Since 1986, Groce has hosted the public radio program Mountain Stage.
Biography:
Groce was born in Dallas, Texas, on April 22, 1948. He attended W.H. Adamson High School with future musicians Michael Martin Murphey, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and B. W. Stevenson.
After school, Groce moved around the States — St. Louis, New York, Los Angeles — singing folk music and rhyming tales. Groce recorded four LPs on small labels like Peaceable and Daybreak in the '70s, with his band—Berke McKelvey (bass), and the Currence brothers, Jimmie (banjo, fiddle) and Loren (guitar, fiddle, mandolin); Walt Disney's Vista label Activity Records issued his "Winnie the Pooh For President" as a single. He also recorded the "Disney Children's Favorites" albums on Disneyland Records, featuring many well-loved children's songs, as well as several other Disney recordings during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the two "Disney Christmas Favorites" LPs.
Early in the 1970s, Groce went to work for the National Endowment for the Arts program which funded appearances by artists in public schools. Groce was sent to West Virginia where working with kids inspired him to write the humorous "Junk Food Junkie", which was recorded in 1975 in front of a live audience at McCabe's in Santa Monica, California. The song, released as a single in early 1976, quickly became a hit in the United States, where it spent 15 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, peaking at number nine in the week of March 20, 1976.[2] One line in the song says the singer is "a friend to old Euell Gibbons", a naturalist known for appearing in TV commercials for Grape Nuts cereal; ironically, Gibbons died[3] just before "Junk Food Junkie" was released.
The song was followed up by an album and several more novelty numbers. None of them charted, and Groce returned to his work with children. He has written numerous children's songs, several of which have been included on the Disney Children's Favorites albums, including his song "Just For You". He currently lives in Charleston, West Virginia, and is the host of the National Public Radio music program Mountain Stage.
Groce also recorded two albums of hymns in the 1970s and has recently released a Best Of Larry Groce CD, taken from those albums, and another CD of new hymns called On Joyful Wing (Mar 2009).
He has also been in the movie Paradise Park.
[edit]References
Junk Food Junkie
Larry Groce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I always ask for more
And they call me Mr. Natural
On down to the health food store
I only eat good sea salt
White sugar don't touch my lips
And my friends is always
Begging me to take them
Yes, they are
Oh, but at night I stake out my strongbox
That I keep under lock and key
And I take it off to my closet
Where nobody else can see
I open that door so slowly
Take a peek up north and south
Then I pull out a Hostess Twinkie
And I pop it in my mouth
Yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me
Well, at lunchtime
You can always find me
At the Whole Earth Vitamin Bar
Just sucking on my plain white yogurt
From my hand thrown pottery jar
And sippin' a little hand pressed cider
With a carrot stick for dessert
And wiping my face
In a natural way
On the sleeve of my peasant shirt
Oh yeah
Ah, but when that clock strikes midnight
And I'm all by myself
I work that combination
On my secret hideaway shelf
And I pull out some Fritos corn chips
Dr. Pepper and an Ole Moon Pie
Then I sit back in glorious expectation
Of a genuine junk food high
Oh yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me
My friends down at the commune
They think I'm pretty neat
Oh, I don't know nothing about arts and crafts
But I give 'em all something to eat
I'm a friend to old Euell Gibbons
And I only eat homegrown spice
I got a John Keats autographed Grecian urn
Filled up with my brown rice
Yes, I do
Oh, but folks lately I have been spotted
With a Big Mac on my breath
Stumbling into a Colonel Sanders
With a face as white as death
I'm afraid someday they'll find me
Just stretched out on my bed
With a handful of Pringles Potato Chips
And a Ding Dong by my head
In the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me
Larry Groce's classic song "Junk Food Junkie" is a lighthearted commentary on the disparity between our public image and our private indulgences. Throughout the song, the singer depicts himself as Mr. Natural, a wholesome and health-conscious person who only eats organic food and shops at health food stores. However, when he's alone at night, he reveals his true nature as a junk food addict, sneaking snacks like Hostess Twinkies, Fritos corn chips, Dr. Pepper, and an Ole Moon Pie.
The song's lyrics are both humorous and relatable, as many of us try to eat healthy but struggle to resist the appeal of junk food. The singer's guilty pleasure provides a moment of comic relief and reminds us of the importance of balance and moderation in our lives. Overall, the song is a catchy and fun reminder that we're all human, with weaknesses and foibles.
Interestingly, "Junk Food Junkie" was released during the health food craze of the 1970s, when organic foods and macrobiotic diets were gaining popularity. The song pokes fun at the faddishness of the health food movement and the self-righteousness of some of its adherents. It also reflects the growing awareness of the dangers of processed foods and the importance of eating natural, whole foods.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I love that organic cooking
I enjoy eating organic foods
I always ask for more
I like these foods so much that I always ask for more
And they call me Mr. Natural
Others refer to me as Mr. Natural because of my preference for organic foods
On down to the health food store
I even shop at health food stores
I only eat good sea salt
I only eat high-quality sea salt
White sugar don't touch my lips
I avoid eating white sugar
And my friends is always
My friends are always
Begging me to take them
They often ask me to take them
On macrobiotic trips
On trips where we consume only macrobiotic foods
Yes, they are
That's how much they enjoy my cooking
Oh, but at night I stake out my strongbox
However, at night I go to great lengths to enjoy junk food in private
That I keep under lock and key
I keep my stash of junk food secure by locking it up
And I take it off to my closet
I take my stash of junk food to my closet
Where nobody else can see
I keep my junk food hidden from view
I open that door so slowly
I slowly and cautiously open the door to my closet
Take a peek up north and south
I glance around to make sure no one is watching
Then I pull out a Hostess Twinkie
I secretly retrieve a Hostess Twinkie from my stash
And I pop it in my mouth
I indulge in this junk food by eating it
Yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
During the day, I continue to eat healthy foods
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
However, at night I become addicted to junk food
Good lord have pity on me
I'm aware of my addiction and recognize the need to change
Well, at lunchtime
For lunch
You can always find me
You'll always find me
At the Whole Earth Vitamin Bar
At the Whole Earth Vitamin Bar
Just sucking on my plain white yogurt
I eat plain white yogurt
From my hand thrown pottery jar
I even use a unique pottery jar to consume my yogurt
And sippin' a little hand pressed cider
I also sip on hand-pressed cider
With a carrot stick for dessert
I consume a carrot stick for dessert
And wiping my face
I wipe my face
In a natural way
Using natural methods to clean my face
On the sleeve of my peasant shirt
I use my shirt's sleeve as a napkin
Oh yeah
I really do
Ah, but when that clock strikes midnight
However, when it's late at night
And I'm all by myself
And I'm alone
I work that combination
I open my secret stash
On my secret hideaway shelf
I have a shelf where I keep my secret stash
And I pull out some Fritos corn chips
I retrieve some Fritos corn chips from my stash
Dr. Pepper and an Ole Moon Pie
I also indulge in Dr. Pepper and an Ole Moon Pie
Then I sit back in glorious expectation
I sit back and look forward to indulging in junk food
Of a genuine junk food high
To enjoy the feeling of eating junk food
My friends down at the commune
My friends at the commune where I live
They think I'm pretty neat
They like me a lot
Oh, I don't know nothing about arts and crafts
I have no knowledge of arts and crafts
But I give 'em all something to eat
But I make sure to cook and provide food for them
I'm a friend to old Euell Gibbons
I am a fan, admirer and friend of Euell Gibbons, a famous food writer
And I only eat homegrown spice
I exclusively consume spice produced at home
I got a John Keats autographed Grecian urn
I own a Grecian urn signed by poet John Keats
Filled up with my brown rice
I use the urn to store brown rice
Yes, I do
That's really true
Oh, but folks lately I have been spotted
However, lately people have seen me
With a Big Mac on my breath
After consuming Big Mac, my breath smells of it
Stumbling into a Colonel Sanders
Bumping into Colonel Sanders of KFC restaurant chain
With a face as white as death
Feeling unwell and looking pale in that moment
I'm afraid someday they'll find me
I'm afraid that one day someone will discover my junk food addiction
Just stretched out on my bed
And that I'll be caught in the act of consuming junk food, lying on my bed
With a handful of Pringles Potato Chips
Holding and eating Pringles Potato Chips
And a Ding Dong by my head
With a Ding Dong cake nearby
Good lord have pity on me
I hope God has mercy on me and helps me overcome my addiction
Lyrics © PEACEABLE KINGDOM PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tnawcwvictoria
I remember hearing this song 1st on Dick Clark's The Best of American Bandstand on VH1
This song was INDEED a Top 10 Hit on the Pop Chart
God Bless Larry Groce for a job well done
and BTW, this song was out when shows like All in the Family, Maude, Good TImes, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Happy Days, The Original Hawaii Five-O, Scooby-Doo, Superfriends, TattleTales, Concentration, M*A*S*H, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, The Rookies, S.W.A.T., Sanford & Son and Starsky & Hutch were still on the air
Plus, Peter Marshall was still hosting The Hollywood Squares, Alex Trebek and Ruta Lee were still the KING & QUEEN of High Rollers, Wink Martindale and the late Elaine Stewart Heatter were still the KING & QUEEN of GAMBIT, Chuck Woolery & Susan Stafford were still spinning the Wheel of Fortune, the late Roy Clark was still hosting Hee Haw and Terry Bradshaw and the Pittsburgh Steelers STILL RULED the NFL
@samvidas9599
You know I love that organic cooking
I always ask for more
And they call me Mr. Natural
On down to the health food store
I only eat good sea salt
White sugar don't touch my lips
And my friends is always
Begging me to take them
On macrobiotic trips
Yes, they are
Oh, but at night I stake out my strongbox
That I keep under lock and key
And I take it off to my closet
Where nobody else can see
I open that door so slowly
Take a peek up north and south
Then I pull out a Hostess Twinkie
And I pop it in my mouth
Yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me
Well, at lunchtime
You can always find me
At the Whole Earth Vitamin Bar
Just sucking on my plain white yogurt
From my hand thrown pottery jar
And sippin' a little hand pressed cider
With a carrot stick for dessert
And wiping my face
In a natural way
On the sleeve of my peasant shirt
Oh yeah
Ah, but when that clock strikes midnight
And I'm all by myself
I work that combination
On my secret hideaway shelf
And I pull out some Fritos corn chips
Dr. Pepper and an Ole Moon Pie
Then I sit back in glorious expectation
Of a genuine junk food high
Oh yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me
My friends down at the commune
They think I'm pretty neat
Oh, I don't know nothing about arts and crafts
But I give 'em all something to eat
I'm a friend to old Euell Gibbons
And I only eat homegrown spice
I got a John Keats autographed Grecian urn
Filled up with my brown rice
Yes, I do
Oh, but folks lately I have been spotted
With a Big Mac on my breath
Stumbling into a Colonel Sanders
With a face as white as death
I'm afraid someday they'll find me
Just stretched out on my bed
With a handful of Pringles Potato Chips
And a Ding Dong by my head
In the daytime I'm Mr. Natural
Just as healthy as I can be
But at night I'm a junk food junkie
Good lord have pity on me
@anaixtar6793
This song is timeless, and always makes me smile--- I remember it on AM radio from the 70's :)
@cinemasolve8054
it didn't come out until late 90s
@leroylowe5921
@@cinemasolve8054 I definitely remember this in late 75 or early 76. Same time as Country Road.
@jonathanmcgowan7746
@@cinemasolve8054 This was from the mid seventies. I was in my teens when it came out
@patrickhascall5600
Definitely 70s. Mr. Groce did an impromptu concert for our high school one afternoon.
@sotbot123
@@cinemasolve8054 it actually came out in 76... per this site.
@thomastarwater2989
I still love this song, just as much as when I first heard it as a nineteen-year-old kid back in 1976. Hope Larry Groce is still doing well.
@exoticcar5482
Despite this being only a one hit wonder for him as a single, he's had a successful run doing many recordings for Disney children's music records, several of which have sold platinum. Almost any parent within the last 4 decades has heard at least some of these songs he's recorded for them
@violetmiller9999
40 years later and this song STILL cracks me up! I love it.
@khanbibi
+Violet Miller me too and i was a kid when it came out lol