Friday Five: Songs About Daisy

Ken’s list of Jenny songs last week got me thinking I need to pay tribute to the one I come home to every night. While Ken’s lovely wife Jennifer is his high school sweetheart, my best girl is, well, a bitch. She’s my dog, Daisy. While the gals named Daisy in the songs below seem nice enough, I’ll stick with the one I have—she’s probably the only one who can catch a piece of pumpkin donut in midair.

• 5. “Black-Eyed Daisy” – Carolina Chocolate Drops

  Here’s a boisterous fiddle tune about a girl named Daisy who drives a man crazy, probably because that’s one of the few things that rhymes. But who cares about crazy when you can boogie to the Chocolate Drops?

• 4. “Crazy Daisy” – King Wilkie

  This one is a low key alt-country tune that I like mostly for its super catchy chorus of “na na na na”s. Anyway, this Daisy’s a heartbreaker, and when she’s gone, you miss her “like the sun don’t shine.”

• 3. “On a Bicycle Built for Two” – Merle Travis

  Okay, it’s an instrumental, but you know the words: “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do.” It’s also been recorded under the title “Daisy Bell” by countless artists and the HAL 9000.

• 2. “White Limozeen” – Dolly Parton

  Parton co-wrote this one with Mac Davis in the late ’80s. It’s a tale of a lady named Daisy Mae who moves to L.A. in search of stardom. It’s a rocky road, but eventually she finds fame, fortune, and a bowtied chauffer, but still remains “the same old down home girl.” Sounds a little like the Backwoods Barbie we all know and love.

• 1. “Daisy May” – Floyd Tillman

  As you’ll see in the clip below, the inspiration behind this song was Daisy Mae from the Li’l Abner comic strips. Check out the excellent Western Swing version from the Village Boys, too.