The Eggplant That Ate Chicago Explained

The Eggplant That Ate Chicago
Type:	single
Artist:	Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band
Album:	The Eggplant That Ate Chicago
A-Side:	The Eggplant That Ate Chicago
B-Side:	You Can't Fight City Hall Blues
Released:	1967
Genre:	Novelty^[1]
Length:	2:41

"The Eggplant That Ate Chicago" is a song about alien invasion by Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band. Its author, Norman Greenbaum, later wrote and performed "Spirit in the Sky" to greater chart success.^[2] It was re released on Dr. Demento Presents: The Greatest Novelty Records of All Time, Volume III: The 1960s in 1985.

In Australia, it appeared on the Festival compilation Operation Big Time!^[3] in 1967.

Parodies and homages

• Tom Paxton's "The Pizza That Ate Chicago" on Fun Food Songs (Delta, 1999) and Your Shoes, My Shoes (2002)
• "The Aubergine That Ate Rangoon" on Hawkwind's Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music, 1976
• Big Maybelle recorded the song on America's Queen Mother of Soul, 1966

Although not strictly following the [foodstuff] that ate [place] formula, there has also been:

• "The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati" by Rose and the Arrangement in 1974 and, arguably its homage,
• "Cicada That Ate Five Dock" by Outline, 1981

See also

• Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
• The Cockroach that Ate Cincinnati

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jim . DeRogatis . Jim DeRogatis . Rock and roll's best and worst Chicago songs . July 30, 2003 . October 26, 2016 .
2. News: Nichol . Tom . A 'Spirit' From the '60s That Won't Die . New York Times web reprint . 2008-03-07 . The New York Times . 2006-12-24.
3. Web site: Operation Big Time! . majesticcompilations.com . 8 July 2017.