Buzz
In 1966, iconic artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, and the Motown stars were all competing for dominance on the charts. Yet, amidst this powerhouse competition, an eccentric little tune named "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" soared to the number 3 spot on Billboard's Hot 100.
Performed by Napoleon XIV (alias Jerry Samuels), the song also achieved success in the U.K., where it climbed to #4 on the U.K. singles charts. Here's a look back at this bizarre chapter in the history of music.
1. The Creator
Jerry Samuels, a recording engineer based in New York, was also a part-time songwriter. He had previously written a hit for Sammy Davis Jr. titled "The Shelter of Your Arms." However, it was "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" that became his most successful and well-known track, a project that took him 9 months to complete.
2. The Sound
"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" wasn't sung in the traditional sense; instead, it was "recited" in a rhythmic manner, with the background "music" created by tapping on a snare drum and tambourine. (Additionally, rhythmic hand claps can be heard throughout the track.)
3. The Plot
The song tells the story of a man seemingly losing his sanity after the disappearance of his wife, girlfriend, or more likely, his dog. The "dog loss" theory is supported by the album cover art, which depicts a fire hydrant and "Napoleon" holding an "invisible dog" leash. The singer even refers to his lost love as "you mangy mutt" during the performance, although men have been known to use such harsh terms for their lost women as well!
Samuels himself confirmed the "loss of dog" theory, acknowledging that the subject matter was serious, but he believed a man losing his dog and going mad seemed "less serious" than a man unraveling after losing a woman.
4. The Radio Blackouts
The song became so popular it may have even reached the top spot, but it fell short due to many radio stations excluding it from their playlists. This decision was driven by concerns over possible backlash from those who felt the song mocked mentally ill individuals. The most notable bans occurred in New York, where both major Top 40 stations, WABC and WMCA, refused to air the song (though WABC would still feature it on its local Top 20 list).
Before the ban, WABC had played the song multiple times in a single afternoon. Disc jockey Dan Ingram repeatedly aired the song, but each time he announced a different title. This quirky stunt led to several complaints from one listener, speculated to be a mental hospital employee.
5. The Loss of Certification
The song holds the distinction of being the answer to the trivia question: "What is the only song whose certification license (ASCAP) was revoked while it was still on the charts?" Without a valid performance license from ASCAP or another authorized body, a song cannot legally be played on air.
6. The Flip Side
The B-side of "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" is just as quirky as the song itself. Titled "Aaah-Ah Yawa Em Ekat Ot Gnimoc Er-Yeht," it's simply the song played in reverse. The B-side is credited to "VIX Noelopan." (Yes, that's "Napoleon XIV" spelled backward.)
7. The Rapid Decline
"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" holds the record for the fastest drop in chart history. In its third week on the Billboard "Hot 100," the song reached its highest position at #3. By the next week, it had fallen to #5, and by week 5, it had dropped dramatically to #37. (Clearly, the radio bans and intentional exclusions by many stations played a significant role in this swift decline in popularity and sales.)
8. The Live Performances
As if things weren't already strange enough, there's one more oddity about "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!": When the song became a hit, the record label sent other performers to do live performances instead of Jerry Samuels, the actual writer and performer of the track.
9. "The Most Annoying Song"
Critic Dave Marsh describes the song as "the most obnoxious song ever to grace a jukebox" in his book, The Book of Rock Lists. Marsh even claims the song once "cleared a diner of 40 people in just 3 minutes."
10. Where to Hear It
"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" is frequently played on "The Dr. Demento Radio Show," a program dedicated to bizarre records, and can also be found on YouTube.
Eddie Deezen has appeared in more than 30 films, including classics like Grease, WarGames, 1941, and The Polar Express. He’s also had roles in several popular TV series, such as Magnum PI, The Facts of Life, and The Gong Show. Additionally, Eddie has lent his voice to countless radio and animated productions, including shows like Dexter's Laboratory and Family Guy. Read all of Eddie's mental_floss stories.
