It was one of my favorite songs in the old days. Short on finesse, but full of raw energy. Even the name of the group evoked primal power: the Troggs.

“Wild thing/ You make my heart sing/You make everything/ Groovy … /Wild thing.”

It was a song that seemed radical in its day, and I was always a little proud to claim it as one of my favorites. Especially since it consisted of about three chords, played over and over again.

So imagine my surprise when I heard it recently during an Olympics interval.

“Wild thing/ You make my heart sing.”

And what was this wild thing being shilled? A fast car, a new show, a brand of mascara?  Uh, none of the above. The “wild thing” in question is … an Applebee’s hamburger.

Lo, how the mighty have fallen.

(Photo: Wikipedia)