"Wake Up Irene" is a parody song written by Johnny Hathcock and Weldon Allard, performed by Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys, and released in 1954 on the Capitol label (catalog no.

A recording by The Weavers of "Goodnight, Irene" was released in 1950 and spent 13 weeks at No.

[1] The premise of "Wake Up, Irene" is that Irene was prevented from sleep by the steel guitars and everyone around the country singing goodnight to her for months and months.

According to the song, Irene finally fell asleep, and there is not a thing that can wake her.

17 on Billboard's 1954 year-end country and western retail chart.