The Birth of An Earworm

Andy Griffith is dead. (Or, as my brother says, “DEAD. Andy Griffith. DEAD.”)

Raise your hands if you’ve had the Andy Griffith Show theme song stuck in your head all day.

Did you know there are WORDS to that theme song?

Everybody! Sing along! Well, now, take down your fishin’ pole and meet me at The Fishin’ Hole,
We may not get a bite all day, but don’t you rush away.

What a great place to rest your bones and mighty fine for skippin’ stones,
You’ll feel fresh as a lemonade, a-settin’ in the shade.

Whether it’s hot, whether it’s cool, oh what a spot for whistlin’ like a fool.

What a fine day to take a stroll and wander by The Fishin’ Hole,
I can’t think of a better way to pass the time o’ day.

We’ll have no need to call the roll when we get to The Fishin’ Hole,
There’ll be you, me, and Old Dog Trey, to doodle time away.

If we don’t hook a perch or bass, we’ll cool our toes in dewy grass,
Or else pull up a weed to chaw, and maybe set and jaw.

Hangin’ around, takin’ our ease, watchin’ that hound a-scratchin’ at his fleas.

Come on, take down your fishin’ pole and meet me at The Fishin’ Hole,
I can’t think of a better way to pass the time o’ day.

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/theandygriffithshowlyrics.html

That’s an delightful site, by the way. Look at it alone, because you’ll be singing.

I knew there were words to the Star Trek Theme. Someone sings it in one of the episodes (The Cage, I think.)

I think Ricki sang the words in the earliest episodes of I Love Lucy.

The Odd Couple has lyrics! Who knew?

And I never watched Bonanza. They didn’t sing this, did they?

Now, Bewitched was a popular song on its own, but did anyone else ever hear the words to any of these songs anywhere else? Is it possible some poor writer had to write not only songs but secret lyrics, just in case anyone needed to sing it at an awards ceremony?