. The beginning of the son it sounds like a girlfriend, and he’s having some anger issues with his girlfriend laughing at him, gas lighting him, and that he’s metaphorically losing his mind. But its clear to me, by the end, that he’s always anthropomorphized his dog in a manner only an actually insane individual would. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/5 "2017-10-27T13:21:01Z")
Thread from earlier this year: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=823152](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=823152) ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/6 "2017-10-27T13:29:42Z")
Also, springing it on us, after most of the song was delivered, in such a casual matter-of-fact way, means that this particular delusion was there all along, and we’re all just so oblivious to the reality – but that’s our problem. But **Shagnasty:**'s right, its a totally unreliable narrator, it could be any option, none, or something else. Did the songwriter ever have a follow-up? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/7 "2017-10-27T13:37:27Z")
Ah, the good old days of music that was weirdly funny, and made it onto your local radio station. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/8 "2017-10-27T13:55:47Z")
Haven’t heard that song in decades, but I can still quote the thing verbatim. You can draw your own conclusions about what that says about me. 😃 Sometime around 1980, DC-area DJ Cerphe did a Saturday night show of nothing but comedy and offbeat stuff (including stuff like “Stairway to Gilligan’s Island” and “A Day in the Life of Green Acres”) that started off with: 1. “They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha Ha!” 2. The flip side, which was “They’re Coming To Take Me Away, Ha Ha!” played backwards, of course. 3. A _parody_ of the flip side. I swear to God I remember this, but I’ve never been able to find it since. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2017, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/9 "2017-10-27T14:05:32Z")
His dog. He’s not as insane if it’s his girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/10 "2017-10-27T14:51:52Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > I always thought it was his dog. The beginning of the son it sounds like a girlfriend, and he’s having some anger issues with his girlfriend laughing at him, gas lighting him, and that he’s metaphorically losing his mind. > > But its clear to me, by the end, that he’s always anthropomorphized his dog in a manner only an actually insane individual would. That’s what I’ve always assumed, and what I thought was part of the whole joke with the ending line. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/11 "2017-10-27T15:10:15Z")
Both-His mangy mutt _was_ his girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/12 "2017-11-01T12:09:39Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Ah, the good old days of music that was weirdly funny, and made it onto your local radio station. 😃 You might enjoy this: [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tKq5nv9G68c](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tKq5nv9G68c) ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/13 "2017-11-03T00:12:07Z")
[Jerry Samuels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_XIV) is … still alive! ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/14 "2017-11-03T19:26:21Z")
I assumed it was a woman…since I’ve got a cassette at home by Napoleon XIV with this song, and on one of the other songs on the same album is “I’m happy they took you away, ha-ha” by Josephine XV. It’s essentially the same song told from her point of view. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/15 "2017-11-03T20:02:14Z")
> [@Arkcon](#): > > …Did the songwriter ever have a follow-up? I don’t know if it’s a follow-up or not, but another song of his drives home the fact that he’s just bat-shit crazy: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/71xMhiT_PXc/hqdefault.jpg "I LIVE IN A SPLIT LEVEL HEAD - NAPOLEON XIV #Pangaea's People") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71xMhiT_PXc) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/16 "2017-11-03T20:13:35Z")
There used to be a radio program that aired late at night that would play weird songs like the one in the OP. I forget the name of it… I believe it was hosted by a man who called himself Dr…(can’t remember) Anyway, “They’re Coming to Take me Away” used to be one of mt faves. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/17 "2017-11-03T20:20:04Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > There used to be a radio program that aired late at night that would play weird songs like the one in the OP. I forget the name of it… I believe it was hosted by a man who called himself Dr…(can’t remember) > > Anyway, “They’re Coming to Take me Away” used to be one of mt faves. Dr Demento > **[Dr. Demento](https://www.drdemento.com/)** ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2017, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/18 "2017-11-03T20:48:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Dr Demento > > [http://www.drdemento.com/](http://www.drdemento.com/) Thank you! That was driving me crazy! (Ha Ha…) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/19 "2017-11-04T06:11:39Z")
There was a follow up - [I’m Happy They Took You Away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m138-Fn5Tw) by Josephine XV. So definitely a girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949/20 "2017-11-04T08:39:55Z")
There was apparently [another followup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiHKOLiCG4) in 1998, fascinating. In this one he refers to the subject as his pet, mentions cleaning its cage, and threatens to swing it around by the tail. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-coming-to-take-me-away/799949.md?page=2)