Coconut (song) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Coconut" |
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| Single by Nilsson | ||||
| from the album Nilsson Schmilsson | ||||
| B-side | "The Moonbeam Song" | |||
| Released | June 1972 | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Genre | Novelty, calypso | |||
| Length | 3:52 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Harry Nilsson | |||
| Producer(s) | Richard Perry | |||
| Nilsson singles chronology | ||||
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Coconut is a really fun and unique song by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. It's called a novelty song because it's often funny or quirky. This song came out in 1972 and was a big hit from his album, Nilsson Schmilsson.
The song was very popular in the United States, staying on the Billboard charts for 14 weeks and reaching number 8. It was also a top song of 1972. In Canada, it did even better, reaching number 5. It also charted in the UK, reaching number 42.
Contents
What the Song is About
The lyrics of "Coconut" tell a funny story. Harry Nilsson sings in three different voices for three characters: a person telling the story, a woman, and a doctor.
The story goes like this: a woman drinks a mix of lime juice and coconut water. She feels sick after drinking it and calls her doctor. The doctor, who sounds a bit grumpy about being woken up, tells her to drink the same mix again and call him in the morning! It's a silly and memorable conversation.
The Music of "Coconut"
What's cool about the music in "Coconut" is that it's very simple but effective. The whole song uses only one chord! It's a C7th chord, which is played in a special way called an arpeggio. This means the notes of the chord are played one after another, instead of all at once. This simple, repeating music helps make the song so catchy.
Who Played on the Song?
Many talented musicians helped Harry Nilsson create "Coconut" in 1971.
- Harry Nilsson sang all the different voices.
- Caleb Quaye played the guitar.
- Ian Duck played the acoustic guitar.
- Herbie Flowers played the bass.
- Jim Gordon played the drums and other percussion.
- Roger Pope also played the drums.
Dannii Minogue's Version
| "Coconut" | ||||
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| Single by Dannii Minogue | ||||
| from the album Girl | ||||
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| Released | 16 November 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1994–1995 | |||
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| Length | 4:50 | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Harry Nilsson | |||
| Producer(s) | Flexifinger (Original vocal production: DNA) |
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| Dannii Minogue singles chronology | ||||
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In 1998, Australian singer Dannii Minogue released her own version of "Coconut." She first recorded it in 1994. Her version was a bonus track on her album Girl. It was later released as a single in Australia and reached number 62 on the ARIA singles chart.
Other Famous Versions
"Coconut" is such a popular and fun song that many other artists and shows have used it or covered it!
- The famous comedian Flip Wilson, as his character Geraldine Jones, sang the song with Harry Belafonte on his TV show.
- Kermit the Frog and other Muppet characters sang it on The Muppet Show. In their sketch, Kermit was in a hospital bed, and the hospital room turned into a jungle!
- The song was used in commercials for Coca-Cola with Lime. People in the ads would playfully sing the line as "you put the lime in the Coke, you nut!"
- In the 2003 movie Daddy Day Care, actor Jeff Garlin sings the song with a group of children.
- In an episode of The Good Place, a character named Chidi sings a funny version of the song about chili.
- In the TV show Bones, characters sing the song to remember a lab assistant.
See also
In Spanish: Coconut (canción) para niños
