Posted on 06/04/2013 6:14:10 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator
There are a lot of strange songs out there. But how many strange country songs are there? (By "country" I include "hillbilly," "western," "western swing," and "bluegrass," but not "folk" simply because there are oodles and oodles of bizarre folk songs). For the most part country is the sane, genre, the level-headed genre, the "plain folks" genre. But I've found a country song that is disturbing and bizarre, and I'm sure some of you have found others as well.
Many years ago on the old Porter Wagoner TV show I saw Porter perform a song he had written but wished he hadn't. He apologized for the strange song then introduced Speck Rhodes for his comedy segment, and Speck teased him unmercifully. It was a hoot.
Anyway, this Porter Wagoner song was The Rubber Room, and Porter (if I remember correctly) said he realized that the song could be disturbing to people who had loved ones who were institutionalized. That was the first and, until recently, the only time I had ever heard the song.
The other day I did a search for this song and found the original record on YouTube.
But apparently in later years he changed his mind about the song because I also found this video of Porter the year he died performing it live. He's almost 80 years old, and it's just him singing accompanied by nothing but two acoustic guitars (his and Marty Stuart's). This time (unlike the record) there are no electronic sound effects to augment the performance. It's so sparse I think it's more emotionally stirring than the original recording.
And oddly enough, I've found that there are several covers of the song by younger artists who weren't even around when I heard Porter sing the song on his TV show. Apparently it's considered shocking and "edgy."
Well . . . this is my candidate for weirdest/most bizarre country song. Does anyone else have one? (Again, folk songs don't count simply because so many of them are bizarre.)
I only heard it once, and I don’t precisely recall it, but it was about a bunch of animals acting weird. I think it had a character called “rocky raccoon” in it, but it wasn’t the one with “Gideon’s Bible” that most have heard. I heard this song all of one time on some odd Country station on the AM band out of central Texas.
"If You Can't Live Without Me, then Why Ain't You Dead?"
"I Got Tears in My Ears From Lying On My Back Cryin' Over You"
Always LOVED “I’m going to hire myself a wino to decorate our home”.
I Want to Check You for Tics
Bing Bing Bing....that is the one I thought of as well.... Where’s the “Like” button on this thing?
C.W. McCall’s “Convoy” is a bit odd.
As is “Teddy Bear” by Red Sovine.
Do you remember "Cledus Maggard and his Citizen's Band?"
As is “Teddy Bear” by Red Sovine.
Teddy Bear is one of many tear-jerking narrations by Red Sovine.
Not a real big fan of country but I kinda like
Countin Flowers on the wall
“Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo”
Somehow it captures the particular mood I’m in at times.
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night) By: Lonnie Donegan & His Skiffle Group
Pinkard & Bowden - I Lobster And Never Flounder .
These songs are weird or bad, it is just the performance of them that are weird. Listen to Johnny Cash’s renderings of:
“What’d I’d Say” (by Ray Charles)
http://www.myspace.com/johnnycash/music/songs/what-d-i-say-album-version-27948193
“It Ain’t Me, Babe” (by the Turtles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwD4t9gcLb4
I love Johnny Cash, but there was a period in the early 70’s where he tried to do some music that just did NOT fit his style. The two songs I listed above are unbelievably bad. They are so bad that you can’t believe they ever made it onto one of his albums. June Carter also sings on them.
Chuck Wagon & the Wheels had a minor hit with “Disco Sucks” back in ‘79 or so. They had a whole string of peculiar comedy songs that would be candidates for your request. The most memorable is “The Gas Song”, with its refrain about “Let’s use the Ay-rabs to test the neutron bomb”. “My Girl Passed Out In Her Food” is a scream too.
And they put you back into prison.
...or the Geezinslaws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbmV4TG1DHQ
The Geezinslaws - Over The Rainbow
Written by a “jew”... Kinky Friedman and his band, the Texas Jewboys. A real jem. He ran for TX governor and lost.
How about “ My Wife Thinks You’re Dead” by Junior Brown?
It’s hard to kiss the lips that chew your ass out all day long. (This is a real song).
Brother Steve Goodman, writer, and of “The City of New Orleans”
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