Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow - The Rivingtons

Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow - The Rivingtons

2:23

single, 1962

Written by Carl White, Al Frazier, Sonny Harris, and Turner Wilson Jr.

A sort of garage doo-wop, this song evokes "Surfin' Bird," and indeed, I read that the Trashmen's hit was based on this song, and a sequel song by the Rivingtons name-checked "Surfin' Bird."  This song, which is quite meta, is about a song in which the singer utters nonsense syllables, and the narrator can't figure out what he's saying, or if the singer is trying to make meaning at all.  "Well I hear this sound everywhere I go / From the record, TV, or the radio."

The Broom Song - Walt Hamburger

The Broom Song - Walt Hamburger
2:57
One Week Record, 2019
Written by Walt Hamburger

Over a rapid-fire acoustic guitar, the narrator lays out regrets about a life that did not meet his goals.  It's a bristling bit of introspective folk.  I wish I liked it more, but the song doesn't build up to anything, make any statements, or go any further than lamenting.  "Thought that I would be anywhere but here."  Sure, but what now?  Songs don't necessary require a resolution, but this one needs something more.  We have an assessment of a life; now we should have a conclusion of some kind.

In the Cool, Cool, Cool Of the Evening - Bing Crosby & Jane Wyman

In the Cool, Cool, Cool Of the Evening - Bing Crosby & Jane Wyman

3:22

single, 1951

Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer

Bing and Jane Wyman have fun with this silly song, originally from a movie called Here Comes the Groom, which stars them both.  The film's plot is "Foreign correspondent Pete Garvey has just five days to win back his former fiancée, or he'll lose the orphans he adopted," which sounds like the epitome of a '50s screwball romantic comedy.  The lyrics seem to be goofy quasi-nonsense, basically some patter about being ready for an outdoor party.  "I like a weenie bake, steak and a layer cake / And you'll get a tummy ache too."  But not every line is so clear.  There's also: "How about your brother Jackass?"  And "If perchance we look a bit peaked / Remember c'est la guerre."  It's also credited to the band "The Five Hits and a Miss."  This song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951.

Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson

Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson

2:33

Ricky Nelson, 1958

Written by Sharon Sheely

This song was reportedly based on Sheely's disappointment following a short-lived relationship with Don Everly.  "Well, I'd played this game with other hearts / But I never thought I'd see / The day when someone else would play / Love's foolish game with me."  She got Nelson's attention by pretending that her car was broken down and when he came to help, she played the song for him!  She had a lot of grit to be so assertive in that era.  I think Elvis might have given this song a little more heart and oomph, but Nelson's very pleasant voice does a fine job with it.

Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy - Uncle Dave Macon

Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy - Uncle Dave Macon

2:46

single, 1924

traditional, probably?

In this song, the narrator cheerfully recounts his eating and drinking.  "I′se a-walking down the street and I stoled a ham of meat."  You gotta keep that skillet greasy when you bring home the bacon!  He also makes a delightful proposition to his lady: "Honey, if you say so, I′ll never work-a no more / I'll lay round your shanty all the time, time, time."  Women love layabouts, and Macon sure sounds like a bluegrass hillybilly on this recording.

Mushaboom - Feist

Mushaboom - Feist

3:44

Let It Die, 2004

Written by Feist

I only know this artist from the great earworm "1 2 3 4."  Mushaboom is apparently a town in Nova Scotia.  In the song, the narrator muses about having a life in a house, presumably in this rural community.  "I got a man to stick it out / And make a home from a rented house / And we'll collect the moments one by one / I guess that's how the future's done."  Those are some weighty lyrics, delivered with a beautiful voice.  The soft guitar and piano lines make the song feel like a warm cozy home.

Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine - White Stripes

Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine - White Stripes

3:17

Elephant, 2003

Written by Jack White and Meg White

I've never been a White Stripes fan.  I like Jack White's modern take on old-school blues rock, but most of his songwriting just doesn't do it for me.  The energy is definitely there on this track, the crashing drums and screaming guitars and Jack's howl.  It's a good song for driving, but I don't think it bears much examination lyrically.  I like the rhyme "Acetaminophen / You see the medicine," though.

I'm Gonna Bring a Watermelon To My Girl Tonight - Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

I'm Gonna Bring a Watermelon To My Girl Tonight - Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

2:02

single, 1966

Written by Con Conrad, 1924

This song, written by Con Conrad, was apparently first released in 1924 by Billy Jones and Ernie Hare, a novelty duo who as the Happiness Boys released a lot of classics that are still known today.  This version is a little more uptempo, but still very much in the British music-hall tradition, with whistle, euphonium, ukulele, and old-timey voice.  The joke is that as the narrator brings his girl various fruits, she lets him get closer physically, so what will a watermelon get him?  The next verse, in which he brings gifts she hangs on the wall, spoils the joke with a nasty ending line.

A Pretty Girl (A Cadillac And Some Money) - Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra

A Pretty Girl (A Cadillac And Some Money) - Buddy Johnson & His Orchestra

3:09

single, 1954

Written by Buddy Johnson

Johnson is the piano player and bandleader here, the vocalist apparently someone named Ricky Harper.  His sister Ella often served as Johnson's vocalist, and indeed his recordings on Spotify are credited to them both, but this single, as shown on Discogs, is properly credited to Buddy and the orchestra.  This jump blues, reminiscent of Louis Jordan in style, is a genuinely funny song.  It's like deadpan-joking-but-serious like Spinal Tap's "Gimme Some Money."  Some meta spoken comic patter at the end ("I'm the one that made 'Mush Mouth,'" he proclaims) is an added punchline.

A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody - Rudy Vallée

A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody - Rudy Vallée

3:04

single, 1934

Written by Irving Berlin, 1919

The original crooner.  This version, like most others, omits a rather silly first verse and goes straight into the chorus.  Berlin's lyrics are enchanting.  "Just like the strain of a haunting refrain / She'll start upon a marathon / And run around your brain."  Vallée by all accounts had a violent temper and sometimes came to blows with people he worked with or, some allege, women.  But apparently he insisted on having Louis Armstrong fill in for him when he was away at his radio show, so he was progressive for his time!