First of May

From JoCopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search


Error creating thumbnail: File missing
First of May
ReleaseSmoking Monkey
Length4:10
Release date11-05-2003
Related Pages

Lyrics
Tabs
Videos
Concerts

Other media
{{#song:First+of+May }}


Trivia[edit]

  • The chorus is a variation on an old folk/schoolyard rhyme, "Hooray, Hooray, the first of May! Outdoor fucking starts today!" In an April 10, 2007 blog post, JoCo credited John Hodgman with the idea for the song, and mentions that the modern dirty rhyme derives from an older, traditional dirty rhyme. Commenters Mike and Bry tracked the reference down to a poem in Another Almanac of Words at Play by Willard R. Espy.
  • The poem which Espy cites, in turn, derives from ancient Pagan customs celebrating fertility on the eve of Beltane, the Celtic name for the month of May.
  • James Taylor and the Bee Gees have also recorded songs by the same title. Taylor's song explores some similar themes with less explicit language, while the Bee Gees' song is a love song lamenting the passage of time.
  • One of the six songs listed on the oldest archived version of Jonathan's website.
  • On May 1st 2008, Spiff started the First of May Olympics, based on the song.
  • "First of May" is listed as a "funny song" on Jonathan Coulton's Listening Suggestions page.

Availability[edit]

Available from jonathancoulton.com as a free MP3 download or for purchase in MP3 or FLAC formats, as well as on the Smoking Monkey CD.


Themes[edit]

Smoking Monkey
1. I'm Having a Party · 2. Bozo's Lament · 3. Kenesaw Mountain Landis · 4. Ikea · 5. I Hate California · 6. Christmas Is Interesting · 7. Over There · 8. Millionaire Girlfriend · 9. First of May · 10. De-Evolving · 11. I'm a Mason Now · 12. Overhead
JoCo Looks Back
1. Code Monkey · 2. Ikea · 3. I Feel Fantastic · 4. Mandelbrot Set · 5. Tom Cruise Crazy · 6. Shop Vac · 7. Chiron Beta Prime · 8. I'm Your Moon · 9. My Monkey · 10. Skullcrusher Mountain · 11. I Crush Everything · 12. When You Go · 13. A Talk with George · 14. You Ruined Everything · 15. Creepy Doll · 16. Mr. Fancy Pants · 17. Baby Got Back · 18. First of May · 19. Re: Your Brains · 20. The Future Soon
Best. Concert. Ever.
1. The Future Soon · 2. Ikea · 3. Shop Vac · 4. I'm Your Moon · 5. Baby Got Back · 6. Kenesaw Mountain Landis · 7. Chiron Beta Prime · 8. Tom Cruise Crazy · 9. Code Monkey · 10. Creepy Doll · 11. Still Alive · 12. Mr. Fancy Pants · 13. I Crush Everything · 14. Skullcrusher Mountain · 15. Mandelbrot Set · 16. You Ruined Everything · 17. Re: Your Brains · 18. A Talk with George · 19. I Feel Fantastic · 20. First of May