When I was but a wee lad (late 60s-early 70s) I remember a top 40 radio version of John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt, the perennial kids favorite. I remember it more of a ‘serious’ novelty version, like Purple People Eater, Transfusion or Monster Mash, rather than just a ‘kids’ song.
As I remember it, there were three verses, each having the famously-named narrator trying to go somewhere away from home so he does not meet other people with his same name. In the final verse, he goes to the moon, sure that no one there is named JJJHS, but the moon people are ALL so named, and they sing so in their moon-people high pitched voices, to his exasperation.
Did this exist, or am I mis-remembering a different version of the song? Every version on iTunes store (and there are about 50) are all kids versions. Any search I have done just gets too many matches of kid versions.
I have a version by Daddy Dewdrop. It’s on Volume 26 from a massive pop music compilation titled ‘Bubblegum Motherf***er’ that I came across a couple of years ago. I think it originally came out on the same album as his “Chick-A-Boom” single, which was around 1971. This may be the version you remember.
Motivated by Sean Factorum’s submission, which has Jingleheimer SMITH as the title, I dug some more. After searching with different spelling combinations, I found the following. It came from the Talk section of the Wiki article about the song (Jingleheimer Schmidt; two words). The writer is describing ‘my version’ pretty much as I remember it. The writer says it came from Captain Kangaroo. I used to watch that, so that may be it. The lyrics (I’m posting them all-this has to be a public domain song!):
There was a funny little man who had a funny name And he was very proud of it 'cause no-one elses was the same And then one day he left his town to strike out on his own And met a total stranger a thousand miles from home, Who said:
(Chorus) John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt That’s my name too Whenever I go out The people always shout, “Hey! John Jacob Jingleheimer Shmidt, da da da da da da da da”
He took up mountain climbing to scale his way to fame If he were first to reach the top then all would know his name Then finally he reached the top, and sat right down and cried For someone else had beat him, who climbed the other side. He said: (Chorus)
He took an ocean voyage to forget his cares a while The ship was sunk and he was stranded on a desert isle He never saw another soul for many years or more Until he met a native a-walkin’ on the shore, Who said: (Chorus)
When he got very old and knew the end was coming soon He built himself a rocket ship and took off for the moon He landed in a great big hole, and when he stepped outside A thousand funny little men ran up to him and cried:
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt That’s our name too Whenever we go out The people always shout, “Hey! John Jacob Jingleheimer Shmidt, da da da da da da da da”
I’m not nuts! It even has the moon men verse. Now to find a recording, somewhere.
Well, good luck. You’re putting far more effort into this search than I think I would.
Have you considered talking with a professional about this? And I don’t mean a musician, but someone you can see once or twice a week, on a couch, for an open-ended length of time?
Everyone has their personal White Whale. This one’s only been bugging me for 30 years.
But at what a cost! My wife goes around the house singing “John Jacob Astor-heimer Schmidt/his wealth is my wealth too”. My obsession has created a monster!
Donchya jes love it? Why, no. Gawd I hate that song.