JAIMIE VERNON – WHERE HAVE ALL THE NOVELTY SONGS GONE?

This week Frank & Moon Unit Zappa’s novelty hit “Valley Girl” turned 30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb21lsCQ3EM. For those too young to remember, that’s the 1982 song…not the 1983 movie starring Nicolas “I’m A Coppola So Fuck YOU!” Cage.  It’s what we old geezers like to refer to as a novelty song. Novelty songs were, and should still be, tunes reflecting social trends and fads – in the guise of humourous observational commentary, parody or satire.