Bug Mix CD

Down here on the farm we've been waiting for this descent of herds of cicadas that just don't seem to be coming. Most non-storming nights of the last three weeks, there's been a deafening roar from the woods, but hardly any have actually shown up anywhere to be seen. We've had only maybe a few dozen in the yard and on the lane.

Anticipation of this apparent non-event, however, has caused me to dig up every kind of insect related song. Naturally, I've mixed them down to a kick-ass bug-themed CD mix. This works out about 77:30:

*Hurry Down Doomsday - Elvis Costello
"Any day now a giant insect mutation
Will swoop down and devour the white man's burden"

*Doodle Bug - Doc Watson
The Doc Watson Family album is a totally necessary classic.

*The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati - Rose and the Arrangement

*Spiderman - Original TV theme
Now we move into the spider section- including three unique arrangements of the basic theme song.

*Spiders & Snakes - Jim Stafford

*Spiderman Theme - Moxy Fruvous
This bunch of Canucks are highly underappreciated, and do some really cool things particularly with vocal harmony singing. Not applicable to this mix, but hunt down also their outstanding version of the Roadrunner theme.

*The Itsy Bitsy Spider - Little Richard
This comes from a pretty good children's AIDS benefit album a few years back that also includes outstanding contributions from Springsteen and Dylan.

*Boris the Spider - The Who
John Entwistle's best ever song.

*Spiderman Theme - The Ramones

*Dune Buggy - Presidents of the United States of America
Coupla fat spiders driving around in a cool dune buggy finish out the spider section.

*Bugs - Pearl Jam
I generally give a rat's ass about Pearl Jam, but this is pretty distinctive and amusing.

*High Hopes - Frank Sinatra
Who the hell did that little ant think he was, anyway?

*Insect Equal Rights Press Conference - Jason Younger
A little comedy bit about a Chigro-American demanding his rights. I first ran into this on the late lamented mp3.com, but Mr Younger has re-surfaced.

*Love Is Like a Butterfly - Dolly Parton
A few nice butterfly songs make it pretty.

*All My Little Words - Magnetic Fields
Exactly the things that make his lover so appealing mean that he won't be able to keep her. Thus the central metaphor of the song,
"You are a splendid butterfly
It is your wings that make you beautiful"
Bug gimmicks aside, this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

*Black Superman - Muhammad Ali - Johnny Wakelin
Our last butterfly song

*Don't Let Us Bug Ya - Andy Partridge

*La Cucaracha - Cumbia Kumbia Kings
I don't speak Spanish to know exactly what's been done to this lyrically, but this version of the cockroach song apparently somehow ends up involving marijuana. Maybe the cockroaches are getting into their stash.

*Day of the Locusts - Bob Dylan

*Spanish Flea - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass

*Never Swat a Fly - Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band

*The Blue Tail Fly - Leadbelly
Pure rough acapella blues

*Baby Bumblebee - Disney Silly Songs
A twenty second version apparently sung by Goofy

*Buggin' - The Flaming Lips
Quite a pretty song, really

*Buzzin' Fly - Tim Buckley

*Boll Weevil - Walter Brennan

*Flight of the Bumblebee - Beethoven
Finishing up with a couple of bee related items

*King Bee - Muddy Waters
It's only appropriate to let the alpha-insect have the last word.

Some spare parts and groovy stuff left off for length that may suit you as substitutions:

Doin' the Cockroach - Modest Mouse
The Spider and the Fly - The Rolling Stones
A Flea and a Fly in a Flue - Sharon, Lois & Bram
Bug - Phish
Human Fly - The Cramps
I'm Bugged - XTC
Spider Webs - No Doubt
Animals and Insects - The Stills
The Insects Will Get You - Retard Choir
The Love Bug - George Jones
The Locust Girl - Sondre Lerche
A Song From Under the Floorboard - Magazine

These songs are mostly pretty easy to find, but if you're particularly needing a couple of the more obscure ones and aren't having much luck with P2P, drop me an email.

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Special shout out for consultation and mp3 files from Jim Carruthers (For a dirty Canuck, he ain't such a bad fella), Tom Johnson, Steve Rubio and the Duke de Mondo.

ANY SUGGESTIONS for more cool bug songs?

Lyrics