Billy Boy

I haven't been focused on the song blog in quite some time, but this tune arrived so out of the blue, I had to post it. I'm sure I haven't heard any version of it in more than 30 years. The internets date its origins in the 18th Century, but it looks like the most popular versions weren't published in England til about WWI era and not in the States til 1930.

Thanks to YouTube user LDsongscreen for posting this sweet rendition of the song.

Artist: Unknown
Year: c. 1790s; 1910s; 1930s
Rating: Warm

Count It Higher

Fantastic song to wake up to! One of the very best from the Sesame Street oeuvre, in my head for no particular reason at all. Patterned after the ubiquitous 60's hit Twist and Shout, writer/singer Christopher Cerf completely commits to the rock 'n' roll vocal on this educational ditty. This is the kind of song that makes a kid feel fucking cool watching Sesame Street!

Artist: Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats (Christopher Cerf, Jeff Moss, and Jerry Nelson)
Year: 1973
Rating: Hot!

Interplanet Janet, Redux

Upbeat, silly, geeky. Perfect mood music to whistle to on my walk with Dorrie this morning.

Last in my head on April 10, 2009.

Music/Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens/School House Rock
Year: 1978
Rating: Hot!

Movin' Right Along

Saw the new Muppet flick (so fun, and moving! I actually teared up a couple times). Predictably, a song from the original 1979 movie popped into my head the next morning.

Artist: Kermit & Fozzie (performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, music by Paul Williams)
Year: 1979
Rating: Luke Hot

Pure Imagination

While pouring myself my morning cup of coffee, the distinctive three-note intro and interlude sequence of this Willy Wonka song came to mind. It's a tense, cautious sort of musical theme carried throughout an otherwise optimistic song about seizing the moment, realizing the beauty that's all around you, creating your own reality:

If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it. Wanna change the world? There's nothing to it.

Those three notes taunt me, dare me to wake from my insular repose, my holding pattern of not-doing. I drink my coffee and start my day, cautiously, optimistically.

Artist: Gene Wilder (music by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley)
Year: 1971
Rating: Luke Hot

Waddaliacha (sic)

Woke up with an ol' camp song yesterday.

Artist: Unknown
Year: Likewise
Rating: Warm

Hankerin' Somethin' fierce!

Whoa, dude. I've long known that the Saturday morning ABC animated short Hanker for a Hunk of Cheese is one of the most popularly-searched songs on my blog. A quick glance at my blogger stats tells me just how popular it is!



Yep, seven out of the top ten key word searches refer to this post. Looks like I'm #3 on Google if you're searching the term hanker for a hunk of cheese and #6 for simply the word hanker. Weird. Wish I were higher up in the results for "songs in my head" or "earworms."

Marketing, schmarketing.

Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sunshine In

Whoa! When the lyric Let the sunshine in, face it with a grin... came to me this morning, I actually couldn't place it, though I knew the melody so well. I'm shocked and yet not at all shocked that I know this song from a Flintstones episode. And I'm also a little shocked that it's actually a song about not letting the devil in.

Artist: Pebbles Bamm-Bamm (voiced by Rebecca Page & Ricky Page)
Year: 1965
Rating: Warm

Note: John Waters used the original from 1954 in his recent movie, A Dirty Shame.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo

I think this is in my head because I was playing a song game with the family on Friday night, and it devolved into renditions of Disney tunes. Not sure if this specific song came up, or if the mental connection was from having sung Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Ha! Now they're in YOUR head! Mwah-a-a!

Artist: Verna Felton
Year: 1950 (From the movie Cinderella)
Rating: Warm

Beans and Rice/Conjunction Junction

Let's hear it for '70s/early '80s multicultural educational videos! Artist: unknown Year: '70s/'80s? Rating: Luke Hot ...and a couple days later, this classic ditty came to mind. Brought to you by: School House Rock Artist: Terry Morel and Jack Sheldon Composer: Bob Dorough Year: 1973 Rating: Luke Hot Noteworthy: To date, my April, 2009, entry about the song Hanker for a Hunk of Cheese gets the most search hits to my blog. I guess Saturday morning PSAs are in a lot of our heads.

Everybody Sleeps

At night we close our eyes/Until the morning creeps.

Artist: Joe Raposo and Daniel Wilcox
Year: 1972
Rating: Warm

Sing a Song of Sixpence

I have no idea why this song is in my head. It's not even a song I ever sang as a kid.

Now it feels like I'm writing in the meter of the song. Weird.

Artist: Unknown/English traditional
Year: c. 1744
Rating: Warm, but it's creepy.

Note: Cute animation and singing by YouTube user alphaalphaecho.

Take a Chance on Me

As I alluded to the other day when blogging about "Bette Davis Eyes," I've had some Alvin and the Chipmunks covers in my head recently. (The 'Munks covered Bette Davis Eyes too, though it was the original in my head on Monday.) When I woke up with "Take a Chance on Me," it was actually the hopped up Alvin and the Chipmunks version, which then slipped into the original ABBA.

I think the 'Munks fare better on "Take a Chance on Me" than on "Bette Davis Eyes." Turns out Alvin does earnest better than femme fatale. Artist: Alvin & the Chipmunks Year: 1982 Rating: Luke Hot
Artist: ABBA
Year: 1978
Rating: Luke Hot

Dear Alex & Annie Theme

Oh god! This is hilarious. Anyone out there remember the very feely '70s Saturday morning advice of Alex and Annie, two fake teenagers keepin' it "real?" I remember so vividly the asides during the opening sequence, "I'm desperate!" and "What should I do??"



Stay tuned til the end: this segment wraps with a fantastic ode to one girl's slow "development."

Artist: William Bingham & Donna Drake
Lyric/Producer: Lynn Ahrens
Year: 1978
Rating: Warm

Note: Created by the prolific Lynn Ahrens of School House Rock fame.

House at Pooh Corner

Yet another song etched into my mind from my Camp days. Fascinating that Loggins & Messina are on tour again - no idea whether this marketing angle played into the song arriving on my brain. It's a sweet ditty - give it a listen if you've never heard it before. Great to see the young Kenny Loggins singing so earnestly. It's Winnie the Pooh fanfic!

Artist: Loggins & Messina
Year: 1970
Rating: Warm

Note: Loggins penned the song, which was recorded first by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and just months later by Loggins & Jim Messina.

I've Got Two...

This classic Sesame Street song popped into my head in the wee hours when I had to, well, wee.

Artist: Bob and Susan
Year: 1970
Rating: Luke Hot