The Who2 Blog

1976 Flashback: The Captain and Tennille Destroy ‘Muskrat Love’ Forever

 

We mentioned “Muskrat Love” in our earlier post about the late Dan Peek

But a separate post is clearly needed for this truly, truly jaw-dropping video by The Captain and Tennille, from their 1976-77 variety show.

Wow.
 
No need to hammer on The Captain and Tennille — love ’em or hate ’em, they were successful enough to have their own network show — but they certainly managed to make “Muskrat Love” one of pop music’s most reviled tunes. CNN voters even named it the #2 worst song of all time, second only to Paul Anka‘s “You’re Havin’ My Baby.”
 
Thing is, it wasn’t their own song. Peek’s band America had done a very nice version of “Muskrat Love” a few years earlier, and even they were covering it. Per Wikipedia:

“Muskrat Candlelight” (subsequently covered as “Muskrat Love”) is a 1972 pop song by Willis Alan Ramsey, originally appearing on his eponymous album. It is a song about muskrats in love.

“It is a song about muskrats in love” indeed.  Maybe that’s why the song gets no respect. (Or maybe it’s the costumed critters on Tennille’s shoulders.)
 
Willis Alan Ramsey was and is a perfectly legit Texas songwriter. Among his other credits, he co-wrote “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)” with Lyle Lovett, has been covered by Shawn Colvin and Waylon Jennings, etc.  He’s still active, too.  
 
Here’s his original version of “Muskrat Candlelight,” from his 1972 debut album.
 
So maybe not the hottest song of all time, but certainly a fine, useful little tune. It’s right in line with what guys like Michael Martin Murphey or even John Denver were producing at the time. Certainly when Ramsey was noodling around on his guitar in 1972, he couldn’t have thought, “I’m writing the second-worst song of all time!”
 
Well, that’s the life of a songwriter. Hope the royalties are still rolling in.
 

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