Snapshots #408: CRAZY Songs!

Here are fifteen songs featuring madness... in one form or another.

You don't have to be mad to enjoy Snapshots, but it helps...

15. Your Country Needs You.

Not the same Lord Kitchener who was on the recruitment posters. I'd like to have seen him turn his hand to a bit of calypso.

Lord Kitchener - Batty Mamselle

14. And so, we had a cuppa tea...

Lyrics, of course, courtesy of Bernard Cribbins...

Right Said Fred - Deeply Dippy

13. Take a crowbar to the stool.

Jimmy the buffet!

Jimmy Buffett - Fruitcakes

12. Legendary, according to Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.

Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins starred together in a film called Legends of the Fall. Sadly Brad did not play Mark E. Smith. And neither did Sir Anthony.

The Fall - Barmy

11. Not a fan of clubbing.

Seal - Crazy

10. Comes before Ann and somewhere in between Jim, Andre, Lloyd and Barry.

Barbara comes before Ann. Jim, Andre, Lloyd and Barry.

Barbara Mandrell - Crackers

9. That's not how I'd spell a saffron producer.

Saffron is found in croci. Or crocuses, if you prefer. 

Krokus - Out To Lunch

8. Give a feline a home!

And it will no longer be a Stray Cat...

Brian Setzer - Off Your Rocker

7. Offensive to Native Americans.

The Redskins - Bring It Down (This Insane Thing)

6. Recently deceased moving bard.

I missed the news that the Poetry In Motion man died earlier this year. Here's another one by him...

Johnny Tillotson - Out Of My Mind

5. A bloke in a German forest finds a child's house.

Wald means "forest" in German. A child's house might be a Wendy house.

Wendy Waldman - Mad Mad Me

4. Lonely, Mountain, Mop, Ten.

It's lonely on top. Mountain top. Mop top. Top Ten!

The Four Tops - Going Loco Down In Acapulco

3. Infant escapades. 

The Adventure Babies - Barking Mad

2. Tommy Roe's Scallywag.

Tommy Roe sang Dizzy. A scallywag is a rascal.

Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers

1. Mixing his food, Andrew ate a clever, clever Eric.

"Andrew ate a clever, clever Eric" was a lengthy anagram...

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend

You'd be BONKERS not to come back for more Snapshots next Saturday...

Celebrity Jukebox #15: Bernard Cribbins

"National Treasure" Bernard Cribbins left us earlier this week, aged 93. He deserves a place in the Celebrity Jukebox Hall of Fame.

From Jackanory to The Wombles, Bernard Cribbins was the voice of my childhood. Over the years, I've watched him save the world alongside Doctor Who, stand up to Basil Fawlty, and work with everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Mark 'n' Lard. And let's not forget his contributions to the world of popular music, most notably this...

...which was obviously a favourite of Mick Jones & co.

Big Audio Dynamite - Mick's a Hippie Burning

And, of course, this... which gave its name to a popular beat combo who were far too sexy for their shirts.

You'll also find the influence of Right Said Fred popping up in the most unexpected places. Like here...

I've been trying to get people to call me Freddy Knuckles

People keep calling me Right Said Fred

The Hold Steady - Knuckles

And here...

He is in my head his chair's on bread

He is Right Said Fred and Brice Beckham at the same time

Kimya Dawson - Great Crap

Now, admittedly, both those tracks are probably referencing the Deeply Dippy guys... but without Bernard, they wouldn't have been there to reference, would they?

But what of an actually lyrical mention? I had to dig that hole in the ground pretty deep, but I did eventually find one... and it's really quite lovely. A fitting tribute for a truly special celebrity.

Just a normal day

I hadn't made any plans

I was enjoying a walk in the sunshine when I saw a lovely old man

Who just happened to be Bernard Cribbins

And he beamed at me so wide

Then he gave me an ice cream that was sweeter than his smile

And it also contained the unspoken knowledge of the ancient ones