"Coconut" by Harry Nilsson

 

Harry Nilsson's "Coconut" is featured in Quentin Tarantino's film Reservoir Dogs and in the critically acclaimed The Ice Storm. It also appears in the 1998 film Practical Magic.

 

It's a party song. It's a good song to get drunk to.

-- Sandra Bullock (star of Practical Magic)[1]

 

"Coconut" is unusual in that it has just one chord.

 

Richard Perry, the producer of Nilsson Schmilsson, suggested to Harry Nilsson that the song switch narrators to make it more interesting. [2]

 

Baha Men recorded a version of "Coconut" called "Put the Lime in the Coconut" with new lyrics.

 

The Muppets performed "Coconut" with alternate lyrics ("Ain't there nothing I can take to relieve this flipper ache") during an episode which aired in the fourth season of The Muppet Show. Fozzie Bear introduces the song which is performed by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson), a Nurse (Louise Gold), and a Doctor (Jerry Nelson). As they sing, Kermit lies in a hospital bed suffering from a "severely twisted flipper."

 

Alice Cooper, Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, Marc Bolan, and the original Alice Cooper Band recorded a version of "Coconut" which has never been released. [3]

 

A version of "Coconut" was used in "Coke, You Nut," a TV commercial for Coke With Lime. A Don Pablos commercial appears to have borrowed the melody of "Coconut."