# It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831 "2003-07-16T07:21:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/1 "2003-07-16T07:21:28Z")
Does anyone know where I can get the lyrics to the opening music of _It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World_? ---
**Author:** ![SnugTheJoiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@SnugTheJoiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnugTheJoiner)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/2 "2003-07-16T07:55:08Z")
I don’t know where you can find the entire lyric to this song–but I remember hearing this as a wee tad. I believe it is the beginning of the song: In France the girls wear scanties, But on lambchops they put panties. (Instumental: La LAAA la la!) It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad, world! I don’t remember any more. Pretty pathetic, I know, but I hope it helps. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/3 "2003-07-16T08:18:51Z")
Yeah, those are the opening words, and the only two lines I can find anywhere online. ---
**Author:** ![the\_O-man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@the\_O-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_O-man)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/4 "2003-07-16T12:26:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mudshark \* > \*\*Does anyone know where I can get the lyrics to the opening music of _It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World_? \*\* I actually have the lyrics in a fake book, I will try to email them to you. ---
**Author:** ![the\_O-man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9f8e36/32.png) [@the\_O-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_O-man)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/5 "2003-07-16T12:43:15Z")
Can you send me your current email address? The one on the email link button no longer seems to be valid. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/6 "2003-07-18T05:22:40Z")
Thanks **the O-man** , I just got your e-mail. I knew someone here would have the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/7 "2003-07-18T05:49:32Z")
… and they are ? ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/8 "2003-07-18T06:17:38Z")
**AndrewT** , it’s against board policy to inlcude full song lyrics in a post. If you’d like, I’ll e-mail them to you. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/9 "2003-07-18T07:15:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by the O-man \* > I actually have the lyrics in a fake book, I will try to email them to you. Is that the best you could do? Couldn’t you get a real book? ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/10 "2003-07-18T07:50:54Z")
**The O-man** , I’d like to thank you too for passing along the lyrics. **Mudshark** and I watched _It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World_ last weekend, (I’d never seen it). From what we could make out of the opening song it was pretty funny, but he couldn’t find the lyrics anywhere. Knew somebody would have them on here, though. Thanks again. Now…(I was wondering about it myself, **Archernar** ): what’s this “fake” book? ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/11 "2003-07-18T07:58:03Z")
Maybe it is a story book of _It’s a Mad. Mad, Mad, Mad World_. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/12 "2003-07-18T08:17:35Z")
That’s what I was guessing. The wording just struck me as a bit odd. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/13 "2003-07-18T12:36:35Z")
A “Fake Book” is a book of simplified versions of songs. If you play professionally, someone may request a song you don’t usually play. The fake book has the lyrics and the basic chords and melodies and the musician can add embelishments as desired. It can put many songs in a small amount of space – maybe a half page per song as opposed to several pages. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/14 "2003-07-18T13:17:09Z")
Another view of fake books. They are collections of “lead sheets” – that’s pronounced “leed,” not “led.” A lead sheet contains three essential elements of a song:[ol][li]The melody, if there is one[_]The harmony, if there is any[_]The lyrics, if there are any[/ol][/li]The melody is usually represented by a single line of music notes. The harmony is usually indicated with chord symbols, and and lyrics, with words, of course. To a professional musician, this is sufficient to recreate a song, even one they have never heard before, at least to drunken bar patrons! Years ago, a series of fake books, each with 1000 songs, 3 to the page, were available under the counter. The music publishers wanted to be paid full royalties for each song, but if the fake book compilers had done that, the cost of the books would have been out of sight. Nevertheless, musicians have a great need for this kind of material, so the books were printed and sold illegally. Nowdays, the publishers have gotten wise and are issuing some fake books themselves, legally. However, the songs are usually chosen from their own catalogs, which keeps the selection from being broadly based, and the books’ prices are quite high. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/15 "2003-07-18T14:39:08Z")
I once heard a story about the naming of Mad…World. Someone asked why they used only 4 “Mad”'s, not 5. The answer? “It would have been redundant.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-mad-mad-mad-mad-world-question/188831/16 "2003-07-18T17:20:06Z")
Can’t believe I’d never heard the term before. Thanks for the info, **RealityChuck** and **Musicat**.