Home » Music » 60s Music » 1960s Music: Answer Songs, Parodies, and Death Tunes - Page 3

1960s Music: Answer Songs, Parodies, and Death Tunes - Page 3

© Patricia Jacobs

The Drifters' no. 1 smash " Save The Last Dance For Me" elicted the response of "I'll Save The Last Dance For You" by Damita Jo. (1960)

Mary Wells had the mega-hit " You Beat Me To The Punch". Gene Chandler answered with " You Threw A Lucky Punch". (1962)

Major Lance's "Mama Didn't Know" was the response to Jan Bradley's " Mama Didn't Lie". (1963).  Curtis Mayfield wrote and produced both songs.

The ultimate, and best, answer song? "My Girl" by The Temptations (1965) which was a response to "My Guy" by Mary Wells (1964). Smokey Robinson wrote and produced both songs.

• Both versions of "Leader Of" could also qualify as death tunes. (motorcycle accidents)
• "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning concerned a train accident.
• "Ebony Eyes" by The Everly Brothers featured a plane crash.
• "Tell Laura I Love Her" by   Ray Peterson- racing accident
• "Patches" by Dickey Lee- a suicide, with another impending.
  
• "I Want My Baby Back" by Jimmy Cross-a car crash.

The following may not be considered death tunes per se, but since they do prominently feature this topic, these deserve honorable mention:

• "El Paso" - Marty Robbins- (a fatal bullet wound)
• "Moody River"- Pat Boone- (either a drowning accident or a drowning suicide?)
  
• "Big Bad John"- Jimmy Dean- (mining accident)
• "Dead Man"s Curve"- Jan and Dean- (racing accident?)
• "Last Kiss"- J.Frank Wilson and The Cavaliers- (car crash )
  
• " Ringo"- Lorne Greene- (western gunfight)
• " The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"- Gene Pitney- (western gunfight or shooting) "
  
• I Can Never Go Home Anymore"- The Shangri-Las- (the mother dies)
• "Ode To Billy Joe"- Bobbie Gentry- (a baby's death? and "there was a virus goin' round, Papa caught it and he died last spring -ing -ing")
  
• "The Ballad Of Bonnie and Clyde"- Georgie Fame- ( a shooting death and an ambush)
• "In The Ghetto"- Elvis Presley- (a shooting death)
  
• "The Ballad Of Irving"- Frank Gallup- ( accidental shooting of the main character by himself! This is actually a comedy recording; if you've ever heard this, you'll know what happened. Newbies, check this out; from 1966!) 
  

The copyright of the article 1960s Music: Answer Songs, Parodies, and Death Tunes - Page 3 in 60s Music is owned by . Permission to republish 1960s Music: Answer Songs, Parodies, and Death Tunes - Page 3 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.