If you grew up listening to oldies radio, you may remember one of the strangest novelty songs ever released: “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” by Napoleon XIV.
Released in 1966, the unusual recording quickly became a hit thanks to its strange lyrics, manic delivery, hand claps, percussion, and siren-like sounds. But its success was short-lived. Not long after reaching the charts, the song began disappearing from radio playlists after complaints about its portrayal of mental illness.
And yes — in some places, it really was banned from the radio.
The song was written and performed by Jerry Samuels, a New York recording engineer who used the stage name Napoleon XIV. The track tells the story of a man who believes he is being taken away to a mental institution after apparently losing his mind.
Its bizarre sound was unlike anything else playing on Top 40 radio at the time. Instead of a traditional pop arrangement, the recording relied heavily on percussion, hand claps, tambourine, and siren effects, while Samuels delivered the lyrics in an increasingly frantic style.
The unusual record became surprisingly popular.
In the summer of 1966, “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” climbed rapidly up the Billboard Hot 100, eventually reaching No. 3. But just as it was becoming a major hit, controversy began surrounding the song.
Radio stations received complaints from listeners, mental health professionals, advocates, and families who felt the song made fun of people suffering from mental illness. In New York, major Top 40 stations including WABC and WMCA stopped playing it. WABC reportedly continued listing the song on its survey even after removing it from its playlist.
That controversy helped turn the record into one of the more unusual stories in 1960s pop music.
But the song had another strange trick waiting on the other side of the record.
The original 45’s B-side was essentially the same recording played completely backward. Even the title and artist name were presented backward on the record label, adding another layer to the bizarre concept.
For a generation used to buying vinyl singles, discovering that the other side contained the same song in reverse must have been quite a surprise.
Today, the song is remembered less as a controversial hit and more as one of the strangest musical curiosities of the 1960s. It has continued to appear on novelty and comedy music collections and remains a favorite among fans of unusual oldies.
So, does anyone remember hearing “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” on the radio?
If you do, you may remember one of the most bizarre songs ever to briefly become a mainstream hit — and one that radio stations weren’t always willing to keep on the air.