4 Classic Country Novelty Songs You Need To Hear

Country music is full of serious songs about life, love, loss, and several other topics. However, the genre has a lighter side as well. Some of country music’s biggest artists have recorded a novelty song or two. These songs are humorous, sarcastic, or tell funny stories in which the narrator ends up getting the short end of the stick.

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Novelty songs aren’t as popular among country music artists or fans as they once were. As a result, we don’t hear them as often anymore. So, let’s dig into the genre’s past and listen to some humorous tunes from a handful of country stars.

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1. “Dropkick Me, Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)” by Bobby Bare

There are plenty of country songs about religion and faith, but this might be the only novelty song about Jesus. Recorded by Bobby Bare for his 1976 album, The Winner and Other Losers, this envisions Jesus as a football player who can set the narrator on the right path with a holy kick. While some didn’t think the song was funny upon its release, it still became a hit for Bare, peaking at No. 17.

2. “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)” by Jerry Reed

There are plenty of heartbroken country songs about divorce, but this novelty tune isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s a humorous take on the end of a marriage. The song’s narrator loses everything in the divorce–his home, both of his cars and his kids. The judge also orders him to pay child support, alimony, and court costs.

The song brought country legend Jerry Reed a No. 1 hit in 1982. It topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for two weeks.

3. “It’s Hard to Be Humble” by Mac Davis

Mac Davis wrote “It’s Hard to Be Humble” and recorded it for his 1980 album Hard to Be Humble. The novelty tune became an international hit, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also landed in the top 10 in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

“It’s Hard to Be Humble” sees the near-perfect narrator lamenting the fact that he’s just too great to have a girlfriend or friends.

4. “You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd” by Roger Miller

No list of country novelty songs would be complete without an entry from Roger Miller. He wrote and recorded several humorous songs over the course of his career. However, “You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd” might be the best of them. The song’s lyrics deliver laughs and a bit of inspiration: You can’t rollerskate in a buffalo herd / But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.

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