# Wurzels "Combine Harvester" a re-write of Melanie's "Brand New Key" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893 "2009-03-10T00:25:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/1 "2009-03-10T00:25:28Z")
[Obvious in retrospect,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_Safka) but really I had no idea. > [@](#): > > In 1976 Scrumpy and Western band The Wurzels covered “Brand New Key” with substantially rewritten lyrics as “The Combine Harvester”. It reached number one on the UK singles charts and stayed there for two weeks [Youtube Brand New Key](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIFknAdVvNM) [Youtube Combine Harvester](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btEpF334Rtc&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![mutantmoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/2 "2009-03-10T00:39:37Z")
And it was through reading that wikipedia link that i discovered that that type of music is called scrumpy and western. Fantastic. [I am a cider drinker](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zwwqEm5YhQ&feature=related) ---
**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:** [March 10, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/3 "2009-03-10T00:50:24Z")
> [@mutantmoose](#): > > [I am a cider drinker](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zwwqEm5YhQ&feature=related) And in case the OP hadn’t realised: [The original](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R36CixkIaIc) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/4 "2009-03-10T02:56:33Z")
I’ve never heard of The Wurzels, or Combine Harvester before, but I did like this link to “Combine Harvester” ddone in the style of Alvin and the Chipmunks: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p8JrOfc8WO0/hqdefault.jpg "Combine Harvester Song - REMIX - Chipmunk Style") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8JrOfc8WO0) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/5 "2009-03-10T03:32:07Z")
Everybody’s in on it. Irish Rebel song [version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YYLbj03nMg&feature=related). ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/6 "2009-03-10T03:55:46Z")
We love the Wurzels. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/7 "2009-03-10T04:01:39Z")
NO NO NO, Bad Earworm…Please no more Brand New Key. Fuck, just doomed then… it’s already started, and I haven’t gone near the link. IIIIIII’vvvveee got a brand new pair of rollerskates---------- ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/8 "2009-03-10T23:30:56Z")
I went on a trip to England in May 1976, and I heard the song a lot. I even bought the 45. Another popular song at the time was the UK version of “Convoy” performed by Lorrie Lingo and the Dipsticks. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wurzels-combine-harvester-a-re-write-of-melanies-brand-new-key/488893/9 "2009-03-11T00:31:33Z")
That song always reminds me of Heather Graham in Boogie Nights.