What started as a six-man comedy troupe that first appeared on the BBC in 1969 as Monty Python’s Flying Circus, consisting of Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Jones, quickly became a certified cultural phenomenon. Their act would spawn movies, books, stage shows, and perhaps most memorably, songs. With enough musical material to cover well over a dozen albums (counting a few best-ofs), the songs are a memorable and wild assortment that, like Monty Python’s comedy, were subversive, articulate, and most of all, masterfully crafted. Over the years, they’ve been seen on live stage, performed on screen, and heard on record, here’s a look at ten of their most celebrated, hilarious, and widely-remembered musical numbers.
“The Lumberjack Song”
Even if you’re not a Monty Python fan, you probably know all the words to this song. This effortlessly catchy song first aired on their show back in 1969, and was written in about fifteen minutes to conclude a barbershop sketch that had proceeded it. It’s since seen several incarnations over the years, as well as having been referenced lovingly on everything from The A-Team to King of the Hill.
“Eric The Half-A-Bee”
A rather complicated song in regards to its subject, it’s about a half-a-bee, one of 23 pets owned by a man, all of whom are named Eric. Given that he isn’t a whole bee, the song is one long Shakespearean ode to the nature of Eric’s very existence, a quandary as to how he’s simply able “to bee.”
“Henry Kissinger”
An unusally political number, the song is structured like a ragtime number in the vein of Rudy Vallee, and written as an ode to the former American Diplomat, even though none of the lyrics are particularly flattering. While most tend to refer to his appearance, the line about his “Machiavellian schemes” is particularly scathing. First appearing on the Contractual Obligation Album in 1980, it was re-released in 1989 for their best-of Monty Python Sings, with an extra verse included.
“Isn’t It Awfully Nice To Have A Penis?”
First appearing in the film The Meaning of Life as “Penis Song (Not Noel The Coward Song),” this song was later re-released for their album Monty Python Sings. A jaunty naval-style sing-a-long that, through all its celebrating, makes it a point to warn the listener to the dangers of indecent exposure. Because Monty Python cared about its fans.
“Galaxy Song”
Another tune from The Meaning of Life, this one starts with a surgeon, (John Cleese) urging a woman (Terry Jones) to donate her liver, but ultimately failing to convince her to do so. Suddenly, she’s escorted by a man in a pink suit (Eric Idle), who takes her on a fantastic journey through the universe while singing about the complex marvel that it is. A monumental effort in itself, though some of the information hasn’t quite held up as our scientific understanding continues to broaden.
“Every Sperm Is Sacred”
A musical ode to the Catholic church’s stance on contraception, taking its cues from the musical Oliver!, though Terry Jones would later refute its satirical nature entirely, saying the song “is not a parody of these things, it just is those things, it’s a musical song, it’s a hymn, it’s a Lionel Bart-style musical, but it’s not making fun of a Lionel Bart-style musical.”
“The Meaning Of Life”
There’s nothing like a quick, upbeat tune to cause you to question your place in the vast, infinite universe that surrounds you.
“Sit On My Face”
Lifting the melody from “Sing As You Go,” a song made famous by vocalist Gracie Fields, the troupe was threatened with a lawsuit for copyright infringement when this song was released on the Contractual Obligation Album in 1980, though nothing came of it. The FCC didn’t particularly appreciate the song’s content, though. They made San Diego-based KGB-FM pay $9,200 in fines for playing the song that they had dubbed “actionably indecent.”
“The Spam Song”
While some songs would explore themes such as politics, astronomy, anatomy, and religion, others worked simply because of their overt simplicity. It also has a claim to the proud cultural legacy of inspiring the universal term for unwanted email.
“Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”
Written by Eric Idle as a way to conclude the film The Life of Brian, this particular number has maintained an enormous amount of popularity over the years, most famously for being sung at Graham Chapman’s funeral by the five surviving members of the troupe in 1989. Though it wasn’t the only time it would appear in a eulogy, given that a poll had found that the ode to optimism in the face of adversity was the third most popular song to be sung at British funerals in 2005.
