Chapter 1
Answer Songs
Answer songs are tunes that respond to direct questions or continue to develop specific themes, ideas, or melody patterns from earlier songs. As a lyrical genre they are as old as the multiple verse ballads performed by medieval troubadours. In American tradition they are rooted in the verbal one-upmanship practiced by storytellers in barbershops, brothels, and bars along the Mississippi River. They are also linked to the joy of performers and audiences alike in perpetuating good melodies and in elaborating humorous tales. During the first half of the twentieth century, for example, many songs were recorded about the legendary exploits of John Henry, Frankie and Johnny, and Stagger Lee. This study is not concerned with either European balladry or pre-Cold War American tall tales, though. The purpose of this investigation is to examine various themes and styles in American answer song recordings from the 1950â1985 period. Although the majority of songs that trigger recorded responses are themselves highly popular, the same cannot be said of offshoot tunes. For this reason, answer discs are highly prized by most record collectors. Small pressings and limited sales of answer songs make them immediate rarities in the vinyl trade market. Beyond collecting though, these recordings are valuable cultural illustrations of several American traits. They are usually humorous, poking fun at a particular statement or a series of less-than-honorable activities; they invariably provide contrasting positionsâpersonal and politicalâto previously stated viewpoints; they offer interesting, sometimes unexpected story-continuing options; and they often translate common phrases, domestic problems, or personal concerns into a popular cultural contest.
Can the total field of answer songs be segmented into logical patterns for purposes of analysis? Not very easily. Yet close scrutiny shows that although the forms of response recordings remain relatively constant, the functions of answer songs vary dramatically. This leads to the differentiation of specific answer songs according to four categories: (1) answer to a direct question, (2) response to a statement or a command, (3) challenge to a position or ideology, and (4) continuation of a distinct storyline or theme.
The remainder of this essay examines answer songs within these categories. Selected illustrations of original hit recordings and the answer songs they generated are provided in tables within the text.
ANSWER TO A DIRECT QUESTION
In 1961, a Time staff writer commented,
So far, there are only half a dozen versions of âAre You Lonesome Tonight?,â including the original by Elvis Presley which is now the nationâs No. 1 hit. But if Elvis stays up there, there may well be a dozen variations of the theme. The âLonesomeâ craze is the most blatant example of a pop musicâs latest fad: the answer record, which provides an answer to a question raised in an established hit.
The most easily explained justification for concocting a recording of an answer song is to respond to a direct question from a previous tune. The reactions to Elvis Presleyâs multiple pleasââAre you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart?ââwere consistent. Answer songs titled âYes, Iâm Lonesome Tonightâ were launched by Thelma Carpenter, Linda Lee, Jo Anne Perry and Dodie Stevens. In addition, Jeanne Black sang âOh, How I Miss You Tonight.â The same kind of reassuring answers had greeted The Shirelles a year earlier when their song âWill You Love Me Tomorrow?â was answered by three different artistsââYes, I Will Love You Tomorrow,â âYou Know Iâll Love You Tomorrow,â and âNot Just Tomorrow, But Always.â
In 1956 Franklie Lymon and the Teenagers produced the hit âWhy Do Fools Fall in Love?â The songâs title appears at the end of a chain of questions ranging from âWhy do birds sing so gay?â to âWhy does my heart skip a crazy beat?â Humorously, the answer songs to this record remained in the family. Frankieâs brother Lewis Lymon issued a tune that asserted âI Found Out Why.â Not to be outdone, Frankie countered with his own answer record couched in the form of another questionââWho Can Explain?â It is interesting to note that Frankie Lymon also released another answerââI Put the Bompââin response to Barry Mannâs 1961 hit âWho Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)?â Perhaps the most negative response to a recorded query was delivered by Hook McCoy. His reaction to Gary Burbankâs soap opera-inspired question âWho Sh...
