3 Now-Famous Songs That Were Initially Written as Jokes

Songwriters know. Sometimes you can be sitting around the studio or a living room, and you have an urge to write something. But there is no inspiration. Nothing is grabbing you. So, for the sake of creativity, you start messing around with a joke.

And that’s just what we wanted to explore below. We wanted to go back in time and examine three hit songs that first started as goofy gags. Indeed, these are three famous songs that were first written as jokes.

“My Ding-A-Ling” by Chuck Berry from ‘The London Chuck Berry Sessions’ (1972)

At first glance, this song seems like it was written by a five-or-six-year-old boy. It’s the kind of stuff a group of them might sing at recess and all giggle about. But then if you look at the song credits for this track, you’ll realize perhaps the greatest rock songwriter of all time recorded a rendition of the tune. Huh?! Indeed, the novelty song was originally written by Dave Bartholomew in 1952 as a joke. But then some 20 years later, Chuck Berry recorded it and it for himself, and the track actually hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” by The Beatles from ‘The Beatles’ (1968)

Today, music fans put The Beatles on a pedestal. Most believe they were so great they even transcended music. But then there’s this song. Written by Paul McCartney, the track was literally inspired by two monkeys having sex in the middle of a road in Rishikesh, India. There is no metaphor behind the song (not originally, anyway). It doesn’t have some highfalutin meaning. Nope. Two monkeys.

“Bicycle Race” by Queen from ‘Jazz’ (1978)

As the title suggests, this song was inspired by a literal bicycle race—the Tour de France. But it’s another song that sounds as if a kindergartner may have written it. In the tune, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury really seems to want to ride his bicycle. In fact, he sings about it over and over again. But while the song may sound a bit silly and childish, the song’s music video was banned in many places because it featured nude women riding bikes. That was the 1970s!

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