Sheb Wooley: 'One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater'

Sep 19, 2018

Do you remember singing this song as a child? It may have been released by Sheb Wooley decades ago, but the novelty song is still popular today. In 1958, it topped the charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. While many people have heard this song, few people realize the interesting story behind it.

Sometimes, inspiration strikes when you are not expecting it.

When the creative muses arrive, you are suddenly able to write a song or a story in just a few minutes. This is exactly what happened to Wooley. He was just joking around with a friend's child about a strange creature that came to earth to start a rock and roll band. As he joked with the child, it suddenly hit him. This story would make an amazing song. Wooley sat down and wrote the entire song in just an hour. The rest is music history.

Even when the song was first released, there were common misconceptions about it. When listeners were asked to draw the monster, they often colored a purple monster. In reality, the monster in the song just eats purple people.

The color is not the only odd part of this song. While the hit song quickly became a classic, it was not easy to get it on the airways. MGM Records originally turned down the catchy tune. They only changed their mind when they saw how popular the song was. Somehow, a recording of the song reached the New York office of MGM Records. At lunch, 50 young people would gather to listen to it.

When the managers noticed how popular the song was among their staff members, they changed their mind. The video shows this amazing song in all of its original glory.

If this memory brought back your favorite childhood memories, make sure that all of your friends get to hear it.