"Eric the Half-a-Bee" is a song by the British comedy troupe Monty Python

Monty Python

Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...

. It first appeared on the LP Monty Python's Previous Record

Monty Python's Previous Record

Monty Python's Previous Record was the third album by Monty Python, released in 1972. When packaged in 1994's The Instant Monty Python CD Collection the order of some of the sketches was changed...

but is also on Monty Python Sings

Monty Python Sings

Monty Python Sings is a comedy album of songs written by the Monty Python team.The song "Oliver Cromwell" was never released prior to this album...

and The Final Rip Off

The Final Rip Off

The Final Rip Off is a compilation album by the Monty Python troupe. The original LP was released through Virgin Records in 1988 and consisted of two discs...

2-CD set. The song followed the routine called "Fish Licence

Fish Licence

The Fish Licence is part one of a two-part segment of the popular British television series, Monty Python's Flying Circus. Eric Praline, played by John Cleese, takes on the role of the put-upon customer who, when seeking to obtain a licence for his pet halibut, Eric, has difficulty explaining to...

" in which Mr Eric Praline

Mr Praline

Mr Eric Praline is a fictional character from the television show Monty Python's Flying Circus, played by comedian John Cleese.-Appearances:The Monty Python team consciously decided to avoid recurring characters...

, played by John Cleese

John Cleese

John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...

, tried to obtain a pet licence for a halibut

Halibut

Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders . Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly and butt , for its popularity on Catholic holy days...

 and numerous other pets, all called Eric. One such pet is half a bee

Bee

Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...

. The song relates a tragic yet heartwarming tale, stemming from an accident on one summer's afternoon.

The lyrics raise philosophical questions as to the existence or not of half a bee: "Half a bee, philosophically, must ipso facto half not be. But half the bee has got to be, vis-à-vis its entity - d'you see? But can a bee be said to be or not to be an entire bee when half the bee is not a bee, due to some ancient injury?". The piece ends with a reference to the distinguished English philosopher Cyril Connolly

Cyril Connolly

Cyril Vernon Connolly was an English intellectual, literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine Horizon and wrote Enemies of Promise , which combined literary criticism with an autobiographical exploration of why he failed to become the successful author of...

.

It is one of John Cleese's personal favorites of the sketches that he has done. On more than one occasion, Cleese has expressed his regret in not having the song follow "Fish License" in the sketch's airing on Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...

(Episode 23, "Scott of the Antarctic" 1970) as he describes himself as "most unmusical."