The Purple People Eater

Listen to "Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley (Spotify) Well, I saw the thing comin' out of the sky It had the one long horn, one big eye (ooh) I commenced to shakin' and I said "ooh-eee" It looks like a purple people eater to me It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater (One-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater) A one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater Sure looks strange to me (one eye?) Well, he came down to earth and he lit in a tree I said. "Mr. Purple People Eater, don't eat me" I heard him say in a voice so gruff "I wouldn't eat you 'cause you're so tough" It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater One-eyed, one-horned flyin' purple people eater One-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater Sure looks strange to me (one horn?) I said. "Mr. Purple People Eater, what's your line?" He said, "Eatin' purple people and it sure is fine But that's not the reason that I came to land I wanna get a job in a rock and roll band" Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin' purple people eater Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin' purple people eater (We wear short shorts) Friendly little people eater What a sight to see (ooh) And then he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground And he started to rock, really rockin' around It was a crazy ditty with a swingin' tune Sing a bop-bap-aboopa-lappa-loom-bam-boom Well, bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin' purple people eater Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin' purple people eater "I like short shorts" Flyin' purple people eater What a sight to see (purple people?) Well, he went on his way, and then what do ya know I saw him last night on a TV show He was blowing it out, a-really knockin' 'em dead Playin' rock and roll music through the horn in his head

The Purple People Eater "The Purple People Eater", released in May 1958, was written and performed by Sheb Wooley. It reached number one on the Billboard pop charts in 1958 from June 9 to July 14. he premise of the song came from a joke told by the child of a friend of Wooley's, fellow songwriter Don Robertson. Wooley finished composing the song within an hour, later describing it as "undoubtedly the worst song he had ever written.” According to Wooley, MGM Records initially rejected the song, saying that it was not the type of music with which they wanted to be identified. An acetate of the song reached MGM Records' New York office. The acetate became popular with the office's young people. Up to 50 people would listen to the song at lunchtime.