# Help me remember this song from Looney Tunes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357 "2012-05-18T19:40:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/1 "2012-05-18T19:40:34Z")
Hi all, I have a “song” stuck in my head, that I’m pretty sure is from Looney Tunes (but maybe it’s actually a classical piece that they just used in the cartoons). I can’t say for sure that it appeared in more than one cartoon, but it is firmly entrenched in my brain and I seem to remember it being in multiple episodes so I think it was a recurring tune. Ok, so, here are the clues. It’s not really a song, but a musical backing piece. I remember it playing during a scene (or scenes?) with some sort of complex machinery operating, and the camera was slowly panning left-to-right or something like that. It is emphatic, dramatic, loud and very energizing. Think of Sylvester, or Daffy, or something getting passed through some equipment that was flatting, stretching, or otherwise hurting them, in a drawn-out and excruciating and hilarious manner. I think that’s when this music would play. I can’t remember the specific cartoon(s), or who was involved, honestly. Could have been any of the Looney Tunes or Merry Melodies cartoons. And, although this is kind of silly, if this helps, the tune kind of went like this… Dun DUN DUN da da da da da dun dun, da da da da dun dun! At least, that’s how it sounds in my head, lol. If anyone knows the name of this piece, which episodes it was in, or even a youtube link, I’d really appreciate it! It’s been stuck in my head for like a week now, and it’s killing me! ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/2 "2012-05-18T19:42:49Z")
[Powerhouse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerhouse_(song)). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/3 "2012-05-18T19:56:59Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > [Powerhouse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerhouse_(song)). It’s also been featured on The Simpsons a number of times. I remember one episode where they were turning out something in a factory, just like that Looney Toon where they ground down an entire tree to make a toothpick! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/4 "2012-05-18T20:01:53Z")
A better link, though the melody you’re referring to doesn’t kick in until 1:25. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YfDqR4fqIWE/hqdefault.jpg "Raymond Scott Quintette - Powerhouse - Hit Parade") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfDqR4fqIWE) ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/5 "2012-05-18T20:09:24Z")
Haha thanks guys, you are the best 🙂 The straight dope never disappoints! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/6 "2012-05-18T21:39:39Z")
We actually get this question every few years here. Raymond Scott (who wrote it) also wrote other pieces that were used by Warner Brothers; he didn’t write the for the cartoons, but Carl Stalling bought the rights. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/7 "2012-05-19T18:45:51Z")
Raymond Scott! I’ll be going about my day to day and some Raymond Scott composition comes to mind, the perfect soundtrack for modern living. Check out YouTube for a modern-day take on Raymond Scott courtesy of Don Byron: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fUmAxSlBhPs/hqdefault.jpg "Don Byron - Powerhouse - Bug Music") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUmAxSlBhPs) (Look for other Raymond Scott re “Don Byron Bug Music.”) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/8 "2012-05-19T19:29:38Z")
It took me the longest time to find out that the tune Beaky Buzzard sings is _Arkansas Traveller_. I have Beaky Buzzard’s version on my computer at work, and I play it when the computer is very slow. _The Hut Sut Song_ seems to turn up in a lot of cartoons and old shows. Gotta love those old tunes! ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/9 "2012-05-19T19:52:43Z")
Thinking “The Merrygoround Broke Down” by Irving Berlin (I think). ["The Merry-go-round Broke Down" (Looney Tunes theme) - YouTube](http://youtu.be/n73lXCzJUZ4) Q ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/10 "2012-05-19T19:59:03Z")
Sorry. I see y’all already have your answer. My bad. Q ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/11 "2012-05-20T01:35:07Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > [Powerhouse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerhouse_(song)). Why did I know the first response would be from New York? Scott is so amazingly underappreciated outside NY, it’s like he’s an urban folk artist or something. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/12 "2012-05-20T01:56:30Z")
I have that album on cd, and I’m gonna get it out and listen to it tonight! I even think it came from an earlier recommendation from someone here! Off-topic, sorry, but the 3 Stooges did a wonderful version of “The Merrygoround Broke down”, and I love The Stooges! I’m sorry I can’t find it for you on YouTube and I can’t figure out how to link you to something there, because I don’t know how anymore. **ZipperJJ** did one for me several years ago, but I don’t remember how we worked it. Sucks to be me, I reckon! :):)🙂 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Rampant\_Coypu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/439d5e/32.png) [@Rampant\_Coypu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rampant_Coypu)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-this-song-from-looney-tunes/622357/13 "2012-05-21T06:26:07Z")
The song is absolutely Powerhouse. This motif was incorporated into the the Rush instrumental “La Villa Strangiato”. Here’s a link: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjglB04TOno) The riff starts at 4:35