Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton song)
Encyclopedia
"Joy to the World" is a song
written by Hoyt Axton
, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night
. The song is also popularly known by its opening words
, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog". Three Dog Night originally released the song on their fourth studio album
, Naturally
in November 1970 (see 1970 in music
) and subsequently released an edited-version of the song as a single
in February 1971 (see 1971 in music
).
The song, which has been descibed by members of Three Dog Night as a "kid's song" and a "silly song", topped the main singles charts in North America
, was certified gold by the RIAA
, and has since been covered
by multiple artists.
When Hoyt Axton performed the song to the group, two of the three main vocalists – Danny Hutton
and Cory Wells
– rejected the song, but Chuck Negron felt that the band needed a "silly song" to help bring the band back together as a working unit. Chuck also feels that the song "wasn't even close to our best record, but it might have been one of our most honest."
The song was recorded by Three Dog Night at American Recording Company, produced by Richard Podolor
, and engineered by Bill Cooper. Unlike most Three Dog Night songs recorded at that point, instead of having just the three main vocalists singing harmony, the song was recorded with all seven members of the band singing.
The single had been out less than two months, when on April 9, 1971 "Joy to the World" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
, with sales of over 500,000 units sold. The record was also given a Gold Leaf award by RPM
magazine for sales of over a million units. The record won the award for the Best Selling Hit Single Record by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers
in March 1972.
, Carrie Bradshaw
(played by Sarah Jessica Parker
) and her friend Jeremiah (played by Samuel Ball
) sing the "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" part of this song on the way home to Carrie's after a party.
The song was also featured in an episode of the sitcom Friends
when Phoebe, Monica and Chandler have gone to a karaoke
evening hosted by Phoebe's new boyfriend, Mike. Chandler stands up and opens with the line "Jeremiah was a bullfrog".
It was also referenced in a cartoon from The Far Side
, where a frog says to his two friends, "Yeah, I remember Jerry. He was a good pal of mine...you know, I never understood a word he said, but he always had some mighty fine wine," parodying the first lines of the song.
In The X-Files
television series, the song was referenced in the episode "Detour
". Agent Mulder demands Agent Scully sing to him when they find themselves lost in a forest while attempting to capture a seemingly invisible predator. After declaring that she is unable to carry a tune, Scully proceeds to sing "Jeremiah was a bullfrog... Was a good friend of mine... Never understood a single word he said... But I helped him drink his wine...". Scully again sings a few lines to their son in the season nine episode "William".
The song was sung by a child in the bath in The Big Chill
. The original Three Dog Night recording is then later played as the closing credits roll.
The song is the opening song for Raise Your Voice
, and the closing song for The Big Chill
. It is also found in 28 Days
during one of the flashbacks of the main character's mother being drunk.
Two early-1970s clips of then-Chicago Bears
coach Abe Gibron
singing the song were used on NFL Films
' 1981 documentary on "The NFL's Best Ever Coaches" and was recycled into 1985's "The Best of Football Follies
".
The Three Dog Night version is on the game Karaoke Revolution Volume 3.
The Green Bay Bullfrogs
mascot is named Jeremiah.
This song substituted for Queen's "We Are the Champions
" at the end of Super Bowl XXXII
at Qualcomm Stadium
in San Diego, California
when the Denver Broncos
won their first world championship.
This song was played as the ending song at the end of the former Finding Nemo
Disney on ice
show.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by Hoyt Axton
Hoyt Axton
Hoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well...
, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
. The song is also popularly known by its opening words
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog". Three Dog Night originally released the song on their fourth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Naturally
Naturally (Three Dog Night album)
Naturally is the fifth album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1970 . The album produced two Top 10 hits: "Joy to the World" and "Liar" . "One Man Band" reached the Top 20...
in November 1970 (see 1970 in music
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
) and subsequently released an edited-version of the song as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in February 1971 (see 1971 in music
1971 in music
-Events:*February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.*February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music...
).
The song, which has been descibed by members of Three Dog Night as a "kid's song" and a "silly song", topped the main singles charts in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, was certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, and has since been covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by multiple artists.
Background and recording
Some of the words are nonsensical. Axton wanted to convince his record producers to record a new melody he had written and the producers asked him to sing any words to the tune. A member of Three Dog Night said that the original lyrics to the song were "Jeremiah was a prophet" but "no one liked that".When Hoyt Axton performed the song to the group, two of the three main vocalists – Danny Hutton
Danny Hutton
Daniel Anthony Hutton , is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band, Three Dog Night. Hutton was the head of Hanna Barbera Records from 1965-1966...
and Cory Wells
Cory Wells
Cory Wells is an American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night.-Life and career:...
– rejected the song, but Chuck Negron felt that the band needed a "silly song" to help bring the band back together as a working unit. Chuck also feels that the song "wasn't even close to our best record, but it might have been one of our most honest."
The song was recorded by Three Dog Night at American Recording Company, produced by Richard Podolor
Richard Podolor
Richard Podolor was a record producer.Richard Podolor, who is also known as Richie Podolor or Richard Allen, produced hits including "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night and "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. His early hits were as guitarist and co-writer on the drummer Sandy Nelson's records...
, and engineered by Bill Cooper. Unlike most Three Dog Night songs recorded at that point, instead of having just the three main vocalists singing harmony, the song was recorded with all seven members of the band singing.
Charts and awards
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Top Singles | 1 |
| Year-End Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Top Singles | 1 |
The single had been out less than two months, when on April 9, 1971 "Joy to the World" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, with sales of over 500,000 units sold. The record was also given a Gold Leaf award by RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
magazine for sales of over a million units. The record won the award for the Best Selling Hit Single Record by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers
National Association of Recording Merchandisers
The National Association of Recording Merchandisers is a United States not-for-profit trade association based in Marlton, New Jersey that serves music retailing businesses in lobbying and trade promotion...
in March 1972.
Covers
- The fact this song shares its title with the Christmas carolChristmas carolA Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
"Joy to the WorldJoy to the World"Joy to the World" is a Christian Christmas carol.The words are by English hymn writer Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 98 in the Bible. The song was first published in 1719 in Watts' collection; The Psalms of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and...
" has led to numerous artists combining the two songs in various ways. In the 1990s, Chuck Negron recorded the carol and playfully included a few lyrics from the Three Dog Night/Hoyt Axton song — coming to a full stop in mid-song for the line "Jeremiah was a bullfrog." The refrain of Axton's song was also included in Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's recording of the carol for her 1994 Merry ChristmasMerry Christmas (Mariah Carey album)Merry Christmas is a holiday album and fourth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey. Released by Columbia Records on November 1, 1994, the album features both cover versions of popular Christmas tunes, including some original material...
album. - The SupremesThe SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
and Four TopsFour TopsThe Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
recorded a duet version of the song in 1971, yet it remained unreleased until 2009. - Little RichardLittle RichardRichard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
covered the song on 1971's The King of Rock and RollThe King of Rock and RollThe King of Rock and Roll was Little Richard's second album for Reprise Records, a follow-up album that was composed of originals like "Green Power" and cover versions of tracks by artists as diverse as Hank Williams, The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, Three Dog Night, and The Rolling Stones... - NardcoreNardcoreNardcore is a hardcore punk movement that came out of Southern California in the early 1980s, originating in Silver Strand Beach, Oxnard and Port Hueneme. Early bands in the Nardcore scene included Agression, Dr. Know, False Confession, Ill Repute, Habeas Corpus, RKL, Stalag 13 and Scared Straight...
punk bandPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, Ten Foot PoleTen Foot PoleTen Foot Pole is an American punk rock band, formerly on Epitaph Records.-History:Ten Foot Pole was founded in 1983 as Scared Straight.Scared Straight was a Nardcore Punk band from Simi Valley, California...
covered the song for their debut album, SwillSwill (Ten Foot Pole album)Swill is Ten Foot Pole's first recording on the band's own label, Ten Foot Records.-Track listing:#"People Like You" - 2:06#"Skywalker" - 2:17#"Pete's Shoes" - 2:32#"Life" - 3:25#"Home" - 2:43#"Ultimatum" - 3:04#"Forward" - 1:39...
. - EurodanceEurodanceEurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
crew Orlando covered the song for the 2002 DancemaniaDancemaniaDancemania is a series of remix compilation albums by i-DANCE. The series deals primarily with dance music, especially eurodance. Despite its tracks have been made by various musicians from all over the world mainly from the European continent, the albums have been released exclusively in Japan.The...
compilation Speed 10Dancemania SpeedDancemania Speed is a sub-series of Toshiba EMI's Dancemania compilation series. This series features faster, further remixed versions of recordings from previously released Dancemania albums or faster remixed covers of various famous songs...
. - Straight No Chaser, a US a capella group, covered the song for their 2010 album "With a Twist," along with other covers.
Popular culture references
In an episode of the TV series Sex and the CitySex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie Preston is the fictional narrator and lead character of the HBO sitcom/drama Sex and the City, portrayed by actress Sarah Jessica Parker. She is a semi-autobiographical character created by Candace Bushnell, who published the book Sex and the City, based on her own columns in the New York...
(played by Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
) and her friend Jeremiah (played by Samuel Ball
Samuel Ball (actor)
Samuel Ball is an American actor.Ball got his start as the third Drew Buchanan on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live in 1998. He has appeared in various roles in film and television, including Urbania, Sex and the City, Charmed, and 13 going on 30.-External links:...
) sing the "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" part of this song on the way home to Carrie's after a party.
The song was also featured in an episode of the sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
when Phoebe, Monica and Chandler have gone to a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
evening hosted by Phoebe's new boyfriend, Mike. Chandler stands up and opens with the line "Jeremiah was a bullfrog".
It was also referenced in a cartoon from The Far Side
The Far Side
The Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
, where a frog says to his two friends, "Yeah, I remember Jerry. He was a good pal of mine...you know, I never understood a word he said, but he always had some mighty fine wine," parodying the first lines of the song.
In The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
television series, the song was referenced in the episode "Detour
Detour (The X-Files)
"Detour" is the fourth episode aired in the fifth season of The X-Files. While traveling to a conference with Scully and two other FBI agents, Mulder stops at a roadblock to join a nearby inspection of attacks by an unidentified predator.-Plot:...
". Agent Mulder demands Agent Scully sing to him when they find themselves lost in a forest while attempting to capture a seemingly invisible predator. After declaring that she is unable to carry a tune, Scully proceeds to sing "Jeremiah was a bullfrog... Was a good friend of mine... Never understood a single word he said... But I helped him drink his wine...". Scully again sings a few lines to their son in the season nine episode "William".
The song was sung by a child in the bath in The Big Chill
The Big Chill (film)
The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
. The original Three Dog Night recording is then later played as the closing credits roll.
The song is the opening song for Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara-Plot:Terri Fletcher , a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul 's tragic death in a car crash...
, and the closing song for The Big Chill
The Big Chill (film)
The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
. It is also found in 28 Days
28 Days (film)
28 Days is a 2000 American drama film directed by Betty Thomas. Sandra Bullock plays Gwen Cummings, a newspaper columnist obliged to enter rehabilitation for alcoholism. The film costars Viggo Mortensen, Dominic West, Elizabeth Perkins, Steve Buscemi and Diane Ladd.-Plot:Gwen Cummings borrows the...
during one of the flashbacks of the main character's mother being drunk.
Two early-1970s clips of then-Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
coach Abe Gibron
Abe Gibron
Abraham Gibron was an American football coach and player. He is best remembered for his tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Bears...
singing the song were used on NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
' 1981 documentary on "The NFL's Best Ever Coaches" and was recycled into 1985's "The Best of Football Follies
Football Follies
Football Follies are collections of American football bloopers performed by National Football League players. Produced by NFL Films, these collections also spoof parts of popular culture. Mel Blanc joined in the fun in 1976 with The Son of Football Follies, and returned in 1989 for The Super Duper...
".
The Three Dog Night version is on the game Karaoke Revolution Volume 3.
The Green Bay Bullfrogs
Green Bay Bullfrogs
The Green Bay Bullfrogs is a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Their home games are played at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin...
mascot is named Jeremiah.
This song substituted for Queen's "We Are the Champions
We Are the Champions
"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems...
" at the end of Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII
Super Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
at Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
when the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
won their first world championship.
This song was played as the ending song at the end of the former Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
Disney on ice
Disney on Ice
Disney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from...
show.