Comment by User myoarin on Wed 22 Aug 2007 - 12:28 pm UTC:

Just for a start, but it's in German:
"Das Lied von der harten Nuss"

http://www.hampsong.com/foundation/library/texts.php?id=P984
with English adaptation.

You can hear it here (not that it was intelligible):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLhBPLv1n_U&mode=related&search=

Many old worksongs are not about partying and love, but probably are not
weird enough for you.

"Wichita Lineman"
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/campbell-glen/wichita-lineman-622.html
  (but he is singing to a girl  - well, I always assumed it was a girl)

and other cowboy songs, but you want "crazy songs about really unusual
topics".  

Subway songs?  "Charlie on the MTA"
http://www.maj.org/p2005/ThisLand_mta.html

Train songs? 

??

Comment by User anonsi on Wed 22 Aug 2007 - 8:01 pm UTC:

I'll add a couple of freebies for you as well (my suggestions certainly
shouldn't deter a researcher from supplying a superb list).

The group, Boney M., appears to have a few songs that are truly out there. 
For exaple, "Rasputin" is about the man of the same name (I know, I know,
you didn't want politics) and it has a catchy tune.  "Painter Man" seems to
fit your specifications pretty well, as it is about a man who becomes a
painter man (of all things).

Some of their songs can be heard on Amazon.com at the following link.  I'm
not sure if this will work for you as it wasn't working for me earlier
today.
http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Boney-M/dp/B000IOM9QG/ref=pd_sim_m_img/104-7438596-1683957

The song, "Birdhouse in your Soul", by They Might be Giants also seems to
fit.  It is from the perspective of a nightlight that is plugged into the
wall.  It's possible that other songs by They Might be Giants might also be
to your liking.

Comment by User markvmd on Thu 23 Aug 2007 - 2:26 am UTC:

Not physics, but ti is about the Moon, Sort of. These guys had a
short-lived Quizno's ad campaign that confused anyone over the age of 21.
Joel Veitch has several other... um, weirdnesses on his site as well.

http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song/


And who could forget the "All Your Base" craze? "The Laziest Men On Mars"
has a few otehr good songs. This was the first thing I ever looked up on
Wiki. 

One version... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItugh-fFgg

Comment by Researcher byrd on Thu 23 Aug 2007 - 2:53 am UTC:

Nobody has posted the Llama Song? To be sure it's not about relativity or
ballroom tiles, but it is quite oddball, quite, and so I'm quite astounded.
My brother, a university music professor, sent me this gem. Be warned - it
will get stuck in your head and play endlessly for hours. :-D

The Llama Song: 
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08BRy0MoIA8 (<--this one you can pause ...)

And here are the lyrics: 
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/audio/llama 

Llamas,
Byrd

Comment by User cloveapple on Thu 23 Aug 2007 - 3:01 am UTC:

I'm going to be checking out some of the songs in pinkfreud's great answer.
Just thought I'd share some songs I listen to that are not "about partying
and love":
The Waitress by Jane Siberry about being a good waitress
Why Does the Sun Shine by They Might Be Giants
Zombie Jamboree sung by The Kingston Trio about NY zombies
Anchorage by Michelle Shocked (a slice of life letter between friends)
Burning Down The Hard Rock Cafe by Farm Accident
Cold Missouri Waters sung by Cry Cry Cry (also sung by others)about a
firefighters last days
This Shirt by Mary Chapin Carpenter about a worn out shirt
Grandpa's Advice by Adie Grey about bad drivers (if you like songs about
cars or driving Car Talk Car Tunes Vol. 1 or two may have songs you like)
The Presidents by Jonathan Coulton (about all the US Presidents so far
-each one gets a line)
Skymall by by Jonathan Coulton (about a shopping catalog)
Ikea by Jonathan Coulton (about a furniture store)
Pink Houses by John Mellencamp

Comment by User probo on Thu 23 Aug 2007 - 6:44 am UTC:

Wow ... So many!

Poor Hap will now not have enough time to do any engineering.

And I've got another:

'The Gandy Dancer's Ball' as popularised by Frankie Laine.

In case you wondered:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandy_dancer

Bryan

Comment by User montecristo on Thu 23 Aug 2007 - 3:02 pm UTC:

What a great question. Try songs by Jake Thackray.

Comment by Researcher pinkfreud on Thu 23 Aug 2007 - 7:11 pm UTC:

The mention, in the question, of "16 Tonnes (Tons)" reminds me that there
are a lot of pop songs about coal miners and coal mine disasters. Here is a
large list:

http://www.fiql.com/playlists/coalmining_songs/

My favorite coal mining songs are "Springhill Mine Disaster" and "Dark as a
Dungeon."

Springhill Mining Disaster
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2wQYdmqK6Tk

Dark as a Dungeon
http://youtube.com/watch?v=V4qVGV0FvVA

Comment by User archae0pteryx on Fri 24 Aug 2007 - 3:49 am UTC:

I like these philosophy songs.

http://www.uwmanitowoc.uwc.edu/staff/awhite/phisong.htm#sol 

Here's a sample:

  Hume on the Brain
  (Sung to "Home on the Range")

  Oh read me some Hume
  in a skeptic-packed room,
  where the beer and the arguments play--
  where often is heard
  a reduction absurd--
  and the statements are mostly de re!

Archae0pteryx

Comment by User myoarin on Fri 24 Aug 2007 - 10:56 am UTC:

Great site, Tryx, Thanks.

I am just printing out a selection for the Philosophische Gesellschaft
here, that meets once a week  -  1 1/2 hour talk followed by discussion and
then by a symposíon in the old sense of the word.

"Hume on the Brain" describes it too well.  :-)

Cheers, Myo

Comment by User myoarin on Fri 24 Aug 2007 - 1:05 pm UTC:

And the refrain is limerick (if I have my feet sorted properly ;-).

(I checked out Asimov yesterday, re something about science fiction, and
discovered what limericker he was. The critic of his prose was interesting.
Seemed to me that if one is prolific and successful enough, one's own style
gains a place of respect on its own.)

Anyway: some will be puzzled by the above, others will understand.

Cheers, Myo

Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Sat 1 Sep 2007 - 8:44 pm UTC:

Hi happyengineer,

You might enjoy Elton John singing the instructions for a Microwave Oven:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAmtiXP3Thw

Regards,
eiffel

Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Sat 1 Sep 2007 - 11:14 pm UTC:

"We didn't start the fire" by Billy Joel (viewable here in annotated
form):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_WU5purJUGw
is a musical chronology of the 20th century.

Comment by Researcher pinkfreud on Tue 18 Sep 2007 - 6:41 pm UTC:

Thank you very much for the tip!

~Pink

Comment by User wagon on Sun 14 Oct 2007 - 2:45 pm UTC:

you might want to try pandora radio, which is over at www.pandora.com .
it's a free online radio service that suggests songs based on your
particular musical palate.

without making you do any work, here are some bands that should fit the
bill:

frank zappa. legendary 60's founder of the san fransisco freak movement,
which turned into the hippies pretty soon thereafter. he was the only one
who didn't get high. wrote a lot of songs about robotic dogs and stinky
feet, pancake breakfasts, and pretty much anything he could set music to.
the man was a genius.

deerhoof. a guitarist, a drummer, and a japanese girl on vocals. modern
rock group, and when i say modern i mean it. you might want to sit down
before you try them out. if you're not used to their kind of music, it can
be terrifying. a lot of their songs are about things like milkmen and
pandas.

since you mentioned that you like story songs, the most important
reccomendation i could give to you is:

sufjan stevens. he's a 20-something folk artist who currently lives in
brooklyn and plays sold-out shows to college crowds. he may or may not be
continuing with his 50 states project, which is an attempt to make a cd
about each of the 50 states in the US. so far he's got michigan and
illinois.
each of his songs tells a different story. supercomputers, the detroit auto
industry, tornadoes... he does it all. he will always be one of the greats
to me.

i'd reccomend the decemberists for a lot of the same reasons, except they
play what can best be described as pirate rock. they're another band that
would rather spin a good yarn then noodle around on your heartstrings, and
they're amazing at doing it. 

the best thing you can do is go to your local used record store (the
shadier the better) and browse aroud. ask questions. most small record
store owners are there because they love music, and would likely love to
help you find what you're looking for.

best of luck!

AP

Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Sun 14 Oct 2007 - 5:14 pm UTC:

C W McCall's song "Convoy" is about a convoy of truckers who use CB radio
to organise a trucker rebellion which drives from coast to coast across the
US.

Wikipedia: Convoy Song
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convoy_(song)

Convoy Lyrics Page
http://www.narrowgauge.org/4x4/cw_pages/lyrics/spirit/convoy.html

YouTube - C.W. McCall Convoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CLjSgkds5M

Then there's Ray Stevens' piece about a habitual streaker:

YouTube - The Streak - Ray Stevens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85krLPrWWTY

Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Tue 12 Aug 2008 - 11:55 am UTC:

Gotta love the Large Hadron Collider rap:
http://idle.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/12/0036245