Published
on August 5, 2013
“That
song is too morbid!”
Even
though everyone who ever listened to “Monster Mash,” anytime,
anywhere, knew it was a funny song, even a silly song—not scary,
not depressing—the BBC would not allow British radio stations to
play it when it first became popular in 1962.The BBC's ruling was to protect “sensitive” listeners from being upset.
So, just what are these upsetting lyrics? Take a look:
I
was working in the lab late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster from his slab began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise
He did the mash; he did the monster mash!
The monster mash! It was a graveyard smash!
He did the mash—it caught on in a flash
He did the mash! He did the monster mash
From my laboratory in the castle east
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes
To get a jolt from my electrodes
They did the mash...etc.
The zombies were having fun
The party had just begun
The guests included Wolf Man
Dracula and his son
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster from his slab began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise
He did the mash; he did the monster mash!
The monster mash! It was a graveyard smash!
He did the mash—it caught on in a flash
He did the mash! He did the monster mash
From my laboratory in the castle east
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes
To get a jolt from my electrodes
They did the mash...etc.
The zombies were having fun
The party had just begun
The guests included Wolf Man
Dracula and his son
The
scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five"
They played the mash...etc.
Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring
Seems he was troubled by just one thing
He opened the lid and shook his fist
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"
It's now the mash, etc.
Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band
And my monster mash is the hit of the land
For you, the living, this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them only sent you
Then you can mash; then you can monster mash
The monster mash! And do my graveyard smash
Then you can mash--you'll catch on in a flash
Then you can mash! Then you can monster mash!
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five"
They played the mash...etc.
Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring
Seems he was troubled by just one thing
He opened the lid and shook his fist
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"
It's now the mash, etc.
Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band
And my monster mash is the hit of the land
For you, the living, this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them only sent you
Then you can mash; then you can monster mash
The monster mash! And do my graveyard smash
Then you can mash--you'll catch on in a flash
Then you can mash! Then you can monster mash!
 |
| Notice, the song is billed here as "Fun for the Young of All Ages." |
Cute,
right? So, so silly, even. Not upsetting or morbid at all.
This
BBC ban seem ridiculous now—especially in the modern U.S., which has tons
of horror movies, seriously scary haunted houses and mazes and masks
and costumes at Halloween time, and even Fright Nights and Halloween
Haunts and Fright Fests at amusement parks! Actually, just a decade
after the ban, in 1973, Bobby Pickett re-released his hit, and that time around the BBC didn't bother to ban it.
- Enjoy a video version of "Monster Mash."
Also on this date:
Plan ahead:
Here
are my Pinterest pages on August
holidays, historical
anniversaries in August,
and August
birthdays.
And
here are my Pinterest pages on September
holidays, historical
anniversaries in September, and September
birthdays.
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