Huh, I know (and like) this song, but had never registered the song title (a friend of mine made a TMBG tape for me, so I didn't always have the titles in front of me). It is a charming song.
(She says, of the song, "Thanksgiving with relatives; dinner ready and our three-month old was hungry too! But, alas, I was not welcome to nurse him at the table, so he had his meal of thanks in the bedroom and I had mine reheated later. The next day, talk with friends about how we humans seem to have distanced ourselves from the fact of our 'animalness'. That night in the car I started singing what became the first verse, and by the end of the four-hour drive home, John and I had completed the song.")
Thanks for sharing that Nick! Very closely related to this song. I think she makes an excellent point that I agree with as well. Wether or not John Linnell intended for “Mammal” to have that kind of meaning, I think as soon as he put those mammal facts down as a poetic stanza to melody and harmony, it just connects and resonates on that deep level. I really enjoy it. It’s a special treat of a song.
Yes, there's something deep about the way he sings, "the warm blood flows to the large four-chambered heart."
You might also like this comedy routine from 1986 (a small group called "The Atomic Comics" -- Fran Peavy and Charlie Varon) -- "Evolution Revival Meetin"
The story, as I remember it, is that Charlie had gone through a period of depression and at some point he ended up listening to a late night radio preacher, and that ended up forming the basis for that sketch.
"People tell me things never change. I tell them straight out they couldn't go fishing half a billion years ago. There was no fish. 200 million years ago you couldn't get a glass of milk. Because there was no mammals. So don't tell me there's no change when in 1986 you can sit down in a fancy restaurant and order filet of sole with cream sauce. You don't believe me just look it up; read the fossil record . . . "
My kids were the right age for the Bed, Bed, Bed CD to be their lights-out sleepy time soundtrack for several months, but it never occurred to me to sing to them myself. That's a sweet story you tell, perhaps my favorite of yours.
Bed Bed Bed is a great one! I have memories of my mom singing bedtime songs to me. Mostly, I remember hearing Coconut by Harry Nilsson and The Rainbow Song from the Muppet Movie. That stuck with me and I wanted to sing to my kids so I just slowed down songs I loved. I’m glad you liked that story!
Huh, I know (and like) this song, but had never registered the song title (a friend of mine made a TMBG tape for me, so I didn't always have the titles in front of me). It is a charming song.
Just because of the coincidence of name, I will also link to the Cindy Kallet song, "I'm A Mammal" --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1FolXZ3DBM
(She says, of the song, "Thanksgiving with relatives; dinner ready and our three-month old was hungry too! But, alas, I was not welcome to nurse him at the table, so he had his meal of thanks in the bedroom and I had mine reheated later. The next day, talk with friends about how we humans seem to have distanced ourselves from the fact of our 'animalness'. That night in the car I started singing what became the first verse, and by the end of the four-hour drive home, John and I had completed the song.")
Thanks for sharing that Nick! Very closely related to this song. I think she makes an excellent point that I agree with as well. Wether or not John Linnell intended for “Mammal” to have that kind of meaning, I think as soon as he put those mammal facts down as a poetic stanza to melody and harmony, it just connects and resonates on that deep level. I really enjoy it. It’s a special treat of a song.
Yes, there's something deep about the way he sings, "the warm blood flows to the large four-chambered heart."
You might also like this comedy routine from 1986 (a small group called "The Atomic Comics" -- Fran Peavy and Charlie Varon) -- "Evolution Revival Meetin"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsMV7qntv08
The story, as I remember it, is that Charlie had gone through a period of depression and at some point he ended up listening to a late night radio preacher, and that ended up forming the basis for that sketch.
"People tell me things never change. I tell them straight out they couldn't go fishing half a billion years ago. There was no fish. 200 million years ago you couldn't get a glass of milk. Because there was no mammals. So don't tell me there's no change when in 1986 you can sit down in a fancy restaurant and order filet of sole with cream sauce. You don't believe me just look it up; read the fossil record . . . "
My kids were the right age for the Bed, Bed, Bed CD to be their lights-out sleepy time soundtrack for several months, but it never occurred to me to sing to them myself. That's a sweet story you tell, perhaps my favorite of yours.
Bed Bed Bed is a great one! I have memories of my mom singing bedtime songs to me. Mostly, I remember hearing Coconut by Harry Nilsson and The Rainbow Song from the Muppet Movie. That stuck with me and I wanted to sing to my kids so I just slowed down songs I loved. I’m glad you liked that story!