# ID this song (Kent cigarette ads)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-song-kent-cigarette-ads/801731>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 16, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-song-kent-cigarette-ads/801731 "2017-11-16T00:33:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-song-kent-cigarette-ads/801731/1 "2017-11-16T00:33:35Z")

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Back in the 60s, [Kent cigarette ads](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9jGRFJXmfU) on TV had a bouncy, apparently familiar tune. I always assumed they were using a famous, pre-existing tune; a political ad from 1970 used the same melody, and I can’t imagine they’d just cop it from a cigarette commercial (It was John J. Hooker running for governor of Tennessee against Winfield Dunn; Hooker lost).

Anyway, what is the original version of this song?

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**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-song-kent-cigarette-ads/801731/2 "2017-11-16T00:38:06Z")

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[Happiness Is](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tFB2dk5tNqg).

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**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-song-kent-cigarette-ads/801731/3 "2017-11-16T00:38:30Z")

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I don’t know the original version, but I always thought the _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ theme sounded pretty similar.

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-song-kent-cigarette-ads/801731/4 "2017-11-16T00:58:46Z")

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> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#):
>
> [Happiness Is](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tFB2dk5tNqg).

And we have a winner! Thanks.