🕯️ About the Song
Sometimes a song doesn’t need to be deep — it just needs to be delightfully odd. I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper is one of those offbeat gems from the early ’70s that’s somehow both twee and anarchic. Written and performed by Erika Eigen, it first appeared on the A Clockwork Orange soundtrack, standing out like a pastel cupcake in a box of electric nightmares.
At only about a minute long, it’s a whimsical fantasy about domestic bliss — “I want to marry a lighthouse keeper and keep him company.” There’s no angst, no grand message, just daydreamy silliness sung with deadpan sincerity. It’s the musical equivalent of knitting a jumper for your cat and thinking, “Yeah, this makes perfect sense.”
The Beach Boys might’ve had Kokomo, but this is the weirdo cousin who lives happily by the sea, talking to seagulls and baking scones for one.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
- Chords: Dead simple: C – G7 – F – C, with maybe an Am for variation.
- Verse pattern: C – G7 – C – F – C – G7 – C.
- Strumming pattern: Bouncy and upbeat: Down–Down–Up–Up–Down-Up at around 100 bpm.
- Tone: Bright and perky — use your nails for a bit of sparkle.
- Feel: Lean into the old-fashioned charm; it’s got that music-hall bounce.
- Optional flourish: On the word “lighthouse”, add a gentle slide (C → C7) — gives it a wink of attitude.
- Performance tip: Ham it up! Smile while you sing — this one’s supposed to sound like it’s from an alternate universe where everything’s made of felt.
🧠 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- Erika Eigen was part of the British folk-pop scene in the early ’70s — her voice was quirky enough that Stanley Kubrick used this song in A Clockwork Orange for its eerie contrast.
- The tune plays on a radio in the film, right before one of its most disturbing scenes — Kubrick loved ironic juxtapositions.
- Despite being barely over a minute long, it became a cult classic among oddball music fans and ’70s collectors.
- The original recording features just Erika’s vocal and a few whimsical instruments — like a nursery rhyme for adults who drink sherry.
🌈 Final Word
Play I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper like you’re starring in your own slightly strange seaside musical.
Keep it bright, playful, and ever so slightly eccentric — don’t be afraid to wink at your audience.
If someone doesn’t smile (or look confused) by the end, you didn’t go weird enough.
