Talk:Minnie the Moocher

Untitled

Can we print these lyrics? Surely they're still under copyright. --Alexs letterbox 11:27, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC)

By now you should know better than to ask such questions. I strongly suspect that the lyrics are fair use; a printed copy is no substitute for the sheet music or the recorded music, and does not compete with it. They will remain available in literally hundreds of places across the Web if they are removed from here, and the wikified version makes their in-line annotation possible. Smerdis of Tlön 13:36, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC)

A song's lyrics are copyrighted independently of any recorded performance of the song. A reprint of a song's lyrics is a violation of the copyright of the original songwriters. --FuriousFreddy 00:11, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Most certainly the lyrics are not public domain and are a copyright violation, and should not be reproduced in full ("fair use" would only cover selected quotes, not reproduction of the entire lyrics.) -- Infrogmation 04:14, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)

This and many other classic Betty Boops cartoons are available for download from Archive.org at http://www.archive.org/details/bb_minnie_the_moocher where it is asserted as public domain. boffy_b 00:04, 11 October 2005 (UTC).

The cartoon may be PD, but I do not beleive the song is. --FuriousFreddy 00:11, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

Other versions

It's such a great song. Every version, old and new, has something to recommend it. By 1980 Calloway's voice had gotten more gravelly, and the scatting slower, but it's still completely worthwhile. Mention should also be made of Danny Kaye's wonderful variation. --Bamjd3d

I cut out the stubs. It seems like a fairly complete article for one song. I will add the Danny Kaye version shortly.--Indolering

Then again, I don't know how to incorperate it well. I know nothing of the remake, Denny Kaye, or of the period.--Indolering

The first paragraph of the article states that the rest of the song relates to Minnie's drug-induced dream. This is true of the shortened version used in the cartoon and I think in Blues Brothers. However the complete song has two more verses. One about Minnie's encounter with Deacon Lowdown (with sexually suggestive lyrics) and the final one about her eventual fate (which explains why the song ends "poor Min"). Shouldn't this be mentioned in the article? Al Ong 13:58, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

I'm more familiar with the shorter version; is this the one where she ends up in the nuthouse and dies there? Yes, they ought to be included, I think. Smerdis of Tlön 14:39, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for making the update. Is there a reference proving that "jaggin'" has a sexual meaning? The only definition I found that fits is cheating at poker by jagging (notching; or marking) the cards [1]. I think the word "version" is overused in the new paragraph. I think "verse" is meant in most cases. I would make the changes myself but you are already doing a great job, so I just want to mention my observations and let you decide. Al Ong 18:47, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

For what it is worth another definition of "jaggin'" is "keeping a high going"[2], but I think the last edit gives enough information without including assumptions. Keep up the good work. Al Ong 19:54, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

Absolutely. Have you never heard of a "speed jag"? -- Jmabel | Talk, who remembers the 1960s, 06:23, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

Another 1930s film

I've seen an (almost certainly 1930s) film version of the song which has just Calloway and the band, no animation. I gather that it was made either for the race movie audience and/or for the juke boxes with film that existed in some bars at the time. I'm wondering whether it comes out of the same filming session as the Fleischer cartoon or was separately filmed. Does anyone know anything about it? -- Jmabel | Talk 06:23, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

I believe you're referring to a Minoco film, made in 1942. If so, I've seen it and assumed that it was a 'soundie' produced for "video" jukebox.--adamhh | —Preceding undated comment added 15:08, 19 June 2010 (UTC).

Aimee McPherson

It might be worth mentioning a song—about Aimee McPherson—certainly influenced by "Minnie". Written, I believe, in the 1930s, which Pete Seeger recorded (complete with "Heigh-dee Ho's") around 1962: "…She weighed a hundred eighty and her hair was red. / She preached a wicked sermon so the papers all said. [but eventually headed toward] "They found a little cottage with a breakfast nook / and a folding bed with a worn-out look. / The slats was busted and the springs was loose / And the dents in the mattress fitted Amy's caboose." (Found a version on line: [3]) - Jmabel | Talk 06:23, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

Yet another movie

The song was also performed in "The Cotton Club" (1984) by Larry Marshall 194.84.104.2 12:34, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

Gustav V

Is there any particular reason that "King of Sweden" links to Gustav V? Is it because he was king when the lyrics were written or some other reason? --Mickel (talk) 09:49, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Probable little other reason Mickel. Stephen Fry's Jeeves, in the ITV version of Jeeves and Wooster, observed in connection with the song that "His Majesty King Gustav does seem to have been extraordinarily generous to the young lady, sir". This connection is entirely frivolous, but it's the only one I can think of. It would probably be better if "King of Sweden" linked to Monarchy of Sweden, but I like the joke that the current link reminds me of, so someone else will have to do it. Howfar (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 17:40, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

Basis

Seriously??? Sweetnorbert (talk) 18:24, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Are you surprised? A lot of jazz songs were thinly (and sometimes not even that) references to drugs --MichiganCharms (talk) 10:24, 30 January 2009 (UTC)

The song has numerous influences and precuels not only the one mentioned. At 1920 started the Prohibition Era about selling and drinking alcohol. Nora Bayes publish "Prohibition Blues" in july of 1919 ( http://www.authentichistory.com/1921-1929/2-socialchange/1-prohibition/2-music/19190718_Prohibition_Blues-Nora_Bayes.html ). A band called The Missourians publish a cover of the theme without lyrics (same tittle) you can hear on youtube. They used to be the Cotton Club home band, when it closes they star playing as The Missourians and when they were thinking about broke it, Cab Calloway add them as main members of his own band in 1929. Most of their music is based on the Tiger Rag (as you can hear in some of the videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/borr126/videos ). With Cab they made a version of St. James Infirmary ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_XYweNu3oQ ) wich got good opinions using it briefly as his signature song. A contemporary of them, Jimmie Rodgers, make the pre-St. James Infirmary (with some "hi de ho" on it), Gambler´s Blues, also in 1930: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs4jMC3uB60 As the Prohibition laws made drugs more popular, and based on St. James Infirmary and Prohibition Blues, mainly on the latest (which was about alcohol addiction) Cab Calloway composes Minnie the Moucher. (Prohibition Blues by The Missourians at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXWk1UvTlXU ) Links to The Missourians and Cab Calloway: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-missourians-mn0000891081 and http://www.allmusic.com/album/cab-calloway-and-the-missourians-1929-1930-mw0000272379 Gustavo Ramis (AR)

The Magic School Bus

I highly doubt it's notable enough to include, but Ms. Frizzle sang the "Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi" part in the The Magic School Bus episode where she teaches the students about sound. 173.180.89.129 (talk) 06:08, 27 February 2011 (UTC)

Another verse describes her tempting "Deacon Lowdown" when she "wiggled her jelly roll" at him.

Could someone explain this to us non-native english speakers? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.171.134.136 (talk) 09:34, 8 November 2012 (UTC)

Scat singing

This article doesn't mention Scat singing, even though Cab Calloway is referenced on the page dealing with that subject. Why not? Nuttyskin (talk) 18:12, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Minnie kicks it around on Sesame Street

IIRC Cab Calloway was a guest on Sesame Street in the 1980s and his appearance included a performance of Minnie the Moocher — startling in that context, because even though trimmed down a bit for the occasion the song can hardly be sung at all without at least some of the vintage doper lingo intact. I'm sure it all passed safely over the heads of the kiddies, but surely some of the show's staff must have been "hep to the jive". Well worth including but needs a cit which I am unable to supply. 66.249.175.229 (talk) 21:35, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

Well, according to the Cab Calloway article that thirty-four-year-old memory is defective. It seems his Sesame Street performance, in 1980, was of The Jumpin' Jive (it "makes you nine feet tall when you're four foot five" — yet another vintage dope song), but no citation is provided. 66.81.240.160 (talk) 06:27, 11 October 2014 (UTC)

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Hi Di Ho Scat

For context, Cab's sister, Blanche Calloway also uses the Hi Di Ho scat. 2620:160:E708:6:0:0:161:A488 (talk) 20:46, 4 June 2024 (UTC)