A few days ago as we were wrapping things up at the office after a grueling day, I asked my dear friend who happens to be the massage therapist, if she was all done and she said something about yes, she was set free.
Well, I don't think anyone really knows why our neurons work the way they do, and memory is a tricky thing, all tied up with olfactory neurons and coded chemicals and a little guy with a bunch of file cabinets inside my head trying to find just what I'm looking for - but just like the proverbial flashback, as soon as she said - it the chicken song popped into my head.
I can't say for sure the origin of the chicken song, but I think it was first published in a mad magazine complete with comic drawings of some wild lookin' hippie guy and a bunch of scraggly chickens and had a introduction that said "sung to the tune of_______________". My little guy is looking, but hasn't yet found the correct file cabinet drawer from which to pull the name of the tune.
I was born down south on a chicken farm in Nashville Tennessee
Weren't nobody there but a sky full of air, 17 billion chickens and me
and much to my delight and surprise, my friend joined in-
Well then one day I said Hey Hey Hey , think I'll drop a little LSD
well it blew my mind and I got real kind and I set those chickens free...
How incredible! She remembers the chicken song! I didn't dream it, I couldn't have imagined it, she knows the chicken song!
There were chickens in the kitchen, chickens in the barn, chickens in the califlower, chickens in the corn-( ok, I think there were more chickens here and there but our memories were not quite complete- so if you know the chicken song, fill in the blanks) there were chickens driving Cadillacs to Washington Deeee Ceeeee, when I set my chickens free!
By that time we were standing in the middle of the office, arm in arm, taking a bow with a flourish.
"My God, I can't believe anyone else remembers the chicken song" I say, astonished and joyful and lighter than I had been all day, because that little bit of singing restored my balance.
" Your sister taught me that song" she said.
And in that moment I knew it was all true, you know, what they say about "what goes around comes around", and "what you give, you get" and " it all comes back to you in the end" because years ago I had taught my younger brother and sisters the chicken song. We had laughed and pantomimed and practiced and giggled 'till we knew the whole thing, and here it was years later coming right back to me. All that laughter and joy was returned to me on a day when it was just what I needed.
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9 comments:
Wow- I haven't thought about that song in ages!
Now I will have it in my head all day trying to remember were it came from and the rest of the words.
Thanks alot.
Jane
I was going to school in Austin back in the early 70's and one of my friends gave me a little record that had "When I set my chicken free". I think it was from the guy who wrote the "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers". I don't remember very well (most of that time is in a fog now).
Onward through the Fog!
Yes, I do think you are correct, I remember the Fabulous Furry Freak brothers, and they may have had something to do with that Mad magazine and that chicken song.
Austin, The 70's, the good old days,
the armadillo, the lakes, Barton springs and Eeyore's birthday party!
hank god someone else remebers that song. I remeber someone telling me that the singer was David Carradine. Would love to fing the album or MP3 of it.
I thought I saw it in Zap comics. I think R. Crumb did an illustrated version of the Chicken Song in Zap. I distinctly remember Washington DC was written "Washing Tundy Sea".
http://www.themadmusicarchive.com/artist_details.aspx?ArtistID=2847
The record was from the Hub City Movers
It Was I believe by R. Crumb and also appeared in "Steal This Book" by Abby Hoffman
It was Gilbert Shelton, creator of The Freak Brothers, in FEDS 'N' HEADS comix in 1968. He let the HC Movers use it in their song and you'll pay $50+ for the 7", if you can find one. It was never on an LP (from a semi-retired vinyl salesman)
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