Let’s start out with remembering that many of were not (and some still not) are politically correct.

Back when I was graduating from HANC (my K-9 yeshiva; now it even has a high school)), one of the funniest tunes I heard on the radio that year (and then bought the 45 to play incessantly in the house) was a one-off by …

Oh, wait, he didn’t really give us his name.  He claimed he was Napoleon the XIV (the 14^th if you never learned Roman Numerals.)

The song- not politically correct- was sure to bring a smile- or a guffaw to the listener’s face as the lyrics were spewed.  Here’s the chorus…

They’re coming to take me away, ha ha;
They’re coming to take me away,
Ho ho, hee hee ha ha,
To the funny farm,
Where life is beautiful all the time
And, I’ll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats,
And, they’re coming to take me away.

 It was absolutely clear to many of us that the world was clearly insane.  Which made this a perfect tune for the times.  Between the double speak about the VietNam war, the triple speak about civil rights now being observed across America (NOT),  etc.

This crazy little tune managed to sell some ½ million copies in 5 days!  Giving great competition to the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine and the Beach Boys’ God only Knows.  (It actually hit #3 on the Billboard 100.)

At the time, I had never lived in the Detroit area (which is when I learned all about superstation CKLW)– but it refused to play it, saying it mocked those who were mentally ill.  (Here’s that politically correct thing again.)

Now that he’s dead, I found out that Napoleon XIV was really Jerry Samuels from the Bronx. (And, he actually sold two other songs- To Every girl and To every Boy sung by Johnny Ray [1954] and The Shelter of Your Arms sung by Sammy Davis Jr. [1964].)

IF you don’t care about being politically correct , enjoy the tune!  (I still do! And, I do worry that they are coming to take me away!!!)

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