Purple People Eater

by Sheb Wooley - 1958

♫ The Purple People Eater is a novelty song written and performed by Sheb Wooley, which reached no. 1 in the Billboard pop charts in 1958 from June 9 to July 14, and reached no. 12 overall in the UK singles chart. The Hagen-Renaker ceramics company of California created a figurine of the Purple People Eater as part of its 1958–59 "Little Horribles" line. As mentioned above, the design takes its cue from a misinterpretation of the lyrics, coloring the creature purple. The figure was a best seller.

Lyrics

Well I saw the thing comin' out of the sky It had the one long horn, one big eye I commenced to shakin' and I said "ooh-eee" It looks like a purple 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 cuz 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 it's 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) Flyin' purple people eater Sure looks strange to me