That traditional ice cream van tune.

Factual Questions
1

You know the one, right? I certainly hope so, because I’m coming up with a lot of google results for a lot of tunes, absolutely none of which are the one I would have considered THE ice cream van tune.

I was rewatching Jekyll, the BBC’s most recent reimagining of the Jekyll and Hyde story, written by Stephen Moffat or Sherlock and Doctor Who fame, and the Hyde character has a sort of musical motif, which is the ice cream music. Helpfully, the DVD subtitles caption this as “ICE CREAM MUSIC”.

So, you know that ice cream music? Anyone know what it’s officially called?

2

Turkey in the Straw is the one I always hear.

3

The ones around here play “Pop Goes the Weasel” and then they pause, and it says
HELLO???

In the MOST obnoxious tone ever. I swear, more than anything it’s the ice cream truck that’s going to make me get my shotgun one of these days.

4

No, we don’t. It’s different in every city, and often multiple songs in the same city. When I was a kid in Cleveland, the most common ones were “The Entertainer” and “Turkey in the Straw”, but those might not have been used where you grew up.

5

Our local guys played the theme from “The Sting”. I believe it was named “The Entertainer”.

Prior to that movie’s release I don’t recall what they played.

6

I hate that. It’s a fairly recent thing (like, within the last ten years recent–I don’t remember for sure), and I’d really like for them to go back to just the Maple Leaf Rag or whatever it was they used to play, without the idiotic Valley Girl HELLO?! thing.

7

Entertainer.

8

I haven’t watched Jekyll, and there are a lot of different ice cream van jingles about - but I’d hazzard a bet that they would be using this tune:

9

Greensleeves?

10

Could it be the tune in this thread from the OP?

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=531023&highlight=cream+truck+music

11

The one that patrols my neighborhood plays Christmas songs. Seriously.

Side question: ever notice that there’s always a single note in every song that’s off or is it just me?

12

The one I remember goes like this:

Deedle-dee deedle-dee tum-ta-tum
Ta-dum ta-dum ta-daaaaa-dum.

In the key of C,it would be:

G A G E D C D C A
C B C D G E C.

13

I know it’s not original with them, but Firesign Theater used that tune on their album, I Think We’re All Bozos On This Bus.

Listen to the first 15 seconds.

14

That’s my guess too. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elsr375TxCA) Will have to dig out Jekyll again at some point soon, but I think that might have been what was used (it’s certainly creepy enough for it - and I think it’s also one of, if not the, usual ice cream van tune in the UK too)

15

Let me guess: “What child is this”?

16

Which is the same tune as “Greensleeves”. The last time I sung this from a formal church hymnal, I believe the hymnal actually stated that it was sung to the tune of Greensleeves.

17

No, I’m talking “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”

18

The one here plays Girl With the Strawberry Curl

(not sure that is the actual title)

Also, we have that HELLO one. Totally hate it, makes me think I’m having a flashback.

19

Here they play “Music Box Dancer”. I wonder if Frank Mills is getting a cut?

20

I’ve heard The Entertainer the most. Grew up in Dallas, TX. I know I’ve heard Turkey in the Straw a few times also.

I once heard one playing Fur Elise. Just plain weird. The tempo was a little slow and slightly out of tune like most ice cream trucks. I don’t think those synthesized bells, of wtf ever those things are, are meant to play in a minor key. Spooky. I remember thinking it was the perfect music for a horror movie scene, right before the psychopath in the bloody clown suit steps out of the truck and hacks to death all the kiddoes.