Album: Song of Joy (1976)

Charted: 4

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• Muskrat, muskrat candlelight
  Doin' the town and doin' it right
  In the evenin', it's pretty pleasin'
  
  Muskrat Susie, Muskrat Sam
  Do the jitterbug
  Out in the muskrat land
  And they shimmy
  Sam is so skinny
  
  And they whirl and they twirl and they tango
  Singin' and jinglin' a jango
  Floatin' like the heavens above
  Looks like muskrat love
  
  Nibblin' on bacon, chewin' on cheese
  Sam says to Susie
  Honey, would you please be my Mrs?
  Suzie she says yes, with her kisses
  
  Now, he's ticklin' her fancy
  Rubbin' her ties
  Muzzle to muzzle now
  Anything goes
  As they wiggle
  Sue starts to giggle
  
  And they whirl and they twirled and they tango
  Singin' and jinglin' a jango
  Floatin' like the heavens above
  Looks like muskrat love
  
  And they whirl and they twirl and they tango
  Singin' and jinglin' a jango
  Floatin' like the heavens above
  Looks like muskrat love
  
  Do, do, do, do, do
  Do, do-e, do
  Do, do, do, do, do
  Do, do-e, do
  Do, do, do, do, do
  Do, do-e, do
  Do, do, do, do, do Writer/s: Willis Alan Ramsey
  Publisher: Regard Music
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 20

• Seventh Mist from 7th HeavenIn 1981, my college took a poll for the ten worst songs of the 1970s and this one finished second (behind “Disco Duck”).
• Moosehead from Scstrange but true. for some reason, my wife would punish the kids by making them listen to this song when they misbehaved. and there was an agreement that we would pay for the wedding of any child that played this at her wedding. fast forward 20 years and yes, the first dance was performed to muskrat love. go hailey and austin!
• Penny For Texas from TexasI so enjoyed captain and Tennille as growing up. Still like to hear there songs!!
  Is tennille still alive today if so where is she and is she still healthy?
• Moonshine from Mammoth Springs ArkansasI’m camping along the Spring River watching muskrats and this song was going thru my head. I found out my husband doesn’t remember it! So we played it and I was able to sing along to most of the lyrics! I don’t love or hate the song but will say that I just learned that muskrats are vegans - they don’t eat bacon or cheese!
• Serg from UkraineMuskrat Love is a sweet and slightly strange song about a romantic relationship between two anthropomorphic muskrats, written by American folk musician Willis Alan Ramsey for his only album released in 1972. The song gained notable popularity in the 1970s largely due to covers by the rock band America and pop music duo Captain & Tennille.
  
  As noted by Gerry Beckley, America's vocalist, Muskrat Love was a point of contention between the fans and how they perceived the song: some fans regretted that the song was not a part of the band's set, while others expressed gratitude for the lack of this song in the show.
  
  America's version of the song follows the harmony, tempo, and mood of Willis Alan Ramsey's original recording very closely. The band added polyphonic vocal lines and expanded the arrangement well while leaving the recognizable acoustic guitar riff unchanged. Although America's label Warner Bros was reluctant to release the song as a single, the band insisted on it and Muskrat Love hit the radio.
  
  Curiously, Willis Alan Ramsey's self-titled album was considered groundbreaking and progressive, an excellent beginning of the successful career ahead of him. Unfortunately, the album remained his only work, supposedly caused by some conflicts with his label, Shelter. Ramsey is regularly asked about the release of his second album to which he usually replies, "What's wrong with the first one?"
• Seventhmist from 7th HeavenWhen this song comes on, my hand breaks the sound barrier as it moves to change the station.
• Penny Lesley from Beyond HellIn memory of my mother...
• Jennifur Sun from RamonaStrange song.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 12th 1973, "Muskrat Love" by America entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #86; and on September 16th,1973 it peaked at #67 {for 1 week} and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100... It reached #11 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...Between 1972 and 1983 the trio had seventeen Top 100 records; seven made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "A Horse With No Name" for 3 weeks on March 19th, 1972 and "Sister Golden Hair" for 1 week on June 8th, 1975...R.I.P. original member Dan Peek {1950 - 2011}.
• Brian from Nictaux, NsThis is one of two C&T songs which include the sounds of muskrats, the other is "Tahoe Snow" (from 'the Secret of Chrismas')
• Brian from Nictaux, NsCaptain & Tennille used to sing this song at the Smokehouse (Encino, CA) constantly. almost every night. Sometimes several times a night at the request of the audience. However, this song almost never become a single because C&T and A&M never thought it had "hit potential". A radio station in Wisconsin was constantly receiving requests to play "that muskrat song" and their Music director called A&M and bet them it would be a hit if they released it as a single. Guess he won!
• Brian from Nictaux, NsSome copies of this 45 were actually flawed as the needle of the record player went into the center before the ending of the song (the drumming) was finished.
• Karen from Manchester, NhI remember listening to the 45 of this, and the sped-up synth line...I thought it was a flaw in the record, and it drove me crazy. You mean to tell me that it was done on PURPOSE?
• Elmer from Westville, OkI remember "Muskrat Love" from 1976. Weird not cute! It got all the way up to #4 on the Billboard charts though. I guess that shows you there's no accounting for bad taste!
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxThe world's collective IQ drops a point every time this song is played.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyIn July of 1976 First Lady Betty Ford invited the Capt & Tenille to perform at the White House, the Queen of England was a guest at that time. They played "Muskrat Love" and the Queen was the only one who didn't applauded whe they finished the song!!!
• Jesse from Madison, WiMy 45 plays the synthesized rhythm track at the end of it. And those two frisky muskrats were courtesy of The Captain's E-mu modular synthesizer. Otherwise a great classic and an all time favorite of mine!
• Musicmama from New York, NyI always think of this song as pornography for rodents.
• John from Brisbane, United StatesCredit credit and credit more for what they have done to this all so peaceable good music.A ton of flowers is what I want to throw to you on you for this lovely song.
• Guy from Woodinville, WaGreat song! Give Captain & Tenille cresit for recording such a silly song and releasing it as a single. I think a lot of people like it who don't want to admit it.

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