Folk music
In 1965, together with Tam Harvey, Connolly started a group called the Humblebums. At their first gig, Connolly introduced them both to the audience by saying, "My name's Billy Connolly, and I'm humble. This is Tam Harvey, he's a bum." The band would later include Gerry Rafferty. Connolly sang, played banjo and guitar, and entertained the audience with his humorous introductions to the songs.
In his World Tour of Scotland, Connolly reveals that at a trailer show during the Edinburgh Festival, the Humblebums took to the stage just before the late Yehudi Menuhin.
The trio broke up in 1971, at which point Connolly went solo. His first solo album in 1972, Billy Connolly Live! on Transatlantic Records, features Connolly as a singer, songwriter, and musician.
His early albums were a mixture of comedy performances with comedic and serious musical interludes. Among his best known musical performances were "The Welly Boot Song", a comical ode to the working class which became his theme song for several years; "In the Brownies", a parody of the Village People classics "Y.M.C.A." and "In the Navy" (for which Connolly filmed a music video); "Two Little Boys in Blue", a tongue-in-cheek indictment of police brutality done to the tune of Rolf Harris' "Two Little Boys"; and the ballad "I Wish I Was in Glasgow" which Connolly would later perform on a guest appearance on the 1990s American sitcom Pearl (which starred Rhea Perlman). He also performed the occasional Humblebums-era song such as "Oh, No!" as well as straightforward covers such as a version of Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" which was included on his Riotous Assembly album.
In November 1975, his spoof of the Tammy Wynette song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" had a one-week spell as the UK's No. 1 single. Wynette's original was about parents spelling out words of an impending marital split to avoid traumatizing their young child. Connolly's version "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.", on the other hand, played off of the fact that many dog owners use the same tactic when they do not wish their pet to become upset about an impending trip to the veterinarian. His song is about a couple whose marriage is ruined by a bad vet visit (spelling out "W.O.R.M." or "Q.U.A.R.A.N.T.I.N.E.", for example.)
His song "No Chance" was a parody of J.J. Barrie's "No Charge".
In 1985 he sang the theme song to Supergran, which was released as a single and in 1996 he performed a cover of Ralph McTell's In The Dreamtime as the theme to his World Tour of Australia. By the late 1980s, Connolly had all but dropped the music from his act, though he still records the occasional musical performance. In 1998 he covered The Beatles' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" on the George Martin tribute, In My Life and he also recorded a rewritten version of Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket" entitled "The Evil Scotsman". Most recently, he sang a song during the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Connolly is among the artists featured on Banjoman, a tribute to American folk musician Derroll Adams, released in 2002. He plays one song, "The Rock".
Stand-up comedy
It is as a stand-up comedian that Connolly is best known. His observational comedy is idiosyncratic and often off-the-cuff. He talks about himself, who he is, where he's been, what he thinks and how he reacts to the world around him. He has outraged audiences, critics and, of course, the media with his free use of the word "fuck". He has used masturbation, blasphemy, defecation, flatulence, sex, his father's illness and his aunts' cruelty to entertain. By exploring these subjects with humour, Connolly has done much to strip away the taboos surrounding them. Yet he does not tell jokes in the conventional way. At the end of a concert the audience can be convulsed with laughter but few can remember a specific "funny" line.
One of Connolly's most famous comedy skits is "The Crucifixion", an early 1970s recording in which he likens Christ's Last Supper to a drunken night out in Glasgow. The recording was banned by many radio stations at the time. Around this same time, a joke told during a television talk show appearance (about a murderer and his bike) became a sensation that, reportedly, people still remember three decades after the appearance. (A transcript of the complete joke can be found here).
Billy Connolly also performed a sketch broadcast on TV, when talking about national anthems, and comparing the UK's slow tune to the lively ones of many other nations, Billy suggested that it should be replaced by the theme tune to The Archers.
Connolly's style has changed over the years to be less controversial and more observational. Including topics such as himself aging, stories about where he has been and other aspects of his life. He also exclaims "Oh, I must tell you!" and vocalises whatever thought occurs to him. Another feature is his ability to break off onto a tangent mid-topic and return to it later -- sometimes as long as an hour later.
Awards
Connolly was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Glasgow on 11 July, 2001. This particularly bemused his wife, who noted that she had studied for six years to obtain her Ph.D., whereas Billy merely had to turn up and collect his. 2003 saw him presented with a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement award and a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
On 4 July 2006, Connolly was awarded an honorary doctorate by Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) for his service to performing arts [5].
Trivia
* While being interviewed with his wife on the Irish Late Late Show, Connolly proved how easily he forgets many great lines that other comedians could only hope to think of. The presenter was trying to get Connolly to reproduce a funny line he had read in "Bravemouth" about Connolly knowing of an organism that lives on a human eyelid that has two penises. He asked Connolly "What was it called?" to which Connolly replied "Some latin name that I can't remember". His wife then interrupted "But the translation means lucky bastard, right", to which Connolly broke down in a fit of laughter. When he complemented his wife on the line, she had to remind him that it was his own original line which he had forgotten.
* Connolly is a lifelong supporter of Glasgow football team, Celtic, and is often seen at their home games.
* Connolly came second in The Glasgow Herald's poll, "The Most Scottish Person In The World". Number one was Wee Jimmy Krankie (see The Krankies), while third place went to Russ Abbott's impersonation of a Scotsman.
Coconut Tree
Billy Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lie in the sun and I swim in the sea
I make my bed below the sky
I still watch the world just a passin' me by.
Hey hey, it's good to be free
'Cause they'll never ever find me 'neath the coconut tree.
Man oh man it was a terrible life
She took all my money and she left me with none
So I packed my bags and decided to run.
My wife and family are looking for me
But they'll never ever find me 'neath the coconut tree.
Hey hey, it's good to be free
'Cause they'll never ever find me 'neath the coconut tree.
I live under the coconut tree
I lie in the sun and I swim in the sea
I make my bed below the sky
I still watch the world just a passin' me by.
My wife and family are looking for me
But they'll never ever find me 'neath the coconut tree.
Vocals: Gerry Rafferty
The lyrics to Billy Connolly's song "Coconut Tree" describe the simple and carefree life of someone who lives under a coconut tree, enjoying the sun, sea, and sky. The person has left their old life behind, fed up with their nagging wife and the terrible life that they lived together. The singer now lives independently and is free, away from the demands and expectations of others. The coconut tree provides a sense of shelter and tranquility, but also a symbolic representation of the freedom that the person feels.
The song is filled with a sense of liberation and independence. The singer is finally free to live life on their own terms, without worrying about the expectations of others. The lyrics suggest that sometimes, the simple things in life can be the most rewarding, and that true happiness can be found in a life of freedom and independence.
"Coconut Tree" was released on Billy Connolly's album "Cop Yer Whack For This" in 1976. The song was written by Connolly himself and was reportedly inspired by his own experiences living in rural Scotland. The track features vocals by Gerry Rafferty, who was a frequent collaborator with Connolly. The album as a whole was well-received and helped to establish Connolly as a talented singer and songwriter in his own right.
Line by Line Meaning
I live under the coconut tree
I have chosen to live a simple life away from the hassles of civilization, in a place where I can peacefully coexist with nature.
I lie in the sun and I swim in the sea
I take pleasure in the simple pleasures that life has to offer, like basking in the sun and taking a refreshing swim in the sea.
I make my bed below the sky
I sleep under the open sky, surrounded by the beauty of nature, which makes for a peaceful and contented rest.
I still watch the world just a passin' me by.
I am an observer of life, content with watching the world unfold from a distance and not getting caught up in its commotion.
Hey hey, it's good to be free
Being free from societal pressures and expectations allows me to live the life I want, without being bound by convention.
'Cause they'll never ever find me 'neath the coconut tree.
By living in my secluded paradise, I am able to escape the watchful eyes of society and live my life on my own terms.
I left home because of my nagging wife
I decided to leave my unhappy domestic situation behind and make a new life for myself free from the constraints of marriage and family.
Man oh man it was a terrible life
My life was miserable when I was trapped in an unhappy marriage, and I knew I needed to make a change.
She took all my money and she left me with none
My wife was financially abusive, taking advantage of my earnings and leaving me with nothing.
So I packed my bags and decided to run.
I made the decision to leave behind my unhappy life and start anew, unburdened by the weight of a toxic relationship.
My wife and family are looking for me
Despite my attempts to leave behind my old life, my wife and family are still searching for me and trying to bring me back.
But they'll never ever find me 'neath the coconut tree.
I am content knowing that they will never be able to find me in my peaceful paradise, where I am free and happy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GERRY RAFFERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shardric
on The evil Scotsman
It's not Billy Connolly.
It's actually called "Trouble"
It was written by George Allen and Garry Desmond and perormed by The Rockin' Jock.