It's Tuesday and Here Come The Notes!!!
Welcome to Tuesday! It's Novelty Song day here in Notesland! You know, those songs that are not all that deep, musically or lyrically, but get stuck in the consciousness of our world because they are so odd, or just downright funny?
Musical acts like Roger Miller, Ray Stevens, and Jim Stafford, have taken their talent and musical stature and occasionally written humorous and fun satirical lyrics that they set to equally odd and fun to listen to music. In fact, some of these particular artist's biggest hits were novelty songs. Roger Miller's "Dang Me" (#7 Billboard's Hot 100), Ray Stevens, "The Streak" (#3, Hot 100), and Jim Stafford's "Spiders & Snakes" (#3) are all emblematic of great songwriters who every once in a while, stretched the boundaries of popular music and made fun songs that will last forever. We confess a love for these kinds of songs...
You know that we also love countdowns, here at Tuesday's Musical Notes, so here goes: 100 Greatest Novelty Songs - digitaldreamdoor.com - Most recent update April 11, 2008 - edited by Lew
Novelty acts have a special place in my memory. As a college student, so ever diligent to expand my education and musical tastes, I would listen to American Top 40 with Casey Kasem on Sunday evenings from 7-10 pm. There was usually a Domino's Pizza and 2 liter Coke involved with a variety of friends while we patiently awaited this week's #1. (shout out to Ernie, Ned, Matt, Billy, and Chase, and posthumously David) At 10 pm, Casey was "reaching for the stars..." and the pizza was gone, but the night wasn't over. A most delightful personality, Dr. Demento came on. For the next 2 hours, this DJ of dementia would spin novelty songs from all decades. In fact, the Dr. Demento Show is where some of Weird Al Yankovic's songs were played for the very first time.
The Dr. Demento Show featured musical and comedy acts like Spike Jonze and Weird Al Yankovic who have been pioneers of parody and novelty songs. These artists have inspired generations of comedians to stretch their acts past the proverbial joke and add music to their repertoire...
But for today we explore the world of a lesser-known, yet equally impactful novelty song artist from the 60s...ladies and gentlemen, Pigmeat Markham!
Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham was best known as an entertainer. It is suggested that he played the Apollo Theater in Harlem more than any other act. He also had multiple appearances on the Ed Sullivan show. His act eventually drew the attention of Chess Records where he would record several hit comedy recordings. While his "bread and butter" came from this comedy act, he also achieved minor prominence as a singer, dancer, and actor. In the 60s and early 70s, he recorded 19 albums. From 1945 to 1969, he released 7 singles. Of those 7 singles, today's featured song was the only one to make the Hot 100, peaking at #19.
"Here Come the Judge" was probably buoyed by the fact that it also became a catchphrase for the skit comedy, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. It was first introduced on the show in a skit featuring entertainment legend, Sammy Davis Jr. (the right Honorable Samuel Davis Jr.), (Judge Sammy Davis Jr. - Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In). The skit became so popular that it led to Markham being invited to perform the Judge character himself on the show for the 1968-69 season. ("Judge Won't Allow Divorce" featuring "Pigmeat" Markham - Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In)
Hmm...when you listen to the recording of the song, something seems even more familiar than the catchphrase "Here Come the Judge". There is a good reason for this familiarity. The song is widely considered to be an ancestor to Hip Hop with its drum lick and beat and was heavily sampled for the #32, 1991 song "Rush" by Big Audio Dynamite II. ("Rush" by Big Audio Dynamite II from the June 1991 album The Globe).
The song provides a humorous context for the lack of integrity and corruption seen in those who are tasked with determining the outcomes between differing parties. This is not a new perspective on those who would be just short of ruling the populace. In fact, there are some great stories that would lead us to believe that this mistrust could be founded by the mistakes of some judges we read about in the Bible.
Judges 1-21 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel
Most children are told the Bible story of the judge of Israel named Samson. Gideon's story has also been the background for many a bedtime Bible story. Interestingly enough there were 12 total judges in this book that details their leadership during troubled times for Israel. Remember, in the Bible 12 signifies the perfection of government or rule. (Investigate the number 12 in the Bible, you might find some other interesting groups of folks.) Each of these judges would have unique stories of their own. Some of their stories received detailed elaboration, while others were seemingly left in obscurity outside of Jewish tradition.
The Judges of Israel ruled during a time of tumult and desperation. Joshua had died and the nation had not completed its mission of taking over the Promised Land. Enemies began attacking and the people, who were "each one doing what was right in their own eyes", finally recognized they needed help from God. God raised up these rulers for a specific time and generation over the course of 336 years. (For perspective, The United States of America has been in existence as a nation for only 245 years)
So who were these folks? They were ordinary people, whom God ordained with extraordinary tasks in a very dark time in Israel's history. They weren't the Avengers of their day. They were just folks who needed to know God, trust God, follow God and wait for God to show Himself to them in unimaginable ways. It is important to note that the "Spirit of the Lord" comes upon these judges as God empowers them to do their jobs. (More about this in a bit) Some did a great job, others did the job then messed up, and others did their job, messed up, and were redeemed. Here's a great article that touches on each of the Judges: "Who Were the Judges of Israel?" - by Ryan Nelson - Mar 2, 2020 - overviewbible.com
"...and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Othniel)...", "...so the Spirit of the Lord covered Gideon...", "...now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah...", "...and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him (Samson)...", "...and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him (Samson)...",(x3) (add those references up and it makes 7 times in the book of Judges (NASB) that Holy Spirit is mentioned aiding these folks. Yup, there's that numerology thing again!) These people encountered Holy Spirit just like the artisans who fashioned the articles for the tabernacle. They were imbued with God in the form of Holy Spirit to do all things as God commanded them to do. They were only able to defeat their given enemies by this power. The moment they began to rely on their own strength, wisdom, and power is the moment things went awry, or as we call it in these parts..."haywire"
The judges were given Holy Spirit's incredible power 1200-1300 years before Jesus promised to send Holy Spirit to believers. The Gospel of Jesus according to John, a fisherman turned disciple, Chapter 14, verses 16-17, NASB/AMP/KJV Believers, on this side of Pentecost, have the same power that the rulers of judges did. We also have been saved to do specific things. The apostle Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, chapter 2, verses 8-10 NASB/AMP/KJV
We face an enemy of some sort every day, but if we will know God through Holy Spirit dwelling in us, trust God by believing Holy Spirit as He dwells within us, follow God through Holy Spirit's power as He leads us, and wait for God as Holy Spirit provides patience, we will defeat those enemies every day, and every time.
We can only have this power as we believe that Jesus died to repair our (individual) relationship with God. We also believe that Jesus is alive today in the presence of God preparing a place for us and acting as a mediator on our behalf to God. And we tell everyone we can about how God is the ruler of our life because of His love, how Jesus is the sacrifice for our life through His love, and how Holy Spirit's indwelling leads us through this life by the power of His love. We then demonstrate all of this by how we love God and love others. In doing this, we will have the extraordinary power to face the ordinary challenges of this life by declaring..."Here Come the Judge, here come the Judge, everybody knows that here come the Judge..."
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving You,
randy
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