Three Dog Night burst onto the scenes in the early ‘70s with the release of their single, Joy to the World – written by Hoyt Axton. It first appeared on their 4th studio album but was released as a single in February of 1971.

I remember it fondly. It took over the airwaves of Jacksonville, NC where I was living at the time. I was 11 almost 12 when the single came out. As the kids say now, it went viral.
What a glorious time of my life that was. My world had not yet gotten dark and heavy.
The song is infectious – from the opening of Jeremiah was a bullfrog “to the refrain of Joy to World all the boys and girls. it inspired surprise, joy, and dancing. You just couldn’t help yourself.
My girlfriends and I were rocking out to the song in my living room one day when my mother came home from work. Mom, uncharacteristically, grabbed the tambourine we had – the one I don’t know why we had as none of us were musical – and began beating it against her thigh and dancing around the living room. I had monkey pod wooden fruit – a banana and a pear, I think – that I was banging together in rhythm to the song and we danced. We were all singling loudly and probably offkey. I can’t remember who all “we” were, but I had a group of friends and I think we were all represented that day.
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