I love songs about chickens. For evidence of that statement I refer you to the 'More Chicken Songs at Carnival Saloon' links at the bottom of this post.
Why am I so fond of chicken songs? Partly because they're unusual creatures to immortalise in song and partly because there are such a surprising number of them that there's a real thrill in tracking them down.
So you can imagine both my delight and disappointment when I discovered a 20-track compilation on Viper Records called Ain't Nobody Here But These Chickens: American Chicken Songs From the 1920s - 1950s.
I'd heard very few of the songs on the album so immediately bought it. It was like the compiler had read my mind. The downside of course, having discovered this motherlode of chicken songs, is I'm worried I'll never find a juicy chicken nugget ever again.
I've not listened to the record enough times to say which track's my favourite but this one by Memphis Minnie is certainly a stand-out with its combination of sauciness and sass that marks all the best poultry tunes.
MP3: Memphis Minnie - If You See My Rooster
Buy Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens at Amazon
I was unfamiliar with the Viper label before buying this record but their website reveals a catalogue of similarly brilliant compilations including songs about money, cats and even the jungle.
Finally, a fun bonus track. Here are the Muppets performing the compilation's title track:
More Chicken Songs at Carnival Saloon
Chicken Songs For The Soul
Chicken: Anyone For Seconds?
Clucking Brilliant
Thighs, Wings, Legs & Breasts
Chicken Songs For Colonel Sanders
Related Links
The Viper Label
4 comments:
Chickens - sort of perverse. Their scratchy jerky physical reality compares with their culinary nature, sometimes described as the 'blank canvas on which great chefs write'. Chickens are comical, but their culinary self can border on the sublime. They're also cheap to raise - which I guess is why they occur so much in twang music. The poverty stricken meat of choice. If there's no deer about.
It would be interesting to look at the trend of squirrels in country music. I think that is probably the poorest meat.
I, too, collect chicken songs. I am amazed I missed this gem. Thanks for the heads up.
@Lucindaville - if you know any great chicken songs that I've not mentioned in previous posts do please let me know!
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