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What is this song? - Vegematic

13 Mar 17 - 02:29 PM (#3844701)
Subject: What is this song?
From: topical tom

Some years ago now I heard a song about a man who fell asleep while watching tv and ordered a number of products advertised.He awoke to find these products delivered to his home.Can anyone tell me the title of the song ,who wrote it, and post the lyrics.Sorry sbout the scant lack of information but that is all that I recall about it.Please help me if you can. I really found the song very funny!


13 Mar 17 - 02:39 PM (#3844703)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Helen

Hi topical tom,

Can you give us a bit of information about where you heard the song, please, e.g. on the radio, or on TV. Also what sort of music was it? Pop, rock, folky, bluesy, country. Was it a male or female singer, or a group? Do you remember any of the lyrics, e.g. the chorus or any of the other lines? Searching for lyrics can make it a lot easier.

Any information may be useful to help us to track it down.

Thanks
Helen


13 Mar 17 - 02:56 PM (#3844705)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: topical tom

Helen: I heard it on the radio.It was folky, a male singer. I thought it was by Steve Goodman or Townes van Zandt but not that I can find.As for the lyrics unfortunately there I draw a blank.It may have been a folk music program like Gerry Goodfriend or Mike regenstrief.


13 Mar 17 - 04:22 PM (#3844717)
Subject: ADD: Vegematic (Steve Goodman)
From: Helen

Hi again,

Funnily enough, when I did a Google search earlier on the following line "man who fell asleep while watching tv and ordered a number of products" Steve Goodman's name came up, but I didn't see much to link the song to him, however, with the aid of your extra info - check this out:

Vegematic Steve Goodman

Fell asleep last night with the TV on
Oh, what a dream I had
I dreamed I went and answered every single one
Of those late night mail order ads
And four to six weeks later, much to my surprise
The mailman came to my front door
And I couldn't believe my eyes
When he brought the Vegematic
And the Pocket Fisherman too
Illuminated illustrated history of life
Boxcar Willie with a Ginzu knife
A bamboo steamer, and a Garden Weasel too
And a tie-dyed, dayglo souvenir shirt from Six Flags Over Burbank

Well the doorbell rang all morning and all through the afternoon
I shook with fright as it rang all night
To the light of the Master Card moon
There was Parcel Post in the pantry
UPS in the hall
COD to the ceiling, and I just couldn't pay for it all

I got the egg scrambler, with a Seal-a-Meal carrying case
A set of presidential commemorative plates
So I could eat my eggs off the President's face
A Minute Mender, and a needle that'll knit or crochet
And an autographed photograph of Rin Tin Tin
At Six Flags Over Burbank

I remembered I was dreaming, so I gave a mighty cheer
When I awoke, it was no joke, 'cause all that shit was here
So if you fall asleep with the TV on, let me tell you what to do:
Rip the telephone out of the wall unless you want it to happen to you

You get the Vegematic, and the Pocket Fisherman too
Illuminated illustrated history of life
And Boxcar Willie with a Ginzu knife
A bamboo steamer, and a smokeless ashtray too

And an all expenses paid weekend for three at Six Flags Over Burbank

Helen


In DT: https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=7531


13 Mar 17 - 04:23 PM (#3844718)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Helen

Steve Goodman -- Vegematic [Live]


13 Mar 17 - 05:10 PM (#3844730)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

Thank You ! ! !

What an amazing example of an amazing resource.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Hilarous ! ! !


13 Mar 17 - 05:11 PM (#3844731)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Sandra in Sydney

2.29pm 13th March to 4.22pm the same day! well done, Helen!


13 Mar 17 - 05:20 PM (#3844732)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Helen

Thanks. I could have been quicker if I had followed up on the Steve Goodman info in my first search but it was a bit early in the morning for lucid thought - i.e. about 5.30 am Oz time so no caffeine brain-starter had been ingested at that stage.

Helen


13 Mar 17 - 05:31 PM (#3844734)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: topical tom

Helen:What an absolutely wonderful piece of detective work!I was not really expecting an answer let alone so speedily!Thamks so much! I can now really enjoy the song and it is quite funny, is it not? Thanks again!          Topical Tom


13 Mar 17 - 05:43 PM (#3844736)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Helen

Aw shucks! Thanks Tom.

This is why I love Mudcat so much. Not only do I get help from others here, but sometimes I get to reciprocate the favour.

Yes, it is a funny song. Thanks for letting us know about it.

Helen


13 Mar 17 - 06:37 PM (#3844740)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Joe Offer

I've always loved this song. I haven't been able to make it work well enough to add to my repertoire, but I keep hoping. When I grow up, I want to channel Steve Goodman.


20 Jan 22 - 01:47 AM (#4132999)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: topical tom

It may have been a commercial ad song! Who knew? I was sure
my mother used to sing it asd a song!She must have remember itfrom a commercial ditty! Problem solved, Helen?


20 Jan 22 - 01:54 PM (#4133059)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Helen

Here is the link to the Mudcat thread hidden in the middle of all of that text you posted:

he went in like a lion

A note to keep things simple: if you start a thread about a song you want to identify, the thread title needs to be specific to that song. Also, it gets very confusing when one thread has questions about multiple unrelated songs in it. When the song is identified one of the moderators will change the thread title to the name of the song.

The aim is to be able to search Mudcat for songs by name or search the Forum for lyrics, and it helps to do that search before starting a new thread to minimise duplication where possible.


21 Jan 22 - 01:51 PM (#4133182)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: GUEST

https://youtu.be/HnqtGjHJjs8


21 Jan 22 - 09:48 PM (#4133227)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Bugsy

please enlighten an Australian,
What is the meaning of "6 Flags over Burbank"

Cheers

Bugsy


21 Jan 22 - 10:42 PM (#4133231)
Subject: RE: What is this song?
From: Helen

Onya Bugsy! I don't know the answer to that one either.


21 Jan 22 - 11:43 PM (#4133233)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - A Great Big Mug Of Mocha
From: Joe Offer

Six Flags over Burbank? Well, Six Flags Magic Mountain is an amusement park in the far northwestern corner of the Los Angeles area. I call the area Valencia, although it has had several names. And the nearest incorporated city is Burbank, which is kind of a joke in the Los Angeles area. The park looks very intriguing and inviting, but the thought of actually riding one of those "ultimate thrill" rides makes me very nervous.
The park, originally named Magic Mountain, was established in 1971, and it was hot stuff when I moved to the Los Angeles area in 1974. But I was scared to go there. It was still rattlesnake country back then, and I'm sure the park had a large team of snake removers.
-Joe-


21 Jan 22 - 11:59 PM (#4133238)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - A Great Big Mug Of Mocha
From: Joe Offer

Now, you can't really understand the Steve Goodman song without seeing a Veg-O-Matic "infomercial":
And here's a modern examination of the appliance:
All my life, I've wanted one of these devices. I make a lot of soups and stews and sometimes it feels like I've spent half my life chopping.

-Joe-

But of course, along with this goes the Lucille Ball classic, Vitameatavegamin:


22 Jan 22 - 12:02 AM (#4133239)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - A Great Big Mug Of Mocha
From: Helen

Thanks for the explanation, Joe. We Aussies thank you.

There are two songs in this thread: Vegematic by Steve Goodman and also A Great Big Mug Of Mocha, which topical tom asked about on Date: 19 Jan 22 - 04:04 PM . Is it possible to separate each into their own thread, maybe?


22 Jan 22 - 01:37 AM (#4133245)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - A Great Big Mug Of Mocha
From: Joe Offer

Sorry, Helen - I think the two songs are inextricably intertwined in this thread. To separate them, would violate the integrity of the thread. Still, I did the best I could.
And besides, Steve Goodman's "Vegematic" was already in the Digital Tradition.
https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=7531 and the requested song is in this thread: /thread.cfm?threadid=105990


22 Jan 22 - 01:43 AM (#4133246)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - A Great Big Mug Of Mocha
From: Helen

Thanks Joe.


22 Jan 22 - 03:28 AM (#4133248)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - Vegematic
From: Helen

It's difficult to unravel a thread (LOL) when there are two strands entwined, eh??!! It's much easier to unravel when each mystery song has its own separate thread.

What's done cannot be undone, I guess.

You're worth more money. Should I tell Max that?


22 Jan 22 - 04:57 AM (#4133253)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - Vegematic
From: GUEST,Rigby

I never heard of a Vegematic, but I do know another song that references it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o90YWFlXdk


22 Jan 22 - 05:10 AM (#4133257)
Subject: RE: What is this song? - Vegematic
From: GerryM

The original "Six Flags" was Six Flags Over Texas, an amusement park in Arlington, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth) opened in 1961. It was a reference to the six flags that had flown over (parts of) Texas; Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the US, and the Confederacy.

The company went on to open Six Flags amusement parks in various other places in the US, keeping the name whether the place ever had six flags or not.

Burbank is a suburb of Los Angeles. It has been the butt of many jokes. Johnny Carson (late night talk show host) often referred, humorously, to "beautiful downtown Burbank". There has never been a Six Flags Over Burbank. It's just another joke.