3 Dark Novelty Songs You Won’t Want to Admit You Laughed At

When most people think of novelty songs, they think of funny tunes with light lyrics. Classics like “The Purple People Eater,” “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” “The Streak,” and pretty much anything from Weird Al Yankovic likely springs to mind. However, there are plenty of novelty songs with surprisingly dark lyrics. That doesn’t stop them from being hilarious, though.

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The novelty songs listed below are a little strange, a little dark, and more than a little funny. Don’t worry, though, you’re not the first to laugh at these lyrics and likely won’t be the last.

[RELATED: 4 Classic Country Novelty Songs You Need To Hear]

“Dead Skunk” by Loudon Wainwright III

Before we dive headfirst into the dark waters of the novelty song pool, we’ll start with something light. Loudon Wainwright III had a top 20 hit with “Dead Skunk,” when it peaked at No. 16 on the Hot 100 in 1973. As the title implies, the song is about a dead skunk in the middle of the road. If it were recorded in any other style, this song likely wouldn’t have much punch. However, the John Denver-esque folk arrangement highlights the humor in foul-smelling technicolor street pizza.

“The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun” by Julie Brown

This song would be equally at home on a list about songs that wouldn’t fly today as it is on a list about dark novelty songs. Fortunately, Julie Brown originally released this gem in 1983. “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun” is a parody of the doo-wop teen tragedy songs that were popular in the 1950s and ’60s. The deadpan reaction to the homecoming queen’s rampage makes this one funnier than it should be.

“Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” by Tom Lehrer

Anyone who looks at today’s music and believes that the tunes of yesteryear were more wholesome has obviously never heard of Tom Lehrer. A mathematician, songwriter, and satirist, this list could have been made up solely of his dark but hilarious novelty songs. “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” from his second and final album, More of Tom Lehrer (1959), may be the funniest of all. It sounds like a song about spending a beautiful spring afternoon with that special someone. Then, it takes a bit of a turn.

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