# Help me id this tune (this is ironic!)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 24, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974 "2003-06-24T07:15:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/1 "2003-06-24T07:15:49Z")
Visiting this place (ironic: trying to help in another thread), it started a midi file:
[http://www.mcs.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Pazzo.html](http://www.mcs.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Pazzo.html)
And I’ve heard that tune before, I’m pretty sure of that, but I can’t recall it. Can you tell me, please? (sorry if it’s obvious).
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/2 "2003-06-24T07:18:45Z")
Ow. That sounded like two songs going at the same time or something. I recognized one - don’t know the name, but it’s common and somebody will get it.
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### Author:  [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/3 "2003-06-24T07:25:25Z")
It’s _Flight of the Bumblebee_ by Rimsky-Korsakov.
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### Author:  [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/4 "2003-06-24T07:36:56Z")
Are you sure? Does Rimsky-Korsakov have any other piece that start with “Flight of the…”, or… are you mistaking the tune?
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/5 "2003-06-24T07:54:51Z")
No, it’s definitely not “Flight of the Bumblebee.”
Three titles come to mind as possibilities: Fire Dance, Ritual Fire Dance, and Saber Dance. I hope that helps.
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### Author:  [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/6 "2003-06-24T08:04:00Z")
Your right, it’s not Flight of the Bumblebee. I must have only half listened to it. I think “Sabre Dance” is the right answer, but I’m not completely sure.
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### Author:  [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/7 "2003-06-24T08:05:06Z")
Substitute “you’re” for “your” in the post above, and you’ll have something a little more grammatically correct.
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### Author:  [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/8 "2003-06-24T08:09:40Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Short Guy \*
> \*\*Substitute “you’re” for “your” in the post above, and you’ll have something a little more grammatically correct. \*\*
Don’t mind for those trivialities. Thanks anyway.
Some is surer than us? (about the tune)
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### Author:  [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/9 "2003-06-24T08:11:37Z")
HA! I fell in my own hole!
**Someone** is surer than us? (about the tune) 😃
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/10 "2003-06-24T10:26:52Z")
_Sabre Dance_ by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)
[cite](http://www.armeniadiaspora.com/events/aram100/index.html)
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/11 "2003-06-24T23:10:38Z")
I agree with **Robot Arm** , it’s the _Saber Dance_. I recognized it right away. No question about it.
Also, when I viewed the source of that page, I found this:
BGSOUND SRC=Music/saber.mid
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### Author:  [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/12 "2003-06-24T23:16:02Z")
Thanks a lot!
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### Author:  [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-id-this-tune-this-is-ironic/183974/13 "2003-06-24T23:26:35Z")
I can’t hear _Sabre Dance_ without thinking of Oscar Levant playing piano at a party in one of those musicals with Fred Astaire (maybe _The Barkleys of Broadway_?):
Levant: What does everyone want to hear?
Audience: (Lots of responses jumbled together)
Levant: _Sabre Dance_?
Audience as one: NO!!!
Levant: Well, OK then! (Launches vigorously into _Sabre Dance_.)