“There Ain’t No Bugs on Me” is an old novelty song. Fiddlin’ John Carson, the Georgia fiddler who made some of the earliest country records, assembled and recorded it in 1928, though the song and its catchy chorus are thought to be older still.
The song is built of nonsense and topical verses strung around a bragging refrain — there may be bugs on others, but there aren’t any on the singer. Carson’s verses poked fun at the news and notions of the day, including a jab at the theory of evolution. The fun is in the wordplay and the swing of the chorus.
Its lighthearted bounce kept it alive as a children’s song and a string-band favorite.
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