A broken neck at 87 sounds like the end of the story, until it isn’t. That’s where we start tonight, reacting to the news about Ray Stevens and rolling straight into the kind of radio fueled comedy music that made him a legend. I’m fresh off my show, still in that Dr. Demento headspace, and I wanted to keep the dial turned toward the weird, the catchy, and the strangely comforting songs you never forget.

We revisit Ray’s novelty song classics like “Guitarzan” and “The Streak,” plus the culture behind them, yodels in pop, streaking as a real 70s phenomenon, and what “could you play that on the radio anymore” even means. From there I follow the memory trail to Roger Miller, where the humor isn’t just a gag, it’s baked into the writing and the rhythm of “Chug-A-Lug” and “Dang Me,” the kind of songs that feel like childhood car rides and old jukeboxes.

Then we get into one of my favorite clever formats in comedy records: Dickie Goodman’s break in interviews, where questions get answered by hit song clips from the same year. “Mr. President” and “Mr. Jaws” are basically a prototype for remix culture decades early. We round out the ride with Martin Mull’s “Men,” a grab bag of Dr. Demento era oddities like “Fish Heads,” plus Fred Schneider’s “Who Threw That Ham At Me” and Freddie Blassie’s “Pencil Neck Geek,” before tipping the hat to Weird Al as the parody hall of fame benchmark.

If you love novelty songs, parody music, Dr. Demento history, and deep cut comedy tracks, hit play, then subscribe, share with a fellow weirdo, and leave a review. What’s the funniest song you still know every word to?