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Site Search Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,
That is what I’d truly like to be,
‘Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,
Everyone would be in love with me.
These simple lyrics, scribbled in just one hour by career-jingle writer Richard Trentlage, make up one of the longest running and most popular jingles in American history.
Trentlage already had a number of successful songs under his belt, including tunes for McDonald’s, V8 and the National Safety Council. When he heard a radio advertisement about a jingle contest the hot dog brand was sponsoring. He started to work the next night. Recalling something his 11-year-old son had said to him regarding a wish that he were “a dirt bike hot dog” (what they called a “cool kid” back in the day), Trentlage found his inspiration. He submitted the finished product after recording his son and nine-year-old daughter singing the lyrics. And, the rest is … well, you know. Trentlage passed away in September 2016, but his songwriting legacy will continue to live on. To this day, “The Oscar Mayer Wiener Song” is still one of the most recognized jingles of all time.