THEY’RE COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY, HA-HAAA! – Story of the Month (from January 2015)
Kim Fowley’s follow-up single to “The Trip” was a cover of the bizarre novelty song “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” that made the charts. The original version of “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” was recorded in 1966 by Napoleon XIV, the pseudonym of Jerry Samuels. The lyrics include just about every pejorative and urban legend ever applied to the mentally ill: berserk, flip my lid, funny farm, men in white coats, basket weavers, maniacal laughter, etc. The song climbed to #3 on the charts but then plummeted almost out of the Top 40 just two weeks later after radio stations quit playing the record because of its offensive lyrics.
The flip side, “!Aaah-Ah ,Yawa Em Ekat Ot Gnimoc Er’yeht” is simply the record played backwards – the simple structure and gleeful singing with echo effects make that much more listenable than might be imagined – and almost everything on the label was printed in mirror-image, including the song name, artist’s name and even the Warner Bros. Records logo.
The album They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! does not include the backward track (despite song listings to the contrary), but there is a sort of answer song called “I’m Happy They Took You Away, Ha-Haaa!” that was credited to Josephine XV, who is presumably the girlfriend who left him and caused his torment. (Joséphine was the name of Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife).
(June 2017)
