Speaking of Mad magazine, I recall a "modern safety songs for children" piece with a nuclear warfare connection. A quick search suggests that it was the January 1965 issue, which is on Internet Archive but not borrowable. The two verses I can recall went:
Thank you, Alex for discussing (and finding lots of nifty detail) in what used to be one of my favorite Weird Al songs. Right around Christmas 2001, I still listened to it until my college roommate mentioned the really obvious "Ground Zero" point that I had (willfully?) missed, and I stopped listening to it. In my head, I was sure that it wasn't the same thing at all, but that's not how language works. Also, even though the song has nothing to with non-nuclear terrorism, it clearly wasn't meant in good taste, and I think that lack of taste transfers despite whatever Weird Al's exact intentions were in 1986. Also, I am just slightly too young to have heard it when it was new (or to have watched The Day After in 1983); I was a child in 1983 and 1986, and I definitely remember being at least a bit afraid of nuclear war until the Berlin Wall fell.
Weird Al admitted a fondess for the classic "Party At Ground Zero" by Fishbone and I can't beleive that Weird Al didn't Have "Party ,..." in mind when he wrote "Christmas At Ground Zero":
Well, that beats my new book trailer.
Speaking of Mad magazine, I recall a "modern safety songs for children" piece with a nuclear warfare connection. A quick search suggests that it was the January 1965 issue, which is on Internet Archive but not borrowable. The two verses I can recall went:
Do not stop to talk or play
Talk or play, talk or play
Find your shelter right away
There'll be fallout!
Just admit your nearest kin
Nearest kin, nearest kin
Shoot down neighbors who want in
There'll be fallout!
Thank you, Alex for discussing (and finding lots of nifty detail) in what used to be one of my favorite Weird Al songs. Right around Christmas 2001, I still listened to it until my college roommate mentioned the really obvious "Ground Zero" point that I had (willfully?) missed, and I stopped listening to it. In my head, I was sure that it wasn't the same thing at all, but that's not how language works. Also, even though the song has nothing to with non-nuclear terrorism, it clearly wasn't meant in good taste, and I think that lack of taste transfers despite whatever Weird Al's exact intentions were in 1986. Also, I am just slightly too young to have heard it when it was new (or to have watched The Day After in 1983); I was a child in 1983 and 1986, and I definitely remember being at least a bit afraid of nuclear war until the Berlin Wall fell.
Weird Al admitted a fondess for the classic "Party At Ground Zero" by Fishbone and I can't beleive that Weird Al didn't Have "Party ,..." in mind when he wrote "Christmas At Ground Zero":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJCaFe1yamg
Another great piece of context for the song - thank you!
Any time and best of the season to 'ya!