# B-Western "Indian Music" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709 "2000-02-12T21:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/1 "2000-02-12T21:59:00Z")
## “BOOM booom boomboombooooom” So why does that mean Indians? When was it first used in movies? Does it go back to silent days? It is used in the WB cartoon where the chickens eat the weather pills. Is it from some serious work? Was it invented by the movie folks? Does it have a name? I don’t think I would associate it with Indians if I heard it for the first time without the movie image. “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/2 "2000-02-13T00:12:00Z")
Yeah, I always wondered that myself. I remember when I was a kid, the arrival of the Indians was always accompanied by that score. Good to see you back mr. john of strang interlude fame. * * * The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. (Karl Marx, 1845) ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/3 "2000-02-14T06:19:00Z")
Thanx,doc, I just kind of pop in and out. I found some B-Western sites and am searching and guestbooking and e-mailing when I find out I’ll let you know. BTW Why did you choose that quote? Of all the Marx’s , even counting Zeppo, Commo,while the most insightful, is the least inciteful. * * * “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/4 "2000-02-14T06:31:00Z")
As well as the BoomBoomBoomBoom music there is also a melody that is used to indicate indians in old westerns. You often hear it being hummed by the crowd at Braves, Indians, Redskins and Chiefs games. Also note the use of accordian music when a movie cuts to a scene with a frenchman or chimes for the Chinese or wooden flute for the Japanese, etc. etc. * * * “I’d never join a Communist party that would have _me_ as a member.”-Marx ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/5 "2000-02-13T22:18:00Z")
I don’t remember the work or the composer at the moment, but there was a symphonic piece written (I belive around 1900) that incorporated that melodic line to represent Indians. It was picked up by the movie industry as musical shorthand. * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![Crystalguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Crystalguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crystalguy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/6 "2000-02-13T22:34:00Z")
I think the name of the piece of music is “In A Persian Garden.” I cannot remember the name of the composer. ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/7 "2000-02-13T22:46:00Z")
A quick search revealed the composer of “In a Persian Garden” to be Liza Lehmann, but this piece was referred to as the source of the tune that symbolizes snake charmers, or, “There’s a Place in France, where the Naked Ladies Dance.” I also found that the Braves War Chant Ursa mentioned comes from The FSU “massacre” cheer, from the 1960’s, but I have been unable to find anything earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Crystalguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Crystalguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crystalguy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/8 "2000-02-14T11:27:00Z")
I think that if you obtained a recording of “In A Persian Garden” and played it through, you would hear the music that is often used in movies to let you know that American Indians are on the scene. Reading the sheet music would work as well. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/9 "2000-02-14T15:02:00Z")
I have a friend who’s an expert in movie music, I’ll pass this over to him and see what he finds. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/10 "2000-02-14T15:11:00Z")
Between 1910 and 1915, Ferruccio Busoni, the great concert pianist and kinda-somewhat-great composer, wrote his INDIAN FANTASY for chamber orchestra and RED INDIAN DIARY for piano solo. He had spent some time on a concert tour through the American West and had done some perfunctory studies of the music of the natives. I was just listening to the DIARY over the weekend…for such a talented musician and mighty pre-War intellectual, Busoni produced some awfully lightweight variations here. Only about one step up from BOOM boom boom boom BOOM boom boom boom. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![Crystalguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Crystalguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crystalguy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2000, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/11 "2000-02-25T20:02:00Z")
OK, CK, did you ever get an answer from your friend? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2000, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/12 "2000-02-25T20:25:00Z")
When I was in High School, our team name was the Indians, and we had a fight song called “Redskin Ramble”. (I know, I know, how politically incorrect can you get?) “Redskin Ramble” did not contain the Indian chant referenced above, but it **did** have that underlying stereotypical Indian drum beat. Don’t know how old the song is, where it comes from, or whether it is the source for that beat or only utilized it. ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-western-indian-music/7709/13 "2000-02-25T22:23:00Z")
Before I even get started,let me state that this is not me,but someone masquerading as me. I called the local city owned classical music rado station WRR. I talked to the music director and he affirms that the piece in question is by Busoni,he actually had a recording of Red Indian Diary, he adamantly refused to play it over the air. Which I thought was not so nice, I mean they play the “Lone Ranger”, THIS IS THE CEREAL THAT’S SHOT FROM GUNS, “Be Kind to Our Friends in the Swamp” and “Kill tha Wabbit” lotsa times. None the less I shall continue to listen to RadioWhirr. If for no other reason than that it is city owned,starts with a W but is west of the Miss., and only has three letters. ( Plus kettle drums are great mood music for fast lane changes in my subcompact during rush hour traffic.) * * * “Pardon me while I eat an innertube”- Marks