262. “It’s Big Daddy’s birthday! I’ve got life in me, Big Daddy!”

The episode: “Last Clear Chance,” the short before “Radar Secret Service,” ep. 520

The riff: said in a come-hither voice by Servo as a young woman pulls up to a farm in a car.

The explanation: It took a little while for me to figure out, but this is apparently a line from the film adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” It’s spoken by Elizabeth Taylor’s character, “Maggie the Cat” to her plantation owner father-in-law, Big Daddy. I’m not entirely sure, as I can’t seem to find much in the way of good references, but I think she’s saying that she’s pregnant?

Novelty factor: I had no idea, honestly. I had a hard time even confirming this one was from “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” I assume that means it’s not like one of the iconic lines of the film? I couldn’t find any clips of it.

5. “Ride! Riding like the demon that drives your dream!”

The episode: This running gag is used in at least three episodes: “Mitchell” ep. 512, “Radar Secret Service” ep. 520, and “Angels Revenge” ep. 622. There may be more.

The riff: Usually sung by one of the riffers during a less-than-exciting car chase. In “Radar Secret Service,” Mike sings this snatch of lyrics in an extremely deflated, uninterested tone of voice while a car slowly rolls up on a pair of thieves.

The explanation: The lyrics are actually an excerpt from the song “Drive,” the theme song for the action-drama show “Hardcastle and McCormick,” which aired on ABC from 1983-1986. The show was about an ex-judge and an former racecar driver who teamed up to battle crime, and featured lots of flashy driving in McCormick’s “Coyote X” racer. Interestingly, the SOL crew seems to have misquoted the actual lyrics of the song, which are “Drive! Drivin’ like the demon that drives your beat!” It would seem that the writers simply found the bombastic song amusing, as they re-used it multiple times.

Novelty factor: I’d heard of Hardcastle and McCormick before, but had no idea what the show was about, nor had any idea the riff was a reference to the theme song.

2. “…take some bennies.”

The episode: “Last Clear Chance,” the short attached to “Radar Secret Service,” ep. 520

The riff: The riff is interjected by Crow during a lecture from a friendly highway cop on staying awake and alert while driving. The cop says “You should stop at least once every hour. Get out, stretch your legs…”, at which point Crow mumbles “…take some bennies.”

The explanation: As it turns out, “bennies” are a slang term for Benzedrine, an early form of amphetamine that was being abused as a stimulant as early as the late 1920s. It would appear that the drug was used in a manner similar to the classic “trucker stay-awake pills,” either ingested or inhaled for a pick-me-up. Urban Dictionary agrees with this assessment.

Novelty factor: I assumed the explanation was along these lines thanks to the context in the episode, but I’ve never heard the term before.

1. “Would you look at that, Billie Joe McAllister’s down there!”

The episode: “Radar Secret Service,” ep. 520

The riff: The line is called out by Tom Servo as two bumbling “radar police” peer over the edge of a small bridge.

The explanation: This riff is a direct reference to a song by singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry, 1967’s “Ode to Billie Joe.” The song is a first-person narrative of a dysfunctional Southern family discussing the day’s events, including the suicide of local neighbor Billie Joe, who leapt to his death off the Tallahatchie Bridge. The song was a #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for Gentry, and was parodied by Bob Dylan’s 1967 song “Clothes Line Saga.”

Novelty factor: Completely new to me, as I’ve never heard of the song in my life.