The Purple People Eater

A popular song from 1958
Words and music by Sheb Wooley


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. Well I saw the thing a-comin’ out of the sky
    It had the one long horn, and one big eye
    I commenced to shakin’ and I said “Ooh-eee
    It looks like a purple people eater to me”

Chorus
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 looked strange to me

  1. Well he came down to earth and he laid in the 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 ’cause you’re so tough”
  2. I said Mr. Purple People Eater, what’s your line?
    And he said, “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”

Chorus
Well bless my soul, rock and roll, flyin’ purple people eater
Pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin’ purple people eater
He wear short shorts, friendly little people eater
What a sight to see

  1. And then he swung from the tree and he laid on the ground
    And he started to rock, really rockin’ around
    It was a crazy ditty with a swingin’ tune
    “Sing a bop-bop aboopa-lopa, loom bam-boom”
  2. Well he went on his way, and then what do ya know
    I saw him last night on a TV show
    He was blowing it out, a-really knockin’ em dead
    Playin’ rock and roll music through the horn in his head

Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: