Vegetarian Decapitation

Hasil Adkins - No More Hot Dogs

There are a lot of good things about this song. The words, about how he’s going to cut your head off at half past eight, and then you won’t be able to eat any more hot dogs, are funny, and it’s impossible to take their misogynism and aggression seriously. The tune’s catchy enough, and the puttering, murky guitar is nice to listen to. But the whole point is the crazed laughter at the beginning. It’s amazing.

Hasil Adkins was a rockabilly, or really a psychobilly, in the ’50s, back when electric guitars was a threat; he just took that threat farther than other people. I don’t know if anyone knew how to handle him then, but they forgot him, anyway, until Norton Records rediscovered him a while ago. Turns out he’s still around, still wacky, and still obsessed with chicken.

This song comes from Out to Hunch. If you listen to vinyl, look for a 45 whose A side is called “Sally Wally Woody Waddy Weedy Wally.” It’s about 5 times as good as this song - just loony. Seems Sally was one of his numerous ladies, aside from his current girlfriend, whose name is Hazel, if you believe him.

UPDATE:
Hasil died on April 25. RIP.