"Comet" is a well-known

humorous Humour (Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term derives from the humoral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in t ...

children's song A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studied ...

in North America. It describes the deleterious effects of consuming Comet cleanser—a powdered cleansing product. The most prominent and often-occurring effect in the song is that it turns one's teeth green. Among other effects alleged by this song are an unappealing taste and, unsurprisingly, a tendency to

vomit Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteri ...

. Although this song, like many in its

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other ...

, has widely variable

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer ...

, a common version contains the following words: : Comet - it makes your teeth r "lips"turn green!; : Comet - it tastes like gasoline r "listerine", in the variation where your lips turn green; : Comet - it makes you vomit; : So buy r "eat" or "get"some Comet, and vomit, today! The melody of the song is the "

Colonel Bogey March The "Colonel Bogey March" is a British march that was composed in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts (1881–1945) (pen name Kenneth J. Alford), a British Army bandmaster who later became the director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth. ...

In popular culture

*Bart Simpson sings a version about his sister in the ''

Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, an ...

'' episode "

Stark Raving Dad "Stark Raving Dad" is the first episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 1991. In the episode, Homer is sent to a mental ins ...

" *Byron, one of the Pike triplets, sings a variation in Baby-sitters on Board!, The Baby Sitters Club Super Special #1.

References

{{reflist Playground songs American folk songs

In popular culture

See also

References