We're going to follow up yesterday's Allan Sherman clip with another. Despite the fact that he threatened to sue me when I was in junior high school, Allan Sherman was always a big favorite of mine. I started writing song parodies because of him (and also MAD magazine, especially the song spoofs of Frank Jacobs) and that's led to me writing poetry and song lyrics. Mr. Sherman knew the value of setting up and delivering a punch line in his parodies…a skill not in evidence with some who try to write funny songs. They think if the joke's in there and things rhyme, it's a funny lyric. No. A spoken joke needs proper delivery and so does a sung one.
Here's a little nugget of Allan Sherman's little-known work. In 1964, he wrote a parody of "Once in Love With Amy" to tout Lyndon Johnson's campaign for the presidency. It was never put on a record but Sherman sang it at campaign rallies across the country. Here's the lyric…
Once in love with Lyndon
Always in love with Lyndon
And on the Tuesday of the big election
Guess who my selection will be!November third, it's Lyndon
It's Ladybird and Lyndon
And on the morning of inauguration
What a happy nation you'll see!You might be quite the fickle-hearted rover
Who throws votes away
But once you've looked the opposition over
It's L-B-J!Once in love with Lyndon
Always in love with Lyndon
Love him and love him till our hearts are aching
And why are we making this fuss?
Cause Lyndon's always been in love with us!
Not a bad little tune. And here, through the good graces of Barry Mitchell (who sings some pretty funny songs, himself), we have a video of Sherman singing most of the above…
