# What is the ice-cream-truck music in the UK? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 9, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010 "2007-07-09T02:32:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/41 "2007-07-11T17:39:01Z")
Usually “Pop Goes the Weasel” around here, too. NPR had a story a few weeks ago about a guy who just released a CD of new music, _specifically_ written for ice-cream trucks. He said the tunes had to be catchy, upbeat, and guaranteed not to drive the ice-cream guy bonkers after an hour. From the excerpt they played, though, I’d say he missed the mark. _Damn_, that was annoying. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/42 "2007-07-11T18:54:48Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] Here in Belfast the van on the estate where my daughter lives plays, unless I’m mistaken, a piece of music from the Southern United States, “Little Dixie”? The music played by Confederate troops (in the movies 🙂 ) [/QUOTE] There’s a ice cream van in _Ireland_ that plays “Dixie”? Too funny! ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/43 "2007-07-11T19:09:59Z")
I haven’t heard a musical ice cream truck in years, but when I was a kid we had one that played “Turkey in the Straw” and one that played “Little Brown Jug”. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/44 "2007-07-11T19:18:48Z")
[QUOTE=Capt B. Phart] Of course smart parents tell their kids the icecream man only plays the tune to show that he’s run out of icecream [/QUOTE] Hah. My mom took no trouble to rid me of my youthful theory that the piano truck was a public service to delight the masses with lovely music. I got her back, though; once I figured it out I stole all her money and bought an enormous ice-cream. Ours plays plain old _Turkey in the straw_, but I do remember one that played _Fur Elise_. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/45 "2007-07-11T19:39:36Z")
According to comedian Steven Wright, the ice cream truck where he grew up played “Helter Skelter”. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/46 "2007-07-11T19:44:49Z")
I don’t think ice cream trucks come around my subdivision, in spite of it being chock-full of kids. I definitely don’t recall hearing them a couple of years ago when I was in grad school/unemployed, and was home during the day a lot. Kind of sad, really. I guess it’s because the parents are so overprotective that you don’t see kids out roaming around all summer like when I was a kid. Back then, we got a lot of “Jimmy Crack Corn”, “Entertainer”, “Turkey in the Straw” and later on, as more Hispanics moved in to the area, “La Cucaracha”. Then, when I was in college, the hand-cart guys started walking around with the bell. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/47 "2007-07-11T19:53:07Z")
OK, this is not about the UK, but I’ve been curious. So I went to the Mr. Softee website to find out if their theme song has a name, and it does. And that name is “Mister Softee.” And it has[lyrics.](http://www.mistersoftee.com/music.asp) Yippie. I’m in an Irish/country band, and sometimes we play this tune as a jig. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/48 "2007-07-12T04:07:38Z")
[QUOTE=It’s Not Rocket Surgery!] According to comedian Steven Wright, the ice cream truck where he grew up played “Helter Skelter”. [/QUOTE] That would be a huge improvement over Bangkok’s trucks, believe me. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/49 "2007-09-04T01:12:50Z")
An ice cream truck just drove past my house playing “Camptown Races.” ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/50 "2007-09-04T01:45:14Z")
I’ve long had a notion to start a similar business, but for grown-ups (read: hungry, cashed-up drunks). Buy a van, paint it jet black, and sell chilli-based, hot and spicy snacks. The music should be funky, bluesy, or maybe just evil. I think something like _Peter Gunn, Green Onions_, etc. It becomes a cult for a few years with the black-wearing, inner city crowd, and when they get bored, I retire rich. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/51 "2007-09-04T20:34:37Z")
[QUOTE=Enter the Flagon] Well, it’s a beautiful melody, although I think it’s in a minor key. Maybe if you speed it up? Over here (the States), Greensleeves is most often associated with the Christmas carol with the same melody. So it struck me as odd that they’d play it on ice cream trucks in N.Z., until it dawned on me that in New Zealand, Christmas comes in the summer! What lunacy! 🙂 [/QUOTE] I believe you are looking for “What Child is This”. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/52 "2007-09-07T19:12:27Z")
I heard one today playing\* Orpheus in the Underworld\* by Offenbach ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/53 "2007-09-07T19:18:29Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] I heard one today playing\* Orpheus in the Underworld\* by Offenbach [/QUOTE] More commonly known, I think, as “Can Can.” ---
**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:** [September 7, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/54 "2007-09-07T19:22:43Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] There’s trucks here in Chicago that use a series of various sound effects, followed by a “Hey!” which-- stupid, stupid me-- always makes me look. I don’t even really hear or pay attention to the sound effects til I hear the person yelling “Hey!” [/QUOTE] Would that be “Rock & Roll Part 2” by Gary Glitter? Creepy. About 15 years ago in Takoma Park MD there was an indy (i.e. not Good Humor) ice cream truck that played “Bring In the Clowns,” slightly sped up. The driver always looked really depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010/55 "2007-09-07T21:14:39Z")
[QUOTE=Krokodil] Would that be “Rock & Roll Part 2” by Gary Glitter? Creepy. About 15 years ago in Takoma Park MD there was an indy (i.e. not Good Humor) ice cream truck that played “Bring In the Clowns,” slightly sped up. The driver always looked really depressed. [/QUOTE] No it ain’t ‘R & R P2’ This is like a goofy voice yelling “HEY!” It’s not a song, it’s just pure rottenness to make me turn my head every time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ice-cream-truck-music-in-the-uk/411010.md?page=2)