Fibber Writes A Song

Originally Aired: March 24, 1942 In Fibber McGee & Molly #318, "Fibber Writes A Song," patriotic fervor strikes 79 Wistful Vista as Fibber sets out to pen a wartime musical masterpiece. Armed with his typewriter and boundless confidence, he tackles "The Defense Stamp Stomp," though he quickly learns that songwriting may not be his forte. After Mayor La Trivia stops by searching for his lost Phi Beta Kappa key—leading to a befuddling conversation about pins versus keys—Molly suggests enlisting Mr. Wimple's poetic talents to help with the lyrics while Billy Mills handles the music. The trouble is, Fibber keeps accidentally plagiarizing existing songs, from "There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding" to "Ballad for Americans." As they set off to recruit their collaborators on a pleasant spring day, Fibber insists on his one crucial contribution: the title itself. But with the government changing "defense stamps" to "war bonds," even that may need revision. What follows is a classic McGee misadventure in creative ambition meeting questionable execution.