“Timothy” was The Buoys’ controversial 1971 US Billboard Hot 100 hit. Written by Rupert Holmes, the song peaked at number 17 and tells a dark mining-disaster story involving three trapped people and a character named Timothy.
The lyrics imply that the survivors resort to cannibalism while trapped underground, but they never state the act directly. This concealed subject caused controversy, especially because the song was released as a pop single and received airplay on mainstream radio.
The Buoys were a Pennsylvania rock band whose first single, “Give Up Your Guns,” had not become a major national hit. “Timothy” became their best-known recording and their only US top-40 single, making them a classic one-hit wonder.
Rupert Holmes later became known for songs such as “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” and “Him.” “Timothy” is sometimes misremembered as a novelty song with a cheerful subject, but its narrative is deliberately grim and its title character is one of the people trapped in the mine.