May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose
Encyclopedia
"May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" is a 1965 novelty song by Little Jimmy Dickens
. The single was Dickens's most successful single on the U.S. country music chart. "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" went to number one for two weeks and stayed on the chart for a total of eighteen weeks. On the U.S. pop chart, "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" peaked at number fifteen.
The chorus is an insult, said back to Dickens, for his insulting behaviors.
Little Jimmy Dickens
James Cecil Dickens , better known as Little Jimmy Dickens, is an American country music singer famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size, 4'11" , and his rhinestone-studded outfits...
. The single was Dickens's most successful single on the U.S. country music chart. "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" went to number one for two weeks and stayed on the chart for a total of eighteen weeks. On the U.S. pop chart, "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" peaked at number fifteen.
Content
The song features three verses, each of which mentions an incident where Dickens (the narrator) performs an action which is perceived to be insulting:- In the first verse, Dickens sees a beggar and proceeds to give him one penny.
- In the second verse, Dickens gets a call from his laundryman, who returns $100 that Dickens left in his clothes; Dickens gives him 10 cents to repay the phone call.
- In the final verse, Dickens asks a cab driver to speed so he can catch a train; the cab driver is ticketed for speeding, while Dickens stands by, waiting for change from his fare.
The chorus is an insult, said back to Dickens, for his insulting behaviors.
Chart performance
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 4 |