THE BUOYS 'Timothy' HQ

"Timothy" is a song written by Rupert Holmes and recorded by the Buoys in 1970, presenting the unnerving story of three men trapped in a collapsed mine, two of whom apparently resort to cannibalism against the third (the eponymous character Timothy). The song managed to reach the U.S. Billboard Top 40 chart on April 17, 1971, remaining on the chart for eight weeks, peaking at # 17, as listed in The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn. On the U.S. Cash Box Top 100, it spent two weeks at # 13. In Canada, the song reached # 9.

[BridgetR]

I had the album as a teenager. The back cover says Dinner Music. Wicked and shrewd Rupert Holmes. I still love this song over 50 years later.

[jeanesingsjazz]

always loved the string arrangement on this...

[JamesJones-glhj]

I was hearing this song when it came out and loved it before I ever listened to the words. I still love it today at 75 years old and every time I mention it or listen to it with my wife around, she thinks I'm crazy. Go figure, she doesn't understand there's more to it than the story. It's a great song.

[calcrappie]

The song wasn't banned in Minneapolis. Great song. They played the hell out of it. All of us 7th graders loved it. It was so bad it was good.

[danielday]

A forgotten gem in pop music history. Great music, incredible story.

[dennisbloomquist]

Pretty cool song when you are 12 years old. Extremely well produced with a punchy horn line. And a lot better than I would have thought. I rate this song "edible."

[guyr.]

I feel like that's the smallest violin in the world mimicking Timothy's shriek before eaten.

[AJM-timecop]

Convinced a bartender in Sweden to play this in the bar ... she loved it so much, she played it twice : ) Great tune.

[chrismaverick]

Definitely the best song about cannibalism ever made.

[debbieghostley]

I was 12yrs old when this song came out. Still one of my favorite songs

[donaldzeigler]

I was 13 when this song hit the airwaves. Everyone was talking about it. Did it really mean what the lyrics suggested? Song writer Rupert Holmes confirmed years later that it was indeed about cannibalism, and written expressly to generate shocked word of mouth for the band. Maybe Alice Cooper should redo it.

[stephaniesanders]

This is my 10 year old son's claim to fame at the moment. When his friends come over he prides himself on playing it and then asking them what the song is about 🤣🤣

[Davez]

This song was on The Simpsons as the tape that was stuck in Skinner's mother's car's stereo. So he and Chalmers had no choice but to listen to this song on repeat on their road trip. I found it hilarious, even though I've never heard this song before.

[forbesmag]

Like how rather than a tragic story about doing only what you had to to stay alive, the narrator emerged with his stomach "as full as it could be". They really went to town on Timothy! Plus, interesting fact: They had only been trapped for two days.

[notwaiting]

Being in High School, driving around in a 1964 Chevy Bel Air with only a crappy AM radio when this song hit the airwaves we couldn't figure out the words or the story but we loved the tune!
Still do!!

[stewartquark]

Although this " catchy little tune " was released in February 1970 it takes me back to spring of 1974 when I did something I reasonably came to regret and recently came back to haunt me. For some cosmological reason this song helped me forgive myself for what I did so hearing it, playing it, puts me in a much better place

[beekay]

I remember this from '72, but hadn't heard it since then. I never knew until just now what it was about. Wow.

[fazlurbaksh]

Another great one hit wonder. I remember hearing this song in the seventies bringing back memories of when I was a teenager

[JCNippert]

Rupert Holmes' song was denied any air time, because of the cannibalistic overtone of the tale. The Buoys then recorded/released the song with the record company preempting the release with an explanation that Timothy was a donkey in order to eliminate the song's content controversy - hence its release Nevertheless, we (twelve to fifteen year olds) at that time listened to that song over and over to determine, "did they really eat that that guy?" Yes they did. Aside of all of that this in my opinion is a very good song. I can listen to it for a very long time and beyond.

[chevytom]

you know as a teen back then, i loved this song because of the beat, and the lyrics were easy to hear, i never realized the meaning till years later