My whole life, I’ve had the Beatles’ song, “Michelle,” sung to me. When I was little, I thought it was cute. When I was a teen, I thought it was embarrassing. By the time I was in my twenties, I thought it was old. I think I dated my husband because he didn’t sing that song. When I worked, after college and before “retiring” to be a stay-at-home mom, I spent a lot of time on the phone with slimeballs salesmen. At least half of them would sing that to me…and think it clever and original.
Since naming our daughter Mary, I’ve had the line, “Mary, Mary, why you buggin’?” running through my head. This past weekend, Bill and I found Run DMC’s video. It’s pretty funny. But I think you had to be a teen/young adult in the 80’s to truly appreciate it.
Here are the lyrics:
Mary Mary Mary you cold thumb suckin
Lookin for you, but you keep duckin
I wanna find you, I gotta tell you somethin
So just be quiet and don’t say NUTTIN
Mary Mary Mary why you out there stuntin?
Supposed to be with me, but now you’re FRONTIN
We started out new, you used to be true
Now you’re buggin, what’s wrong with you?
“Mary, Mary..” WHY YA BUGGIN?
“Mary, Mary..” I NEED YA HUGGIN
Now that I’ve heard the line in context, I’m trying to get it out of my head. “Michelle, my beautiful” might be annoying, but it’s nice. “Mary, why are you prostituting yourself?” is not a question I’d like to sing to my little girl! (Although the line after that isn’t bad.) I asked my neighbor, named Mary, if she knew of any songs about a girl named Mary. She didn’t.
{sigh}
I spent the first year after Jenny was born singing “867-5309.” I still haven’t found a good song with her name in it.
Katie, though, is much luckier. My parents started singing this one right away, and I sang it often when she was a baby.
K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy,
You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore;
When the m-m-m-moon shines,
Over the cowshed,
I’ll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.
Reit This Way 
K-K-K-Katy is popular in my (extended) family. I think my grandfather used to sing it to my grandmother (Kathleen) and my cousin’s name is Katie. I have even used it to sing to my friend’s little boy, C-C-C-Cody. Of course, that is also a reflection of my family, because if there isn’t already a song out there, we just change the words or make one up!(I also have a cousin named Michelle, and I think I hear that song every time we have a family reunion. I can only imagine how many times you have heard it.)
Hmm, there’s always “Proud Mary.”Jenny’s got a really sweet song by Kool & the Gang.Joanna, I love youYou’re the oneThe one for meI’m in love and I won’t lieShe’s my girl and always on my mindShe gives me her love and a feeling that’s rightNever lets me downEspecially at nightSo, I’m gonna do the best I canTo please that girl and be her only manYou see, she picks me up when I’m feeling lowAnd that’s why, babyI’ve got to let you knowJoanna, I love youYou’re the oneThe one for meOh, babyGot to be the oneThe one for meShe’s the kind of girlMakes you feel niceSo, I’ll try my bestTo do what’s rightI take her for a rideEverything’s fineJoanna, I love youYou’re the oneThe one for meSearched so farSearched so longTo find someoneSomeone to count onNow I feelI’ve got it right hereFound it in you, babyYou, my dearWe can do all night, so niceWe’ll have it all and everything will be alrightI’m promising you, take it from meTake it home, babyTake it home, babyShe’s the one, the one for meShe’s the kind of girlMakes you feel nice, soI’ll try my best to do what’s rightTake her for a rideEverything’s fineOoooooh, JoannaOoooooh, JoannaOoooooh, ooooooohJoanna, I love youYou’re the oneThe one for meOoooooh, yeahJoanna (Yes, I love you)I love youYou’re the oneThe one for meBelieve me, babeWhen I sayJoanna (Yes, I love you)JoannaOoooooh, Joanna, JoannaComing straight to you from someone who CANNOT STAND “Bar-bar-bar-bar-barbara Ann.”
I just make up songs. 🙂
You didn’t get the “My, my, my Michele!” by Guns-n-Roses screamed at you by all the boys! aarrgghh LOL I got the beatles by family and Guns-n-Roses from school. I hated that song! The lyrics are awful, but kids only hear the one line though.Is there a song by Chicago named Jenny? I think it was about a dog though…lol, can’t rememberThere is always that childrens song… miss mary mack,mack, mack…all dressed in black, black, blacksorry…that is all I can think of, but I am sure I will get one of these stuck in my head!
I knew a Caroline who is thoroughly sick of “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond.I got “K-K-K-Katie” a fair bit (as that’s my more commonly-used nickname); not as nice as Sweet Caroline, but not as bad as “Mary, Mary, Why Ya Buggin?”…I knew a Joan who got a fair bit of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”……a Julia who got the Beatles’ “Julia” ad nauseam…I make up songs a lot…one of my favorites is to sing to my cats to the tune of “The Banana Boat Song”:“Mi-ko! Mi-i-i-ko! Miko the kitty is a handsome tuxy cat!“Come, my sweet Miko cat!“Come and kiss your mama!“Miko, come, kiss your mommy-mum-mum!”“Come, my sweet Miko cat!“Come and kiss your mama!“Miko, come, kiss your mommy-mum-mum!“Meek! I said Meek, I said Meek, I said Meek, I said Mee-ee-ee-ko!“Miko the kitty is a handsome tuxy cat!”…ok, I’m embarrassed now..
Try the MONKEES original version of Mary Mary (which is where Run DMC got their from) The lyrics are different, so not offensive. Pretty much “mary mary where are you going to ?” The video is < HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61qH8H1IrYs" REL="nofollow"> here <>
There’s a newish song called “27 Jennifers”<>“I went to school with 27 Jennifers,16 Jenns, 10 Jennies, and then there was her.”<>And what about “Mary, Mary, quite contrary?” 🙂
“<>Mary’s Prayer<>” is the first one that came to my mind. The < HREF="http://youtube.com/watch?v=-b3CYUCBnYE" REL="nofollow">video<> is kinda cheesy (gotta love those 80’s!) but I’ve always really liked the song.
Well, as another Michelle (who loves the Beatles) I’ve never minded it, but there’s always the people who say “Michelle, My Belle. Ha hahaha” like I’ve not heard THAT before.There’s also “My Michelle” by Guns and Roses.
Anonymous,THANK YOU for that Monkees song. Since that was the tune already in my head, it’s so much easier to just change the words a bit.And Barb, thanks for that Kool and the Gang hit. I had forgotten that one. Works very well. My sister got a lot of “Barbara Ann” sung to her, so I know how you must feel.
I am long time reader, but first time commenter. This post was just so close to home! I always heard Waylon Jennings’s ‘Amanda’, sometimes Boston’s ‘Amanda’, and occasionally even Barry Manilow’s ‘Mandy’.For Mary, there is an old song called ‘Mary’s a Grand Old Name’ sung by Judy Garland.
Melissa,I recognized the song “Mary’s Prayer” but I appreciate it more now that I’ve looked up the lyrics. Thank you!
aataylor,I’ll have to remember that one when she is older and complains how boring her name is! Thank you!
It’s a youtube day, I guess. Heather, that 27 Jennifers song is cute. Reminds me of the time I met my neighbor named Jennifer. I only remembered her name because when I was a kid <>everybody<> was either a Michelle or a Jennifer, or so it seemed.
Kasia’s funny. 🙂
You probably don’t know this song called “Seasons in the Sun” (1975?) ..but there is a “Michelle” in that song. …I think the singer is committing suicide, so that’s a bummer.Stevie Wonder sings that song, “Mary wants to be a superwoman.”…That’s a cool song.The Jenny one…is a pickle.
“Seasons in the Sun” must have been a big enough hit in the 70s because I did recall the tune. Lovely. “Goodbye, Michelle, my little one.” Tired of living, off to kill myself. “We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.” Catch you later.
We always sing “Mary, Mary, quite contrary,How does your garden grow?With silver bells and cockle shellsAnd pretty maids all in a row.”Not exactly a song, but we sing it anyway. Hopefully Mary will NOT be contrary.Signed by, also tired of Barbara Ann
The Kingston Trio has a perfectly acceptable tune called “Don’t Cry Katie.” I don’t think Michelle heard it much because I only sang it when I was trying to get Katie asleep at night, and that probably wasn’t often enough for me to mention.
Nobody sings “Barbara Ann” to me anymore. I kill them.Anyway, there is an Irish folk song called “Whiskey in the Jar” that I thought was slightly fitting for Jenny. It is: “I counted out his money, and it made a pretty penny. I put it in my pocket and I took it home to Jenny.She said and she swore, that she never would deceive me, but the devil take the women, for they never can be easy.” But I love Jenny and she is wonderful!!!! (Mostly because I don’t have to live with her everyday…JUST KIDDING!!!)
You know, you could always take “Sherry Baby” by the Beach Boys and change Sherry to Mary…
Immaculate Mary! That’s one of my favorite songs.I do remember that RUN-DMC song. How could you not? That was a big song back then. 🙂Can you tell I married an 80’s song nut? 🙂
I’m glad I’m not the only Barb who’s tired of that Beach Boys tune. Barb, the sis, I’m with you. I get violent when they sing it to me.Here’s another “Jenny” song–James Taylor’s “Jellyman Kelly.” Jellyman Kelly loves jelly on toast, and Jenny Mulhenny loves to boil hot water. It’s really cute. It’s on a Sesame Street CD “In Harmony.” Actually the whole CD is really cute.
I had a neighbor/family friend who used to sing the “katie song” to my sister, Katrina all the time (we used to be known as “katie and laurie” when we were very little). This post reminded me that I started a name songs playlist last week, so posted it now, even though I only found 12 songs so far. How funny! I wanted “She’s in love with the boy” but it’s not on the site. THAT song has “Katie and Tommy at the drive in movie…”
I just added “Amanda” after reading your comments…how funny, I have the “Mary, Mary” by the Monkees song already on there! I also have a “Katie” song I found that is kind of nice and different.
How about “Mary Had a Little Lamb…” LOL!At least you had a song for your name. Picture this – maiden name Shaffer and beer. All I heard growing up from the boys was “Schaefer is the one girl to have when you’re having more than one.” Aaarrgghh!!
Bit late on this, but your neighbor hasn’t EVER heard “The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix? Or “Mary Jane” by Rick James? Or “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty? Goodness, where’s she been? I get the last two all the time, and my middle name isn’t even Jane!