Guest Post: Chicken Fat and Me!

"Chicken Fat" and Me, by J.C.

I have a love-hate relationship with the "Chicken Fat" song. If you're of a certain age, you at least know the chorus "Go, you chicken fat, go away! Go, you chicken fat, go!" Yeah. That one. (And if you don't know it, click here.  Warning, it is loud. )

It played very often in my 1st? 3rd? grade classroom. And on the playground, all the mean kids would start singing that chorus when they saw me. Fun times. At least it was a musical interlude amongst the general fat-bullying. So, yeah. I hated it. Except that I love the song and still do.

There are a plethora of reasons why I love "Chicken Fat."

I love musicals. I blame "The Music Man". When I was 6 or 7, I went to a high school production of it. My first live theater experience of any kind. I was completely captivated. And when Mayor Shinn was berating the River City-izens for falling for Harold Hill's chicanery, and bellows "He promised us a band. Where's the band? WHERE'S THE BAND??!?!!???", the high school's marching band came down the aisles playing "76 Trombones" full blast.

Mind. Blown.

(Hang on, I will get to "Chicken Fat.")

I imprinted on "The Music Man" like a baby duck on its mama. I have seen the movie so many times I can do the dialogue as well as sing all the songs - and both parts of the ones in counterpoint. Robert Preston's voice will grab my attention like a tornado siren. (Loved him in "Victor, Victoria' as well - his drag version of "The Shady Dame From Seville" is pure gold.) So here we get the first connection to "Chicken Fat": Robert Preston. How can I not love a Robert Preston song?

Not only that, guess who wrote "Chicken Fat?" If you clicked on the YouTube link to it, you know the answer: Meredith Willson. And who wrote "The Music Man?" Yup. Same guy. Composer, flutist, radio & television musical director, etc. etc. etc. Very talented man. Very fond of counterpoint. The Christmas song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas/Pine Cones and Holly Berries" ought to ring a bell. That's him, too.

On top of being a HUGE fan of Meredith Willson, I've got a 5th-degree connection to him. My grandfather--his father--Arthur Pryor--John Philip Sousa--Meredith Willson. (And then on to Arturo Toscanini, according to Willson's Wikipedia bio.) A pilgrimage to Mason City, Iowa and the Meredith Willson Museum is on my bucket list.

Finally, to put a big ol' bow on it:  Willson and Preston recorded "Chicken Fat" while making the movie version of "The Music Man" which is why it sounds like it's being sung by Harold Hill.

I can't not love this song.

But I hate this song because it was used by bullies as a weapon against me.

Conflicted, me.

dis-MISSED!!