September 2 is World Coconut Day! We observe it as we did with National Banana Day last year, with a little survey of key moments when the humble coconut (sometimes spelled cocoanut) has inspired or impacted popular culture.
Originating in the islands of the Indo-Pacific, the fruit was named by Portuguese sailors, “coco” meaning “head” in their language, an obvious reference to its size and shape. It has no relationship to cocoa or coca. Cultivation of the plant grew with colonialism to all of the tropical regions of the earth. This geographic association has always made it seem exotic, even sexy.
The Coconut Shy (19th century)
“Coconut Shy” does not refer to being bashful around coconuts. To “shy” is to throw or toss something (no one has ever figured out the etymological origin of this, or its relation to the more common use of the word shy). At any rate, a Coconut Shy is a midway game, traditional at British funfairs since the late 19th century. Basically you throw wooden balls at mounted coconuts in an effort to knock them off their perches. If you suceed, you get to keep the coconuts, or some other prize. The fact that India, then a British possession, had become a major exporter of coconuts, seems relevant.
The Hollywood night club which we wrote about here, named after the Florida city which had been incorporated a couple of years before. It was soon followed by a club with the same name in Boston, which burned down in the 1940s.
The Cocoanuts (1925)
The Marx Brothers’ first Broadway book show, which later became their first movie to be released to the public in 1929.
“I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” (1944)
This popular novelty song was inspired by coconut shys of the kind described above. Freddy Martin and His Orchestra had a big hit with the tune in 1950, with none other than Merv Griffin on vocals. It’s what put Merv on the map! The following year it was also a hit for Danny Kaye. The song has been referenced in the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, on I Dream of Jeannie, The Muppet Show, and the Disney movie The Lion King, among other places.
A major theme of the Sherwood Schwartz sitcom was that the Professor could turn the tropical fruit into anything, from a food staple, to drinking vessels, to transistor radios. The original show ran through 1967, and TV movie specials followed into the early ’80s.
“Coconut” (1971)
With this hit novelty sing Harry Nilsson showed what could be achieved with but a single chord, a lime, a coconut, and some funny voices.
Goin’ Coconuts (1978)
The fact that Donny and Marie Osmond were pitch people for Hawaiian Punch may explain why Hawaii was the setting for their feature film Goin’ Coconuts (1978). Directed by Howard Morris, it features top comic actors like Herb Edelman, Kenneth Mars, and Ted Cassidy (in his final role).
Kid Creole and the Coconuts (1980)
Sui generis retro-camp New Wave tropical band! They were the musical guests on the premiere episode of the notorious Season Six of Saturday Night Live (the first new cast following the original one) November 15, 1980, guest hosted by Elliot Gould. This is naturally where I first first became aware of them. They are still a going concern!
Naturally, there are hundreds of other acts and shows and films and so forth named for, or inspired by, coconuts, but these are the principal ones I’ve ever been aware of. As always, I am not soliciting suggestions for more!