# What is the 'plate spinner music' called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749 "2003-01-30T23:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/1 "2003-01-30T23:44:47Z")
You know, that cliché piece of fast-paced, staccato music that gets played whenever someone is running around like a madman? What is the title of it? Is it public domain? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/2 "2003-01-30T23:55:47Z")
If you’re talking about the same piece I’m thinking of, it’s Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance.” I know because there’s a keyboard video game (hit the keys at the right time to music - a Bamani game, for those of you who know it, in the same brand as Dance Dance Revolution) that has this song on it, and the arrangement is cool. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/3 "2003-01-31T00:08:40Z")
[Sabre Dance](http://www.j-marimba.com/ponies02.mpg) [sub]Note: I saw nothing on the main site about copyright infringement[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/4 "2003-01-31T00:18:41Z")
Isn’t that the same song that the masturbating bear on Conan, er, ‘performs’ with? ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/5 "2003-01-31T00:28:00Z")
Yes, that’s definitely it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/6 "2003-01-31T03:15:25Z")
Oh, you mean the Dave Letterman “Is It Anything?” theme? Khatchaturian. But if it’s Benny Hill doing the frantic running around… that’s “Yakety Sax”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/7 "2003-01-31T04:10:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Scrivener \* > \*\* > > But if it’s Benny Hill doing the frantic running around… that’s “Yakety Sax”. 😉 \*\* Really? That has a name? Well of course it does. How about the cartoon song. I think it was named in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. And the one they always play when somebody’s doing hard labor in a Gulag? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/8 "2003-01-31T04:30:42Z")
If I recall correctly the “Roger Rabbit” theme, that sounded like a variation of the classic can-can/follies-type music. Dunno the name of either, though. As for the Gulag theme – well, there just aren’t enough movies made about the Gulag, if you ask me. There is a piece (by Brahms, I think, although they might have also used Samuel Barber’s Adagio) that the world associates with Soviet-era state funerals. Is that what you had in mind? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/9 "2003-01-31T04:34:20Z")
Roger Rabbit= “The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/10 "2003-01-31T04:43:28Z")
Gulag music-maybe Prokofiev’s _Montagues and Capulets_? ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/11 "2003-01-31T05:18:53Z")
Roger Rabbit used Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody #2” in C# minor. [You have all heard it, I’m sure.](http://www.classicalmidiconnection.com/cgibin/x.cgi?mid/liszt/lszt_hr2.mid) (advance about two-thirds into the piece to hear the “chase” music) The “Gulag music” sounds like “The Song of the Volga Boatman”. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/12 "2003-01-31T05:48:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Gulag music-maybe Prokofiev’s _Montagues and Capulets_? \*\* Thi’s not the one I’m thinking of, but Mont and Caps is used in similar movie and T.V. situations. Merry-Go-Round Broke Down is the one I’m thinking of from Roger Rabbit. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/13 "2003-01-31T16:00:40Z")
I think the music you’re thinking of is indeed the Sabre Dance - listen for it in a hilarious older movie called “One Two Three” with Jimmy Cagney - wonderful use of the music. ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/14 "2003-01-31T20:57:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Scrivener \* > \*\*If I recall correctly the “Roger Rabbit” theme, that sounded like a variation of the classic can-can/follies-type music. Dunno the name of either, though. > > As for the Gulag theme – well, there just aren’t enough movies made about the Gulag, if you ask me. There is a piece (by Brahms, I think, although they might have also used Samuel Barber’s Adagio) that the world associates with Soviet-era state funerals. Is that what you had in mind? \*\* the volga boatmen is this the mystery theme elgar based the variations on??? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/15 "2003-01-31T21:17:22Z")
Oh, for God’s sake, check out **Dooku** ’s link – it’s hilarious and wonderful! I loved the little kid with the cymbals. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/16 "2003-01-31T22:00:05Z")
I like the way they all hop up and down in unison. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/17 "2003-01-31T22:29:25Z")
I saw the OP and thought Flight Of The Bumblebee. Oh well, another fast classical piece! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/18 "2003-01-31T22:31:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\*Merry-Go-Round Broke Down is the one I’m thinking of from Roger Rabbit. \*\* [Here’s a site](http://members.aol.com/roxln1/midistuf/music.htm#Thirties) with a MIDI and the original lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/19 "2003-01-31T22:43:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrcrow \* > \*\*the volga boatmen > is this the mystery theme elgar based the variations on??? > 🙂 \*\* It’s similar, but not identical. IIRC in VBS, the first interval is a minor 3rd, but in Elgar’s theme, it’s a Major 3rd. Also, in VBS, the 4th note is the same as the 2nd note, but in the Elgar, it’s a step higher. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/20 "2003-01-31T22:47:19Z")
[hijack] > [@](#): > > _Originally posted in Dooku’s sig:_ > **Errors in Geography: Krakatoa is west of Java.** Well, sure, if you go the _short_ way . . . 😛 [/hijack] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749.md?page=2)