Your Favorite Novelty Songs

Those quirky little tunes that catch your ear and make you smile, like
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band’s The Intro And The Outro, and
Tom “T-Bone” Stankis’ Existential Blues.

I love the Intro and the Outro.

When I was a bit younger I liked this a lot :wink:

Transfusion, by Nervous Norvus

“Put a gallon in me, Allen!”

Anything by the Bonzo Dog Band, Spike Jones, Martin Mull, Flanders and Swan, and Tom Lehrer.

If I had to pick one today, I’d go withMadiera M’Dear

There are so many. Also it’s hard sometimes to say whether something is a novelty song or just a whacked-out funny song. Like, is Lou Reed’s “Make Up” or the Who’s “Tattoo” or Captain Beefheart’s “Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish” or Kevin Ayers’ “Guru Banana” a novelty song?

Here’s an obscure one: “Molly Bake Bean” by Help Yourself.

Ontario Sucks” by The Arrogant Worms.

Ah yes, Tom Lehrer. “Vatican Rag” seems to be pretty popular…but I bet you haven’t seen it done by Marty Feldman!

edited to add: Marty doing “National Brotherhood Week”

Eugene-Crazy Joe and The Variable Speed Band
I remember this song from when I was around twelve. Apparently it was actually Ace Frehley of KISS. I never knew there was a video until now.

I’d have a hard time calling Tom Lehrer’s songs “novelty”. They’re humor, certainly, satire and social criticism as well, but were is the line between humor and novelty?

I’ll nominate Wet Dream by Kip Adotta. What were those clip songs based on a guy interviewing people at a political convention and all their answers were in the form of song samples?

altogether now - There’s Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow…

Mr. President, by Dickie Goodman?

I’ve always thought that Uncle Bonsai were the spiritual successors to Tom Lehrer. They run a pretty wide gamut from serious (somber, even) to extremely silly. (Andrew Ratchin, the front man, also recorded solo as Electric Bonsai Band, and with a sextet called Mel Cooleys.) For those not familiar, try this for a start: Penis Envy

I’ve also been rediscovering the works of Big Daddy. They did modern songs (well, modern at the time) in the style of various 50’s artists. Some were better than others. Dancing in the Dark is excellent. They even did a complete cover of Sgt. Pepper’s; their version of A Day in the Life, as it might have been sung by Buddy Holly, is uncanny.

Some of my favourites:
“The Irish Rover” (various)
“Ringo” (Lorne Greene)
“Kung Fu Fighting” (Carl Douglas)
“Boy Named Sue” (Johnny Cash)
various songs by Spike Jones, Weird Al, Roger Miller, Ray Stevens, etc.

If Tribute by Tenacious D is a novelty song, then it is my favorite novelty song.

How Come My Dog Don’t Bark (When You Come Around)?

Let’s Do Something Cheap and Superficial

The Rodeo Song

And my all-time favorite: Everyday Normal Guy, muthafucka!

Title of the Song by DaVinci’s Notebook. Great satire of boy band pop music.

“Dueling Rappers,” Alan Gary and Scott Free
“Uncle Jack Sez Relax,” Charles Webb and Tom Bolton
“Existential Blues,” T-Bone Burnett
“Mrs. Fletcher’s Fallen and She Can’t Get Up,” Slant Six and the Jumpstarts

I used to love listening to Dr. Demento every week when I was in college. I’m still bummed that his website seems to be thoroughly mired in the internet dinosaur days (seriously–who charges $3.00 a show to stream these days? I’d happily pay that to buy an MP3 of a full show, but to stream it once? No way.)

I would love very much to find downloadable MP3s of the first two songs on my list, if anyone knows of any legal way to get hold of them.

Boots Walker: They’re Here

“Shaddap Yer Face”.
“Pac Man Fever”.
“White And Nerdy”.

Does Big Balls count as a novelty song?