I recently re-watched Apocalypse Now! for the umpteenth time. When this part came up I realized something: I’m fairly sure that an entire generation who had probably never heard of Wagner before will hear the Ride of the Valkyries and immediately think of Apocalypse Now! for the rest of their lives. Can you think of any other examples of this?
The William Tell Overture. And I bet I really don’t even need a link. You know what you’re going to see, don’t you?
No, no, when people hear The Ride of the Valkyries, they think, “Got to kill wabbits. Got to kill wabbits.”
Nope, I didn’t.
But then, I hope y’all have been spared having The Dance of the Hours become associated with a brand of bouillon cubes - although I imagine you may have heard The Police explained as “the guys who did the Schweepes song” back in the '80s, since Schweepes is a more international brand than Avecrem (I did not kill my brother and did let him borrow the LP).
Quite a lot of people will never be able to hear Stuck In the Middle With You without imagining ears being sliced off, ever again.
I know quite a few people who claim a distaste for Singin’ In The Rain since they watched A Clockwork Orange.
And his “rehabilitation” certainly changed Alex’s perception of Ludwig Van.
No, it’s associated with ostriches, elephants, crocodiles, and hippos. Or Camp Grenada.
I thought it was going to be that scene from A Clockwork Orange.
Absolutely!
Strangely enough, my association with Ride of the Valkyries stems from James Dean humming it in Rebel Without A Cause when he was drunk at the police station early in the movie. There might even be a clip at YouTube to verify that, but I won’t go hunting it. You either remember it or you don’t.
Another Dean connection is from Giant when Chill Wills plays Clair de Lune.
Personally, I can’t hear the music without automatically singing, in my best Bugs Bunny voice:
Welcome to my shop!
Let me cut your mop
Let me take your crop
Daiiiiiintily!
I always loved The Rabbit Of Seville.
I’m afraid the Flowers Duet from Lakme will be known as British Airway’s advertising jingle for a long time.
I’d never heard Suo Gan until Empire of the Sun, and I’m able to enjoy it without thinking of coffins floating down the river.
i think Mighty Mouse had Wagner.
After they started playing “This is the Cereal That is Shot From Guns” at fireworks shows, I think a lot of kids don’t associate it with cereal any more.
There’s kind of an inverse phenomenon too: My knowledge of Apocalypose Now comes entirely from music that samples it.
Whenever I hear Tom Petty’s American Girl I think she better put the lotion on her skin or else she’ll get the hose again.
The only cereal that’s shot from guns?
I predate all of it, but yeah, The End still has Martin Sheen in his drawers in it for me, though he was never my type.
Not that I recall. The only piece that comes to mind is the sextet from “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti, which is used in “Throwing the Bull”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLFxca1JKI8#t=3m
No “Carmen”, though, which is what you’d expect for a bullfight.
Let’s see if I’m the only one here…
When I hear “March of the Toreadors” from Carmen, I hear someone singing “Neither a borrower nor a lender be! Do not forget, stay out of debt!”