Going to the Zoo

One of our favorite activities lately is taking our grand-daughter to the zoo.  Watching her expressing joy and wonder looking at all the different kinds of animals makes us feel like kids again ourselves. Going to the zoo is both educational and entertaining.  Plus walking for miles around the zoo in San Antonio heat is good exercise as well.  So, it's good on so many levels.  My beautiful grand-daughter just thinks it's FUN!!!

Strolling around the zoo got me thinking about how many songs I know with animal names in their title.  I thought of as many as I could, off the top of my head, and then went home and checked my library of mp3's for animal songs.  Here are just a few of them:

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens, or by Robert Johns
"Crocodile Rock" by Elton John
"Bears" by Steve Fromholz, or by Lyle Lovett
"Penguins" by Lyle Lovett
"See the Elephant" by James McMurtry
"Chickens" by Hayes Carll
"Porcupine Pie" by Neil Diamond
"Horse with No Name" by America
"Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) by Big & Rich
"Beer for my Horses" by Toby Keith
"Boris the Spider" by the Who
"I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" by Buck Owens
"Dead Skunk" by Loudon Wainwright III
"Little Pig" by Two Tons of Steel
"Chipmunks are Go!" by Madness
"Barracuda" by Heart
"Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne" by Jim Stafford
"Mississippi Squirrel Revival" by Ray Stevens
"Will the Wolf Survive?" by Los Lobos
"Pigs on the Wing, Pt. II" by Pink Floyd
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor (featured every Friday night at High School Football games across America)
"Rocky Raccoon" by the Beatles
"And Your Bird Can Sing" by the Beatles
"Blackbird" by the Beatles
"Bluebird" by Paul McCartney & Wings
"Ali Baba's Camel" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band www.youtube.com/watch?v=HotmPv2tjFo
"Baby Snakes" by Frank Zappa
"Bad Fish" by Sublime
"Banana Slugs! Racing Down the Field" by the Austin Lounge Lizards
"Black Cow" by Steely Dan
"Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin
"Big Electric Cat" by Adrian Belew www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFvS1RcK7o8
"Cats in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin
"Ant Man Bee" by Captain Beefheart www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_nDCG1PchY

One branch of the animal family tree seems to dominate in song titles.  THE MONKEY

Multiple artists have released songs called simply "Monkey" (George Michael, Counting Crows, Boss Hog, and others).  Here a just a few of MONKEY songs:

"Monkey Man" by the Rolling Stones
"Monkey Gone to Heaven" by the Pixies, here they are on Letterman www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRRrTl2J2w8
"Monkey in your Soul" by Steely Dan
"Monkey and the Baboon" (a cool rockabilly tune) by Eddie Bond
"Monkey Song" by the Mountain Goats
"Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse" by Warren Zevon
"Hockey Monkey" by the Zambonis www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1dPIfra9DY
"Porcelain Monkey" by Warren Zevon
"Proudest Monkey" by Dave Matthews Band
"Brass Monkey" by the Beastie Boys, or by Richard Cheese
"Code Monkey" by Jonathon Coulton
"Guarded by Monkeys" by Cracker
"Shock the Monkey" by Peter Gabriel, or by Coal Chamber

Here's a video of a monkey washing a cat  www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkviIYKjPyw
and the now famous Piano-playing cat www.youtube.com/watch?v=J---aiyznGQ

Simon and Garfunkel said it's all happening "At the Zoo" www.youtube.com/watch?v=65YUe2PJTAQ
I do believe it's true.