Sunday, August 26, 2012

Chicken Fat


This blast from the past showed up on my car radio this morning. Most all of us (at least those of a certain age) will remember the Chicken Fat song, also known as "The Youth Fitness Song".


The song was written for President Kennedy's Physical Fitness Program and was distributed to all the school districts in the country in the early 60s. It was composed by Meredith Wilson and recorded by Robert Preston, both of Music Man fame. 

It became a hit song and was played in both schools and homes. I remember working out to it in gym class (wearing the one-piece gym suit that was the requirement of the day). For a time at my school it was even played each morning over the school speaker system so kids and teachers could work up a sweat before the day began.

Wherever and whenever it was played, when it came to the tag line Give that chicken fat back to the chicken and don't be chicken again!, everyone sang together at the top of their lungs.

Maybe a resurrection of the Chicken Fat song is just what we need to help solve the problem of today's childhood obesity.

If this song is a blast from your past, do you have any Chicken Fat Memories?



12 comments:

  1. Wow, I don't remember this at all! I must have been sleeping in class.

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  2. Wow, I don't remember this at all! I must have been sleeping in class.

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  3. I have never heard this before Jeanie! I wonder why? I do remember the physical fitness program in schools. I used to get so tired running the track for the tests. I do really think we were more fit back then than the kids of today because of it...and the fact that we played outside ALL OF THE TIME! Always active, swimming and playing baseball and kickball etc. I could keep up with my brother and all the boys in the neighborhood! (:>)

    Thanks for posting this. It is a cute and silly song! I imagine it was fun to exercise to.

    Love, Linda

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  4. I don't remember this song either...I do remember we got a lot more exercise than the kids today at school...they tend to cut those programs first...

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  5. I don't remember this song either...I do remember we got a lot more exercise than the kids today at school...they tend to cut those programs first...

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  6. Sadly I couldn't get the song to play... but as I don't live in the USA we probably never heard it anyway.
    Lots of songs from our youth stir nice memories. I hope this one did for you.

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  7. Peppy and rousing song, but since I didn't have to take PE in the sixties, I didn't hear it. BTW, I hated PE and chose to take Orchestra to get that requirement waived. Lol.

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  8. I don't remember this song but I definitely remember the onesie we had to wear for pe! Ours was a surgical shade of blue too. Ick.

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  9. I'm afraid this song didn't get to Hawaii. I remember Robert Preston though. This sure is a catchy song. I agree that we need to have our kids exercise more.

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  10. I have NEVER heard the chicken fat song! (But I do remember the flattering one piece gym attire - with "pinnies" to denote which team you were on).

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  11. Never heard this song. I'm pretty sure PETA had it banned as humiliating to the chickens.

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  12. I adored Robert Preston -- till he started making us do "push ups, every morning! Not just now and then!"

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