I never realized...
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I suppose with a title like Mack The Knife, I should have known this wasn't your average, happy go lucky song. While whipping up breakfast, and listening to the Oldies station on the A.M. (what can I say, I'm old!), this Bobby Darin classic came on. Check out these lryics..... Oh the shark has pretty teeth dear When the shark bites with his teeth dear
And he shows them pearly white
Just a jack-knife has Mac-heath dear
And he keeps it out of sight
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves though wears Mac-heath dear
So there's not a trace of red
On the sidewalk Sunday morning
Lies a body oozing life
Someone's sneaking 'round the corner
Is the someone Mack the Knife
From a tugboat by the river
A cement bag's dropping down
The cement's just for the weight dear
Bet you Mackies's back in town
Louis Miller disappeared dear
After drawing out his cash
And Mac-heath spends like a sailo
Did our boy do something rash
Sukey Tawdry, Jenny Diver
Polly Peachum Lucy Brown
O the line forms on the right dear
Now that Mackie's back in town
It was the "scarlet billows start to spread" (pillows??) line that got my attention to begin with. With such a light happy melody, I just figured the lryics matched.
I suppose the same runs true today. Makes me think of murder ballads, and the like. The Decemberists, as well as Jenny Lewis comes to mind. Just goes to show, you can't judge lyrics by the music!
Comments (2)
And we were fooled into thinking those were simpler times. In ways they were much more "complex" and sinister, hiding such murderous perspectives in lovely little tunes.
My mom has this on record. When me and my brother were little, we would sing this and his version of "beyond the sea" nonstop. Needless to say, i didn't figure what it was really about years later. just listening to it brings back good memories though.