Leck mich im Arsch
Encyclopedia
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
in B-flat major composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, K. 231 (K. 382c), with lyrics in German. It was one of a set of at least six canons probably written in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1782. Sung by six voices as a three-part round
Round (music)
A round is a musical composition in which two or more voices sing exactly the same melody , but with each voice beginning at different times so that different parts of the melody coincide in the different voices, but nevertheless fit harmoniously together...
, it is thought to be a party piece for his friends.
English translation
A literal translation of the song's title and lyrics into English would be "Lick me in the arse". A more idiomIdiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
atic translation would be "Kiss my arse", or even "Get stuffed".
Publication and modern discovery
Mozart died in 1791 and his widow, Constanze MozartConstanze Mozart
Constanze Mozart was the wife of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.-Early years:Constanze Weber was born in Zell im Wiesental. Her mother was Cäcilia Weber, née Stamm. Her father Fridolin Weber worked as a "double bass player, prompter and music copyist." Fridolin's half-brother was the father of composer...
, sent the manuscripts of the canons to publishers Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...
in 1799, saying that they would need to be adapted for publication. The publisher changed the title and lyrics of this canon to the more acceptable "Laßt froh uns sein" ("Let us be glad!"), similar to the traditional German Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
, "Lasst uns froh und munter sein
Lasst uns froh und munter sein
"Lasst uns froh und munter sein", is a traditional German Christmas carol from the Hunsrück/Taunus region. There are some regional variations in the lyrics.The second verse is not widely used...
". Of Mozart's original text, only the first words were documented in Breitkopf publishers' catalogue of his works.
A new text version, which may have been the authentic one, came to light in 1991. Handwritten texts to this and several other similar canons were found added to a printed score of the work in an historical printed edition acquired by Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Music Library. They had evidently been added to the book by a later hand. However, since in six of the pieces these entries matched texts that had, in the meantime, independently come to light in original manuscripts, it was hypothesised that the remaining three may, too, have been original, including texts for K. 231 ("Leck mich im Arsch" itself), and another Mozart work, "Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber
Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber
Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber is a canon for three voices in B-flat major, K. 233/382d, long thought to have been composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during 1782 in Vienna.-Authenticity:...
" ("Lick my arse nice and clean", K. 233; K. 382d in the revised numbering). Later research has indicated that the latter composition is probably the work of Wenzel Trnka
Wenzel Trnka
Wenzel Trnka von Krzowitz was a physician, professor, and amateur composer of the 18th century.-Life:...
(1739–91).
Lyrics
The original incipit attested in the earliest Breitkopf catalogue consisted only of the words Leck mich im Arsch. The text rediscovered in 1991 consists only of the repeated phrases:| (MIDI file, 9 KB Kilobyte The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information... , 2:16) |
Leck im A… mich g'schwindi.
Leck mich, leck mich,
g'schwindi
etc. etc. etc.
(where A… obviously stands for Arsch; g'schwindi means 'quickly').
The bowdlerized
Thomas Bowdler
Thomas Bowdler was an English physician who published an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's work, edited by his sister Harriet, intended to be more appropriate for 19th century women and children than the original....
text of the early printed editions reads:
Murren ist vergebens! Knurren, Brummen ist vergebens, ist das wahre Kreuz des Lebens, das Brummen ist vergebens, Knurren, Brummen ist vergebens, vergebens! Drum laßt uns froh und fröhlich, froh sein! |
Grumbling is in vain! Growling, droning is in vain, is the true bane of life, Droning is in vain, Growling, droning is in vain, in vain! Thus let us be cheerful and merry, be glad! |
Another semi-bowdlerized adaptation is found in the recordings of The Complete Mozart edition by Brilliant:
Goethe, Goethe! Götz von Berlichingen! Zweiter Akt; Die Szene kennt ihr ja! Rufen wir nur ganz summarisch: Hier wird Mozart literarisch! |
Goethe, Goethe! Götz von Berlichingen! Second act; You know the scene too well! Let's sing out now summarily: Here is Mozart literary! |
This is a clear allusion to the line attributed to the late medieval German knight Götz von Berlichingen, known best as the title hero of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
's drama.
This version contains a slight error about the Goethe source: the line occurs in the third act.
Jack White and Insane Clown Posse single
In August 2011, Insane Clown PosseInsane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
was contacted by Jack White
Jack White (musician)
Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
, who invited Joseph Bruce
Joseph Bruce
Joseph Frank "Joe" Bruce is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler and actor. Bruce is most commonly known as Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse . He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Joseph Utsler and their former manager,...
and Joseph Utsler
Joseph Utsler
Joseph William "Joey" Utsler is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, professional wrestler and actor. Utsler is known as Shaggy 2 Dope of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Joseph Bruce and...
to his mansion because he wanted to collaborate with them. White played the track he was working on, an arrangement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's "Leck mich im Arsch" with live instrumentation by JEFF the Brotherhood
JEFF the Brotherhood
JEFF the Brotherhood is a two-piece rock band consisting of brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, hailing form Nashville, Tennessee. Their style has been described by music writers as containing elements of psychedelic rock, garage rock, punk and pop...
, for Bruce and Utsler and explained that the title of the track translated to "Lick My Ass".
Bruce perceived that the scatological nature of the composition was the reason why White asked Bruce and Utsler to appear on the song, but once White explained Mozart's sense of humor, they became excited to work with White, went back to their hotel room to write their lyrics, and returned to record with White and JEFF the Brotherhood in White's home recording studio. Bruce and Utsler's vocals were recorded in one take. The song was released as a single on September 13, 2011 by White's label Third Man Records
Third Man Records
Third Man Records is an independent record label founded by Jack White in Detroit, Michigan, in 2001. Third Man established its first physical location — a combination record store, performance venue, and headquarters for the label — in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2009.-History:Jack White founded...
.
See also
- Difficile lectu (Mozart)Difficile lectu (Mozart)Difficile lectu, K. 559, is a canon composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The music, in F major, is set for three singers. The words are probably by Mozart himself....
– a canon with a disguised Latin version of the same text - Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauberLeck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauberLeck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber is a canon for three voices in B-flat major, K. 233/382d, long thought to have been composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during 1782 in Vienna.-Authenticity:...
(English: Lick me in the ass fine well and clean) - Bona noxBona noxBona nox! bist a rechta Ox, K. 561, is a canon in A major for four voices a cappella by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Mozart entered this work into his catalogue on as part of a set of ten canons.-Music:...
– "Good night", a multilingual scatological canon - Mozart and scatologyMozart and scatologyWolfgang Amadeus Mozart displayed scatological humor in his letters and a few recreational compositions. This material has long been a puzzle for Mozart scholarship...
External links
- 30-second preview on the iTunes store, performed by the Chorus Viennensis & Uwe Christian Harrer