What Caused the Golden Age of Novelty Songs?

Part-Time Genius

iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

Society & Culture

4.6 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Will and Mango get serious about novelty songs, learning: why there was a Golden Age of this unique music; how the Monster Mash got invented; who was really doing the kung-fu when "everyone" was kung fu fighting; and why a song about Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny, Yellow Polka Dot Bikinis isn't what you think it is. Plus: Will and Mango reveal two shocking truths about The Purple People Eater.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Part-Time Genius, a production of kaleidoscope and IHeart Radio.
0:11.9	Guess what, Will?
0:13.1	What's that, Mango?
0:13.9	Did you know that one of the most popular songs of the 1920s was inspired by an outbreak of banana blight?
0:21.0	Wait, what?
0:22.2	The song is called, Yes, we have no bananas.
0:26.1	Actually, I do know this song.
0:27.8	If I'm not mistaken, you've mentioned this on the show before, right?
0:30.6	Yeah, a super long time ago in our episode about copyrights.
0:33.9	Okay.
0:34.3	Because the sheet music has finally entered the public domain.
0:37.7	Okay.
0:38.2	You know, I was hoping you meant you were going to record your own version of it and turn it
0:41.5	into a hit single, but what happened with that song?
0:44.6	Well, the good news is that the original recordings of the song from 1923 are also in the
0:50.5	public domain right now, which means that this time, I actually get to play you a clip of it.
0:56.0	So take a listen.
0:57.0	Yes, of course, we have no bananas.
1:00.0	We have no bananas today.
1:04.0	We string beans and onions, cabarges, and scallions, and all kinds of fruit and say. You know, it sounds like most of the lyrics are just a guy listing produce items.
1:16.3	Am I not mistaken on this?
1:17.5	Yeah, so the song's origin is pretty fun.
	...

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