Sandy Wood
Brain Game: Seventy-Six Inches
by Sandy Wood - May 1, 2009 - 7:30 AM

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I recently heard the song “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean, and sang along with the lyrics that described John as “six-foot-six” and weighing “245.” It prompted me to think about other songs that mention the specific heights of people, like The Hollies’ “Long Cool Woman,” who is said to be “five-nine, beautiful, tall.”

When I got to one particular height measurement, I was able to (fairly quickly) pick out three hit songs whose lyrics matched up. See if you can name those three (or any others) that match:

SIX-FOOT-FOUR

Here are three ANSWERS.

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Comments (12)

  1. The Donovan song Universal Soldier (written by Buffy Sainte Marie) begins with the lines:
    He’s 5 foot 2 and he’s 6 feet 4
    And he fights with missiles and with spears
    He’s all of 31 and he’s only 17.
    And he’s been a soldier for a thousand years.

    posted by Chris on 5-1-2009 at 9:33 am

  2. The Jackal- Ronny Jordan
    Fly boy was in the buttermilk, hard,
    livin’ fast, livin’ large,
    6 foot 4 and not an ounce of fat!

    (And I instantly thought of Allison Janney performing it on the West Wing)

    posted by Carol on 5-1-2009 at 10:48 am

  3. Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 6 foot 4?

    posted by Boomer on 5-1-2009 at 12:15 pm

  4. “Love Man” by Otis Redding popped into my mind – but it turns out I’m wrong; after listening to it – “I’m 6 feet 1, weigh 210…”

    Feel like I should have gotten Jim Croce the other 2 I wouldn’t have gotten.

    posted by Nerak on 5-1-2009 at 12:26 pm

  5. Boomer, your made my day. Way to modify the lyrics!! :-)

    posted by Ophelia on 5-1-2009 at 1:06 pm

  6. @Boomer:

    We think alike, my friend! I did the parody just before I read the answers…my mom would love you! We’re always making up variations on a song, especially anything you can sing to Aqualung by Jethro Tull!

    posted by Carolyn on 5-1-2009 at 1:41 pm

  7. 6 foot 2 and eyes of blue.
    As to the origin, I have no clue.
    My neice describes herself this way (and it’s true).

    posted by elizabutt on 5-1-2009 at 4:07 pm

  8. 6 foot 4
    And what do you get?
    Another Casual Male XL catalogue
    And teeny-seat jets

    That was pretty bad. My hubby is 6’7″ – this is a glimpse of his world

    posted by elizabutt on 5-1-2009 at 4:16 pm

  9. Skee-lo’s “Taller” he said he wanted to be 6’4″

    posted by sish on 5-1-2009 at 4:45 pm

  10. It’s five foot two and eyes of blue (“Has anybody seen my gal”)

    posted by kt on 5-1-2009 at 4:53 pm

  11. Actually, its “Eight foot two, solid blue, five transistors in each shoe, has anybody seen my gal.” (For those Allen Sherman fans in the audience :-)

    posted by hsfear on 5-1-2009 at 6:38 pm

  12. Five foot two
    eyes of blue
    but oh what that five two could do!
    Has anybody seen my gal?

    50′s pop song

    or, raunchily,

    5 foot 4, not much more, but oh was that 5 4 a wh***

    posted by Ken on 5-2-2009 at 4:50 pm

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