Just the other night, my wife started singing something that I’d never heard before. It was a song called “Mother-in-law.” The melody was pretty catchy … so, of course, I had to look it up. And my friend, Google, tells me it was written in 1961 by a guy named “Ernie K-Doe.” Here’s a picture of Mr. K-Doe, his wife, and … you guessed it:  his mother-in-law.

Apparently, this song is pretty well-known. And it’s been used in a lot of movies and commercials. Because, really, the lyrics (about a mother-in-law) cover a fairly popular theme. It’s a harmless song that almost anybody can relate to. Plus, there aren’t a million songs out there about in-laws. So it only makes sense that this song has made its own little mark. I mean, when you want a song about your mother-in-law, there’s really only one choice. (Because, technically, “Mrs. Robinson” doesn’t count.)

So, in a way, Ernie K-Doe was brilliant. Thinking like a real businessman, he found an untapped market and he delivered. Sure, he might be a one-hit wonder … but he probably cried all the way to the bank.

Anyway, what other songs can you think of that totally cornered their own little markets? For example, which songs come to mind when you think about “ghosts,” “Joe Dimaggio,” or “flying a kite”? I don’t know about you, but I think my next song will be about some endangered species like the “Aeolian Wall Lizard.” That way, I can retire on a small island in the Bahamas.