Coconut (song)

"Coconut" is a novelty song written[1] and first recorded by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, released as the third single from his 1971 album, Nilsson Schmilsson. It was on the U.S. Billboard charts for 14 weeks, reaching #8,[2] and was ranked by Billboard as the #66 song for 1972. It charted minorly in the UK, reaching #42.[3] "Coconut" did best in Canada, where it peaked at #5.[4] It was later featured in the films Reservoir Dogs, Practical Magic, and The Addams Family also Hey Arnold!: The Movie.

"Coconut"
Single by Nilsson
from the album Nilsson Schmilsson
B-side"The Moonbeam Song"
ReleasedJune 1972
Recorded1971 (1971)
GenreCalypso
Length3:52
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Harry Nilsson
Producer(s)Richard Perry
Nilsson singles chronology
"Jump into the Fire"
(1972)		 "Coconut"
(1972)		 "You're Breakin' My Heart"
(1972)

In 1998, a cover version was released by Australian singer Dannii Minogue as a single, peaking at #62 on the ARIA singles chart.

Lyrics

The lyrics feature four characters (the narrator, the brother, the sister, and the doctor), three of whom (narrator, sister, and doctor) are sung in different voices by Nilsson. The song describes a story in which a woman has a stomachache and calls her doctor who prescribes her the same drink that gave her the stomachache. With the help of her brother, they concoct a beverage consisting of lime and coconut. When the sister calls the doctor late at night, the doctor (annoyed at being awakened by such a complaint) laughs her off and recommends that she "put the lime in the coconut and drink 'em both together"—then call him in the morning.

Music

There are no chord changes in the song: an arpeggiated C7th accompanies the song.

Personnel

According to the 1971 LP credits:[5]

Chart history

Dannii Minogue version
"Coconut"
Single by Dannii Minogue
from the album Girl
B-side
  • "Everybody Changes Underwater"
  • "Heaven Can Wait"
  • "Someone New"
Released16 November 1998 (1998-11-16)
Recorded1994-1995
Genre
Length4:50
LabelWEA
Songwriter(s)Harry Nilsson
Producer(s)Flexifinger
(Original vocal production: DNA)
Dannii Minogue singles chronology
"Disremembrance"
(1998)		 "Coconut"
(1998)		 "Everlasting Night"
(1999)

Dannii Minogue recorded the song in 1994 with UK dance producers DNA. When Minogue parted ways with Mushroom Records in 1995 and signed to Eternal Records in 1996, she had the track remixed by producers Flexifinger.

The track was originally used as a hidden bonus track on her third album Girl. It was subsequently released in Australia on 16 November 1998 as the fourth and final single from that album, peaking at #62 on the ARIA singles chart upon its debut, on the chart dated week commencing 23 November 1998.[12]

In 2009, the original version of "Coconut" was made available on the compilation The 1995 Sessions.

Other versions
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References
  1. Jones, Dylan. "You may remember Harry Nilsson as the man who led John Lennon astray during a lost LA weekend". The Independent. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Billboard Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). p. 458. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
  3. UK Official Charts, 27 September 1969
  4. RPM Top Singles, 9 September 1972
  5. Nilsson Schmilsson (CD booklet: reproduced 1971 LP sleeve). Harry Nilsson. BMG Entertainment. 2000.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". 30 March 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  7. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  8. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 2, 1972". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  9. "Best of 1972 songs and music, on". Musicandyears.com. 12 November 2010. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  10. "Musicoutfitters.com". Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  11. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1972". Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  12. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart: Week Commencing 23 Nov 1998". Australian Record Industry Association Ltd. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  13. Coates, Tyler (7 January 2015). "10 Essential Musical Moments From 'The Muppet Show'". Decider. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  14. Coca Cola:Coke Commercial(Funny)Put the Lime in the Coke - YouTube
  15. "Fred Schneider of the B-52s sings Harry Nilsson's 'Coconut' with two different Nineties supergroups". 5 October 2017.
  16. "Lazlo Bane's Guilty Pleasures". cdbaby.com. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  17. https://www.loudersound.com/features/interview-alice-cooper-on-lemmy-raquel-welch-elvis-presley-and-more
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