Coconut ( song ) - wikipedia Coconut ( song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2016 ) `` Coconut '' Single by Nilsson from the album Nilsson Schmilsson B - side `` The Moonbeam Song '' Released June 1972 ( 1972 ) Format 7 '' single Recorded 1971 ( 1971 ) Genre Calypso Length 3 : 52 Label RCA Victor Songwriter ( s ) Harry Nilsson Producer ( s ) Richard Perry Nilsson singles chronology `` Jump into the Fire '' ( 1972 ) `` Coconut '' ( 1972 ) `` You 're Breakin ' My Heart '' ( 1972 ) `` Jump into the Fire '' ( 1972 ) `` Coconut '' ( 1972 ) `` You 're Breakin ' My Heart '' ( 1972 ) `` Coconut '' is a novelty song written and first recorded by American singer - songwriter Harry Nilsson, released as the third single from his 1971 album, Nilsson Schmilsson. It was on the U.S. Billboard charts for 10 weeks, reaching # 8, and was ranked by Billboard as the # 66 song for 1972. It charted minorly in the UK, reaching # 42. `` Coconut '' did best in Canada, where it peaked at # 5. It was used to great effect in the Quentin Tarantino movie `` Reservoir Dogs ''. In 1998, a cover version was released by Australian singer Dannii Minogue as a single, peaking at # 62 on the ARIA singles chart. Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Music 3 Personnel 4 Chart history 4.1 Weekly charts 4.2 Year - end charts 5 Dannii Minogue version 6 Other versions 7 References 8 External links Lyrics The lyrics feature four characters ( the narrator, the brother, the sister, and the doctor ), three of whom ( narrator, sister, and doctor ) are sung in different voices by Nilsson. The song describes a story in which a girl has a stomachache and calls her doctor who prescribes her a drink. With the help of her brother, they concoct a beverage consisting of lime and coconut. When the sister calls the doctor late at night, the doctor ( annoyed at being awakened by such a complaint ) laughs her off and recommends that she `` put the lime in the coconut and drink ' em both together '' -- then call him in the morning. Music There are no chord changes in the song : an arpeggiated C7th accompanies the song. Personnel According to the 1971 LP credits : Harry Nilsson -- vocals Caleb Quaye -- guitar Ian Duck -- acoustic guitar Herbie Flowers -- bass Jim Gordon -- drums, percussion Roger Pope -- drums Chart history Weekly charts Chart ( 1972 ) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles 5 UK ( OCC ) 42 US Billboard Hot 100 8 US Cash Box Top 100 12 Year - end charts Chart ( 1972 ) Rank Canada 55 US Billboard Hot 100 66 US Cash Box 87 Dannii Minogue version `` Coconut '' Single by Dannii Minogue from the album Girl B - side `` Everybody Changes Underwater '' `` Heaven Can Wait '' `` Someone New '' Released November 16, 1998 ( 1998 - 11 - 16 ) Format CD single Recorded 1994 - 1995 Genre Dance - pop techno - pop Length 4 : 50 Label WEA Songwriter ( s ) Harry Nilsson Producer ( s ) Flexifinger ( Original vocal production : DNA ) Dannii Minogue singles chronology `` Disremembrance '' ( 1998 ) `` Coconut '' ( 1998 ) `` Everlasting Night '' ( 1999 ) `` Disremembrance '' ( 1998 ) `` Coconut '' ( 1998 ) `` Everlasting Night '' ( 1999 ) Dannii Minogue recorded the song in 1994 with UK dance producers DNA. When Minogue parted ways with Mushroom Records in 1995 and signed to Eternal Records in 1996, she had the track remixed by producers Flexifinger. The track was originally used as a hidden bonus track on her third album Girl. It was subsequently released in Australia on November 16, 1998 as the fourth and final single from that album, peaking at # 62 on the ARIA singles chart upon its debut, on the chart dated week commencing 23 November 1998. In 2009, the original version of `` Coconut '' was made available on the compilation The 1995 Sessions. Other versions Other cover versions of the song have been recorded by the Baha Men, Fred Schneider ( on the `` Everybody Sings Nilsson '' tribute album ), Lazlo Bane ( under the title `` Lime in the Coconut '' ), Sprung Monkey, P.M. Dawn, and, according to a Nilsson website, the Alice Cooper Band. Flip Wilson ( in his role of Geraldine Jones ) covered this song in a fourth season episode of his variety show along with Harry Belafonte. Kermit the Frog and other Muppet characters covered the song in a sketch on The Muppet Show ( as part of episode 4.10, with guest Kenny Rogers ). The scene showed Kermit in a hospital bed, having hurt his flipper after slipping on some oil on the floor in the theater, joining hospital staff singing the song as the room developed a jungle theme. The song was also used in commercials for Coca - Cola with Lime. These ads are set in a Coke factory and a corporate boardroom and feature various people incorrectly singing the line as `` you put the lime in the Coke, you nut ! '' Fred Schneider performed the song on Late Night with Conan O'Brien after the release of the 1995 `` Everybody Sings Nilsson '' tribute album, for which the song was the lead single. He was joined on the show by the track 's producer Richard Barone of The Bongos on lead guitar. The Baha Men ( portraying the `` Ha - Ha Men '' ) covered the song in the ChalkZone episode `` The Smooch ''. References Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Billboard Top 40 Hits ( 8th ed. ). p. 458. ISBN 0 - 8230 - 7499 - 4. Jump up ^ UK Official Charts, 27 September 1969 Jump up ^ RPM Top Singles, September 9, 1972 Jump up ^ Nilsson Schmilsson ( CD booklet : reproduced 1971 LP sleeve ). Harry Nilsson. BMG Entertainment. 2000. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Missing or empty url = ( help ) ; access - date = requires url = ( help ) Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1990 - ISBN 0 - 89820 - 089 - X Jump up ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 2, 1972 Jump up ^ `` Best of 1972 songs and music, on ''. Musicandyears.com. 12 November 2010. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2017. Jump up ^ Musicoutfitters.com Jump up ^ Cash Box Year - End Charts : Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1972 Jump up ^ `` The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart : Week Commencing 23 Nov 1998 ''. Australian Record Industry Association Ltd. Archived from the original on 2015 - 10 - 11. Retrieved 2015 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Lazlo Bane 's Guilty Pleasures ''. cdbaby.com. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 10. Jump up ^ Coates, Tyler ( January 7, 2015 ). `` 10 Essential Musical Moments From ' The Muppet Show ' ''. Decider. Retrieved July 25, 2015. Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB4V860YojE External links Metrolyrics.com Harry Nilsson Studio albums Spotlight on Nilsson Pandemonium Shadow Show Aerial Ballet Harry Nilsson Sings Newman The Point ! Nilsson Schmilsson Son of Schmilsson A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night Pussy Cats Duit on Mon Dei Sandman... That 's the Way It Is Knnillssonn Flash Harry Soundtracks Skidoo The Point ! Son of Dracula Popeye Remixes Aerial Pandemonium Ballet Compilations Early Tymes A Touch More Schmilsson in the Night Nilsson ' 62 : The Debut Sessions Hollywood Dreamer Nilsson The RCA Albums Collection Singles `` All for the Beatles '' `` Sixteen Tons '' `` You Ca n't Do That '' `` River Deep -- Mountain High '' `` One '' `` Everybody 's Talkin ' '' `` Me and My Arrow '' `` Without You '' `` Jump into the Fire '' `` Coconut '' `` As Time Goes By '' `` Subterranean Homesick Blues '' `` Save the Last Dance for Me '' `` Many Rivers to Cross '' `` A Love Like Yours ( Do n't Come Knocking Everyday ) '' `` Sail Away '' `` Just One Look / Baby I 'm Yours ( medley ) '' Other songs `` This Could Be the Night '' `` Ten Little Indians '' `` The Puppy Song '' `` Old Dirt Road '' `` You 're Breakin ' My Heart '' Collaborations John Lennon Pussy Cats Every Man Has a Woman Ringo Starr Ringo Son of Dracula Goodnight Vienna Ringo 's Rotogravure Stop and Smell the Roses Keith Moon Two Sides of the Moon Hal Willner Stay Awake : Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films Related articles Discography RCA Victor The Monkees Midnight Cowboy Richard Perry The Hollywood Vampires The Lost Weekend The Telephone `` Pussy Cats '' Starring the Walkmen For the Love of Harry : Everybody Sings Nilsson Who Is Harry Nilsson ( And Why Is Everybody Talkin ' About Him ) ? Dannii Minogue Discography Studio albums Dannii / Party Jam / Love and Kisses Get into You Girl Neon Nights Club Disco Singles `` Love and Kisses '' `` Success '' `` Jump to the Beat '' `` Baby Love '' `` I Do n't Wanna Take This Pain '' `` Show You the Way to Go '' `` Love 's on Every Corner '' `` This Is It '' `` This is the Way '' `` Get into You '' `` Rescue Me '' `` Boogie Woogie '' `` All I Wanna Do '' `` Everything I Wanted '' `` Disremembrance '' `` Coconut '' `` Everlasting Night '' `` Who Do You Love Now ? '' `` Put the Needle on It '' `` I Begin to Wonder '' `` Do n't Wanna Lose This Feeling '' `` Come and Get It '' `` You Wo n't Forget About Me '' `` Perfection '' `` So Under Pressure '' `` I Ca n't Sleep at Night '' `` He 's the Greatest Dancer '' `` Touch Me Like That '' `` Summer of Love '' `` 100 Degrees '' `` Holding On '' `` Galaxy '' Compilations U.K. Remixes The Singles The Remixes The Hits & Beyond Unleashed The Early Years The 1995 Sessions This Is It : The Very Best Of Video albums Love and Kisses : Video Collection Get into You : Video Collection The Videos Dannii Minogue : The Video Collection Books My Story My Style Related articles Kylie Minogue ( sister ) Terry Ronald Ian Masterson Julian McMahon ( ex-husband ) Project D Style Queen Book Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coconut_(song)&oldid=841446929 '' Categories : 1971 songs 1971 singles 1998 singles Calypso songs Harry Nilsson songs Dannii Minogue songs Novelty songs Songs written by Harry Nilsson Song recordings produced by Richard Perry Coconuts Songs about plants Songs about food RCA Victor singles Warner Music Group singles Hidden categories : Pages using web citations with no URL Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Articles needing additional references from October 2016 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017 Use dmy dates from June 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Español Edit links This page was last edited on 15 May 2018, at 22 : 14. 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Question: who sings you put the lime in the coconut
Answer: Nilsson