[Vintage-Audio] Morse Code In Songs?

[Robert Nickels]

Duane Fischer, W8DBF wrote:
> Does anyone know of other songs with Morse Code in the background?
>
> I half expect to get an e-mail from Robert, W9RAN, as if it is little 
> known, he is the man who somehow knows it!

Well, since Duane has such high expectations of me, I hate to disappoint!

The first song that came to mind was the Five Americans song, "Western 
Union" where the singsong "da da da da da" chorus was meant to sound 
like Morse, but even if you stretch a point and say they were singing 
"dah di dah di dah, it doesn't make any sense.

A few astute AM radio listeners may remember the NBC "Monitor Beacon" 
where the letter "M" in Morse is superimposed over the electronic beeps 
and boops, but that was an ID jingle, not a song as Duane specified.

So, while it's not by Ray Stevens, I'd have to say that pop song that 
most prominently features Morse is "YYZ" by the Canadian rock band Rush, 
where those three letters are "sent" repeatedly in the intro with both 
percussion and then by guitar and bass.  The inspiration was the Toronto 
International Airport beacon, whose Morse identifier is "YYZ".   
Guitarist Alex Lifeson held a private pilot license and must have 
thought the identifier had a good beat!  (Dig out your musty old 
scratched-up copy of "Moving Pictures" if you don't believe me!)

73, Bob W9RAN

PS:  The doowop group The Capris did put out an album called "The Morse 
Code of Love" but I don't know if the song by that name contains any 
Morse.  The title track "There's a Moon Out Tonight" pretty much stole 
the show...