The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down
Encyclopedia
"The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" is a song written in 1937 by Cliff Friend
and Dave Franklin
. It is best known as the theme tune for the Looney Tunes
cartoon series produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons
, used from 1937 to 1969.
The original version contains an introductory verse that leads up to the main part of the song, as a young man tells of his date with a young woman, in which they go to an amusement park and find time to "spark" while riding the malfunctioning carousel
. Although there are no verified connections, the tune closely resembles the traditional fiddle tune "Chinese Breakdown".
An adapted instrumental version of the song's main tune became the staple opening and closing credits theme for the Looney Tunes series, most memorably featuring Porky Pig
stuttering "Th-th-that's all, folks!" over the tune at each cartoon's end. A different vocal version, sung by Daffy Duck
(voice of Mel Blanc
), was heard in Daffy Duck and Egghead
, a 1938 entry in the Merrie Melodies
series, a sister series to the Looney Tunes, at about five minutes into the cartoon. Daffy also sang a specially-modified version of the song in the 1950 Looney Tunes short Boobs in the Woods
. The tune made a "cameo" appearance in the 1941 Merrie Melodies
cartoon Aviation Vacation
.
In 1962, a more modern, atonal variation of the theme was arranged by William Lava
for use with the updated opening sequences of new Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts.
In 1983, the song was recorded by the British folk band Pyewackett with vocal by Rosie Cross, on the LP The Man in the Moon Drinks Claret. The liner notes read, "'Finding love for only a dime' . . . A 'Looney Tune' based on a Roy Fox recording from the 1930s."
The song was revived for the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
(1988
), an animation/live-action blend based upon the cartoons of the 1940s. "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" is performed twice in the film: first by cartoon character Roger Rabbit (voice of Charles Fleischer
) and later by his human partner Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins
), as Eddie is trying to force Judge Doom's weasel henchmen to laugh themselves to death. The lyrics in both sequences were written specifically for the film. An instrumental version of the tune also appears in Gremlins 2: The New Batch
, which opens and closes with Looney Tunes cartoons characters interacting with each other, and at the end of Space Jam
(1996) and Looney Tunes: Back in Action
(2003). It is also the intro to The Looney Tunes Show
.
During the late 1960s and early 70s, The Grateful Dead -- who, incidentally, were signed to Warner Bros. Records
during that time -- occasionally used this piece as filler material while one or several members of the band were tuning up.
Cliff Friend
Cliff Friend was an accomplished songwriter and pianist. A member of Tin Pan Alley, Friend co-wrote several hits including "Lovesick Blues," "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now" and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down," also known as the theme song to the Looney Tunes cartoon series.-Early life:Friend was...
and Dave Franklin
Dave Franklin
Dave Franklin was an accomplished songwriter and pianist. A member of Tin Pan Alley, Franklin co-wrote "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down", the theme song to the Looney Tunes cartoon series. His primary collaborator was lyricist Cliff Friend...
. It is best known as the theme tune for the Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
cartoon series produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was the in-house division of Warner Bros. Pictures during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, Warner Bros. Cartoons was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical...
, used from 1937 to 1969.
The original version contains an introductory verse that leads up to the main part of the song, as a young man tells of his date with a young woman, in which they go to an amusement park and find time to "spark" while riding the malfunctioning carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
. Although there are no verified connections, the tune closely resembles the traditional fiddle tune "Chinese Breakdown".
An adapted instrumental version of the song's main tune became the staple opening and closing credits theme for the Looney Tunes series, most memorably featuring Porky Pig
Porky Pig
Porky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts using the fat little pig...
stuttering "Th-th-that's all, folks!" over the tune at each cartoon's end. A different vocal version, sung by Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
(voice of Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
), was heard in Daffy Duck and Egghead
Daffy Duck and Egghead
Daffy Duck & Egghead is a 1937-produced, 1938-released Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series. It features the early, zany version of Daffy Duck, who spends the film harassing Egghead , marking the second appearance of Daffy Duck , his first in color, and first...
, a 1938 entry in the Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
series, a sister series to the Looney Tunes, at about five minutes into the cartoon. Daffy also sang a specially-modified version of the song in the 1950 Looney Tunes short Boobs in the Woods
Boobs in the Woods
Boobs in the Woods is a 1948 animated Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, released in January 1950, directed by Robert McKimson, and starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.-Plot:...
. The tune made a "cameo" appearance in the 1941 Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
cartoon Aviation Vacation
Aviation Vacation
Aviation Vacation is a 1941 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series. It was directed by Tex Avery, story by Bob Monahan, musical direction by Carl Stalling.-Synopsis:...
.
In 1962, a more modern, atonal variation of the theme was arranged by William Lava
William Lava
William "Bill" B. Lava was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated cartoons from 1962 onwards, replacing the deceased Milt Franklyn. Lava's music was very different from that of Franklyn and previous composer Carl Stalling...
for use with the updated opening sequences of new Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts.
In 1983, the song was recorded by the British folk band Pyewackett with vocal by Rosie Cross, on the LP The Man in the Moon Drinks Claret. The liner notes read, "'Finding love for only a dime' . . . A 'Looney Tune' based on a Roy Fox recording from the 1930s."
The song was revived for the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
(1988
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
), an animation/live-action blend based upon the cartoons of the 1940s. "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" is performed twice in the film: first by cartoon character Roger Rabbit (voice of Charles Fleischer
Charles Fleischer
Charles Fleischer is an American actor, stand-up comedian and voice artist.-Life and career:Fleischer was born in Washington, D.C. As a child, he is reported to have spent several summers at Kamp Kewanee in La Plume, Pennsylvania, where he started practicing his stand-up routine at age nine...
) and later by his human partner Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
), as Eddie is trying to force Judge Doom's weasel henchmen to laugh themselves to death. The lyrics in both sequences were written specifically for the film. An instrumental version of the tune also appears in Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker...
, which opens and closes with Looney Tunes cartoons characters interacting with each other, and at the end of Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
(1996) and Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical...
(2003). It is also the intro to The Looney Tunes Show
The Looney Tunes Show
The Looney Tunes Show is a packaged show, created for Cartoon Network, and broadcast from 2002 to 2005. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. The show featured cartoon shorts from the original Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon series produced from 1930 to 1969.-External links:...
.
During the late 1960s and early 70s, The Grateful Dead -- who, incidentally, were signed to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
during that time -- occasionally used this piece as filler material while one or several members of the band were tuning up.
See also
- "Merrily We Roll AlongMerrily We Roll Along (song)"Merrily We Roll Along" is a song loosely based on the 1847 song "Goodnight, Ladies" by E. P. Christy. Written by Charlie Tobias, Murray Mencher, and Eddie Cantor in 1935, and used in the Warner Bros cartoon Billboard Frolics that same year, it is best known as the theme of Warner Bros.' Merrie...
"