"Flappie" is a

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...

originally recorded by Dutch comedian

Youp van 't Hek Joseph Jacobus Maria "Youp" van 't Hek (born 28 February 1954) is a Dutch comedian, author, columnist, singer-songwriter, playwright, and critic. Biography Van 't Hek was born and raised in the Gooi, an upper-class region to the southeast o ...

in 1978. The lyrics describe a boy who is angry with his father for cooking their family's pet rabbit on Christmas. It became a popular song in

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and it has been played as part of the rotation of Christmas music every year since its release. Since 2003, it has made regular appearances in the annual Radio 2

Top 2000 The ''Top 2000'' is an annual Dutch marathon radio programme that plays the 2,000 songs voted most popular of all time. The show runs 24 hours a day, starting Christmas and ending on New Year's Eve. The show is hosted by the Dutch national radio ...

. In 2020, an English-translated version was recorded by American musician

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

Real-life cases

Because of the popularity of the song, there has been numerous cases of vandals breaking into rabbit cages around Christmas time, with the intention of re-creating parts of the "Flappie" lyrics. There are also cases where people adopt a rabbit as a pet in December, again with the intention of recreating part of the song. In 2006, the Dutch Animal Protection made a statement that any people who wanted to adopt a rabbit would have to wait until January before they could adopt one. People who have pet rabbits are also encouraged to lock their rabbits indoors during December, to prevent vandals from breaking the cages open and stealing the rabbits.

Todd Rundgren version

In 2020,

recorded a version of "Flappie" with original English-translated lyrics. He told ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine that he had been asked to do a Christmas single by

Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, D ...

, and "at first I thought the way I usually think: What can I do that nobody else would think of doing? I found a song that was a hit in Holland, where apparently having a rabbit for Christmas dinner is a fairly commonplace thing, where the kid raises the rabbit until Christmas and then it magically disappears. It’s just a little ditty about the cannibalism of rabbits." Van 't Hek praised Rundgren's version, saying "Everyone is free to record their own version of it, of course. I also think he did well. When I heard him sing 'Flappie', I thought: 'well, not a bad song at all.'"

References

External links

News report about freeze in adoption of rabbits during December (Dutch)
{{authority control Christmas novelty songs Dutch pop songs Comedy songs Black comedy music Dutch-language songs 1978 songs Songs about rabbits and hares Songs about death Songs about cannibalism Todd Rundgren songs