SMOKE! SMOKE! SMOKE! (THAT CIGARETTE)
“Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)” is a Western swing novelty song written by Merle Travis and Tex Williams, for Williams and his talking blues style of singing. Travis wrote the bulk of the song. The original Williams version went to number one for 16 non-consecutive weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song can be heard in the opening of the 2005 film, Thank You for Smoking. (More from Wikipedia)
Speaking of true oldies, there is also another great 1947 hit song by Tex Williams (co-written by Merle Travis) called “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (that Cigarette)”. The chorus goes: “Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette / Puff, puff, puff, and if you smoke yourself to death / Tell St. Peter at the Golden Gate / That you hate to make him wait / But you just gotta have another cigarette.” Phil Harris – best known for his comedic talents and voiceover work these days, if at all – also had a hit with the song in 1947.
(March 2013)
