In an earlier thread about 'The Cuckoo Waltz', I got into an interesting exchange with Joybell about the '50s habit of setting words to instrumental hits, thereby giving them a second life.

Zambesi was the one that sprang to mind at the time, but I seem to recall 'Opus One' and even 'Mood Indigo' being given this treatment.

Some of the words were really excruciating, and as a sampler, here is one that appeared unbidden, so to speak.

There was an early TV serial called 'The Little Red Monkey' with a catchy instrumental signature tune played on some kind of keyboard, for which someone came up with this:-


LITTLE RED MONKEY
(Music by Jack Jordan, words by Stephen Gale, ©1953)
As recorded by Mel Blanc on Capitol 2430, 1953.

Look at the monkey, funny monkey,
Little red monkey acting so fidgety.
Look at the monkey, funny monkey,
Little red monkey, cute as can be.

Where is his mama, papa, sister,
Brother, cousin, rest of the family?
Little red monkey on his ownsome,
Very lonesome monkey is he.

Ah-ah! Ah-ah-ah-ah!
If you get him into a zoo,
He'll do all of his tricks for you.
Won't you drop him a line or two,
Inviting him to the zoo?
For if you do--

He'll be a happy, snappy monkey,
Little red monkey acting so merrily.
I hope you like this little red monkey.
He's so funny, cute as can be.

REPEAT FROM BEGINNING, SUBSTITUTING THIS FOR THE LAST VERSE:
He'll be a happy, snappy monkey,
Little red monkey acting so merrily
I hope you like this little red monkey
For that funny monkey is me.
Little red monkey, little red monkey,
Nobody else but me!


Any more???

FC

[Credit and link to recording supplied by a Mudelf.]