Bonkers

I like a lot of songs but some of them are what I would describe as bonkers. 

I do appreciate that “bonkers” is in the eye of the beholder and while some people may think that a song is bonkers, it doesn’t necessarily follow that all people will think that the song is bonkers; some people may even say that it is a masterpiece. 

I thought that I would share ten songs that I love (in no particular order), but that I feel are bonkers. If you feel that these songs are masterpieces then that’s totally up to you. 

1. Godley and Creme – Snack Attack!

Kevin Godley and Lol Creme used to be in a Manchester based band called 10cc who, in their own way produced some slightly eccentric songs. Godley and Creme struck out on their own in the late 1970s and had great success with an album called “Ismism”, featuring a massive hit song in the UK called "Under Your Thumb". However, on the same album there are a couple of songs that I would call bonkers and the one that stands out is “Snack Attack”. 

It is supposedly sung by a man who is so enormous that the doctors wired his jaws together so that he can’t eat huge quantities of food and who is singing about his struggles with his desire to eat. 

The lyrics are really silly and hilarious. 

Here are some of my favourites:

I can’t eat no more – I gotta use a straw.

…

Armies of food invade my sleep

Led by lasagnas ten inches deep

My head is pounding my heart is beating

Cows are mooing sheep are bleating

I'm being haunted by all the meat I've eaten 

2. The Mute Gods – Tardigrades Will Inherit the Earth

Nick Beggs is a rather eccentric person and was the bass player in Kajagoogoo who had a massive hit in the early 1980’s. He has done a lot of work since then, notably (for me at least) working with one of my favourite artists – Steven Wilson. 

A few years ago he formed a band called The Mute Gods, a prog rock band that had three albums. This song is the title track of the second album and has a great title. 

In case you are wondering, tardigrades are microscopic creatures that are supposed to be very resilient even surviving exposure to space, thus prompting the premise of this song that these tiny creatures will survive when humankind has annihilated all life on the planet. 

A Tardigrade

While the song may have a serious message, it is a very silly song with a very silly video that is typical of Nick Beggs’ eccentricity. 

3. Whale – Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe

Whale were a Swedish band active for most of the 1990’s and this is the only song that I have heard by the band. But what a bonkers belter it is. A “slobo babe” is meant to be a Chelsea girl – or maybe not. Either way, this song is crazy – in my eyes at least.

I have absolutely no idea what the song is about. Perhaps somebody could shed some light on it. 

4. Electric Six – Danger! High Voltage

Electric Six have a couple of mad songs but this one is absolutely bonkers. The video adds to its bonkers nature (I think it is hilarious) and the whole thing makes little sense to me – apart from the raunchy nature of it all. I love the mad lyrics too:

Fire in the disco

Fire in the Taco Bell

Fire in the disco

Fire in the gates of hell

5. Thomas Dolby – Hyperactive!

Thomas Dolby had a big hit with this song in 1984 and I was drawn to it because it is a mad song. I loved it at the time and I still love it now. Why? Because I think it’s bonkers. 

6. David Bowie – The Jean Genie

This may seem like a normal song at first but if you listen to the lyrics you will discover that they are truly bonkers. Here are a few examples:

A small Jean Genie snuck off to the city

Strung out on lasers and slash back plazas

Ate all your razors while pulling the waiters

Talking 'bout Monroe and walking on Snow White

New York's a go-go and everything tastes right

Poor little Greenie

. . .

Sits like a man, but he smiles like a reptile

She loves him, she loves him, but just for a short while

She'll scratch in the sand, won't let go his hand

He says he's a beautician and sells you nutrition

And keeps all your dead hair for making up underwear

Poor little Greenie

This song goes down in history as the very first song I heard by David Bowie, so as well as being bonkers it is also a very special one to me. 

7. Focus – Hocus Pocus

Focus are a Dutch progressive rock band who were very big in the 1970’s. They are apparently still going strong. But back in the 1970’s they had a couple of big hits in the UK, one of which is "Hocus Pocus" and shows the band at their most eccentric. The keyboard player is called Thijs van Leer and he is responsible for the bonkers vocal interventions between the musical interludes which include yodelling and whistling as well as one flute interlude. I love the song but I think it is bonkers. And "Hocus Pocus by Focus" has a nice ring to it. 

8. Devin Townsend – Bad Devil 

I am a huge fan of Devin Townsend and he writes some great songs – and some weird ones too. One of my favourite of his weird songs is “Bad Devil”. As well as being truly bonkers, it is a really fun song that moves around various genres all in the space of about four minutes. 

Bad Devil 

Bad Double-Decker Devil

9. Rammstein – Te Quiero Puta!

Rammstein are a German industrial metal band who sing almost exclusively in the native language, apart from the odd song in English, French and, in this case, Spanish. Who knows why they decided to produce a mariarchi style song sung entirely in Spanish? It is not their typical style at all.

They are famous in Germany for having very dodgy lyrics in their own language and this song is no exception. If you understand Spanish (and I do understand a fair amount) you will know what this means (and perhaps should be wary of listening to the words). Still, it is totally bonkers.

10. Tenacious D – Master Exploder

Jack Black’s band is famous for crazy songs (take "Tribute" as an example). However, I think that “Master Exploder” is the craziest as you will see from the video below. 

Warning, it is funny, a bit gruesome, rude and contains swearing – and, of course, it is completely bonkers.