I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts facts for kids
"I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" is a fun and catchy novelty song from 1944. It was written by a team of songwriters using the name Fred Heatherton. These writers included Harold Elton Box, Desmond Cox, and Irwin Dash. The song became very popular and is still known today for its cheerful tune.
The song is all about the coconut shy game you might find at a funfair or carnival. In this game, you try to knock coconuts off stands by throwing a ball. The famous chorus, "Roll-a-bowl-a-ball-a-penny-a-pitch!", comes from the calls of the person running the game. They would invite people to play, often standing under bright gaslights.
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How the Song Became Popular
Early Success in the 1950s
The song became a big hit in 1950. Freddy Martin And His Orchestra, with singer Merv Griffin, had a top-ten hit in the United States. They sold over three million copies of the song. The next year, in 1951, Danny Kaye also had a hit with his version.
Famous Appearances in Shows and Movies
"I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" was a regular song on the Billy Cotton Band Show. This was a popular radio and TV show in Britain. You can still hear the song played at Cambridge United football matches. They play it after the home team wins!
The song has also appeared in many movies and TV shows.
- In 1963, it was in I Could Go On Singing, which was Judy Garland's last movie.
- A part of the song was sung by the character Zazu in Disney's 1994 movie The Lion King. Rowan Atkinson was the voice of Zazu.
- Nicolas Cage sang a piece of it in National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
- Ringo Starr of The Beatles sang a bit of it in their 1967 TV special, Magical Mystery Tour.
- Actors Hayden Rorke and Bill Daily played a few lines on a ukulele in a 1969 episode of I Dream of Jeannie.
- In the 1977 sitcom Mind Your Language, the song is mentioned in the first episode.
- The 2011 animated movie Gnomeo & Juliet also includes a part of the song.
Different Versions Around the World
The song has been adapted in other countries too.
- In 1950, Swedish performer Povel Ramel wrote a Swedish version. It was called "Far jag kan inte få upp min kokosnöt" ("Dad I can't crack my coconut open"). This version tells a funny, dramatic story. A little boy tries to open a tough coconut. He ends up breaking furniture and even blowing up his house! This version is featured in the 1985 film My Life as a Dog. It is also in the Swedish language version of The Lion King.
- In Finland, there are similar versions by Kipparikvartetti and M. A. Numminen. Their song, Kuinka saisin rikki kookospähkinän, also has a funny and sad story.
- In 1980, The Muppet Show created their own version of the song. It appeared in the fifth season of the show.
Song Parodies
The song has even been parodied, which means making a funny copy of it.
- The animated TV show The Critic parodied the song. They called it "I've Got A Liver The Size of Coconuts." It was sung by a character meant to sound like Dudley Moore from the movie Arthur (1981 film).
