# Russian Flying Monkey Song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937 "2008-03-27T17:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937/1 "2008-03-27T17:07:25Z")
OK, [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNFRLrP014) is a funny video of a Finnish rock group, the Leningrad Cowboys singing _Sweet Home Alabama_. Yes it is funny. I know. More importantly, they are being backed up by the Red Army Choir. (Who look to be having a great time doing it.) Near the end of the song, the choir does a little background filagree that sounds like a song I ought to know. Something old. Something military. Either that or something like the Flying Monkey Song. What the heck is it? What is its importance? From whence do I half-remember it? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937/2 "2008-03-27T17:13:16Z")
[Here you go](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cgCDHz6G1s) (it’s a traditional Russian work song). ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937/3 "2008-03-27T17:15:28Z")
So no connection to flying monkeys at all? I suspected as much but am somehow disappointed. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937/4 "2008-03-27T17:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] OK, [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNFRLrP014) is a funny video of a Finnish rock group, the Leningrad Cowboys singing _Sweet Home Alabama_. Yes it is funny. I know. More importantly, they are being backed up by the Red Army Choir. (Who look to be having a great time doing it.) Near the end of the song, the choir does a little background filagree that sounds like a song I ought to know. Something old. Something military. Either that or something like the Flying Monkey Song. What the heck is it? What is its importance? From whence do I half-remember it? [/QUOTE] [Volga Boat Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cgCDHz6G1s&feature=related). As for its importance, and why you might remember it, I couldn’t possibly comment. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937/5 "2008-03-27T17:19:56Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] So no connection to flying monkeys at all? I suspected as much but am somehow disappointed. Thank you. [/QUOTE] Well, the song does have a passing similarity to [The March of the Winkies](http://www.reelclassics.com/Audio_Video/Music7q/clips/stothart_wizoz_marchofwinkies_clip.mp3) from _The Wizard of Oz_, which did have flying monkeys, so, you’re not, uh, that far off… ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937/6 "2008-03-27T17:41:50Z")
[QUOTE=Surok] [Volga Boat Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cgCDHz6G1s&feature=related). As for its importance, and why you might remember it, I couldn’t possibly comment. [/QUOTE] From an old _Popeye_ cartoon. The monsters on some island sang it. (I wonder if that was a Cold War thing?) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-flying-monkey-song/442937/7 "2008-03-27T17:51:53Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] From an old _Popeye_ cartoon. The monsters on some island sang it. (I wonder if that was a Cold War thing?) [/QUOTE] [Ta Da!](http://youtube.com/watch?v=WgMDMQnroWY) (not the Popeye you’re talking about, but it is in the last few seconds of the short)