I Dig Rock and Roll Music

Background

Credited to Stookey-Mason-Dixon, this track pokes fun at the vocal styles of three major acts: the Mamas & the Papas in its first verse, Donovan in the second, and the Beatles in the third. The lyrics name-drop these same artists. AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald called it a celebration of pop music's simple pleasures. Mary Travers, in a 1966 interview, had harsh words for folk rock, calling it badly written and saying good writers didn't stick around when the trend shifted.

The line "When the words don't get in the way, yeah" borrows its phrasing and that particular "yeah" from the Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday." Donovan's "crystal images" come from his own "Epistle to Dippy," which mentions "crystal spectacles." The recording features psychedelic feedback effects that mimic the volume swell on the electric guitar from Donovan's "Sunshine Superman." In the Beatles parody verse, the backing vocals echo the sound of "Yellow Submarine."

The Paupers, a Toronto rock band, served as the backing band. Cash Box described the song as a rollicking trip with a sense of humor.