It's Illegal, It's Immoral, Or It Makes You Fat

Album: The World Of The Beverley Sisters (1957)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • While some say the best things in life are free, others take a more cynical view. The former is affirmed in this song, but when "It's Illegal, It's Immoral, Or It Makes You Fat" was written, recording artists - those who wanted to get airplay - had to rely on innuendo rather than the anything goes ethos of the 21st Century.
  • Credited to Wally Griffin, Ken Hecht and Gary Bruce, this post-World War II novelty song was published in 1957. Widely recorded including by Edmundo Ros, the best known version is probably that of the Beverley Sisters. The title may not have quite become a cliché, but it is both a phrase and a sentiment many people will recognize. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments: 2

  • Robert Carnegie from Uk"Edmundo Ros" is who else recorded this song. Not Edmondo Ross. Although in Wikipedia his real life name was Edmund William Ross, from Trinidad. And "Edmundo Ros" was from Venezuela. It's complicated...
  • George from Vancouver, CanadaCute; hadn't heard this one before -- I note nothing has changed in 58 years regarding things you enjoy.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

90s Metal

90s MetalFact or Fiction

Test your metal - Priest, Maiden, and Beavis and Butt-head show up in this one.

Psychedelic Lyrics

Psychedelic LyricsMusic Quiz

Whoa man! Do you know which band came up with these cosmic lyrics?

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."