# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**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, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/21 "2003-01-31T23:15:02Z")
[hijack] šŸ˜ƒ [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/22 "2003-02-01T00:27:42Z")
ā€œPowerhouseā€ is another theme that got played alot in Warner Brothers cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/23 "2003-02-01T03:10:30Z")
I just wanted to add that the second I saw this original question, I knew exactly what piece of music it referred to. (Although I confess I didnā€™t actually know the name of it.) ---
**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:** [February 1, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/24 "2003-02-01T06:44:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\*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 somebodyā€™s doing hard labor in a Gulag? \*\* for the Gulag how about [The Anvil Chorus](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000003D03/qid=1044081614/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_9/104-7769429-9459923?v=glance&s=classical) . Click on the 5th sample and see if thatā€™s not it. ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/25 "2003-02-01T07:24:28Z")
What about the haunted house theme? Dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ duuuuuuuuuuuum, dumdumdumdum (repeat as necessary.) Is the Jimmy Cagney movie the one with the line ā€œOne of 'emā€™s blue, and one of 'emā€™s greenā€? About a Russian defector or some such? ---
**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:** [February 1, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/26 "2003-02-01T15:14:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrcrow \* > \*\*the volga boatmen > is this the mystery theme elgar based the variations on??? > šŸ™‚ \*\* The Volga Boatmen is the one I was thinking of. It wasnā€™t until the very clever **Max** did it that I thought to look in Amazon. You can find it [Here](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000000AYT/qid=1044112093/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/102-6605671-0220101) Itā€™s the one named The Volga Boatmen ---
**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:** [February 1, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/27 "2003-02-01T21:42:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ben \* > \*\*What about the haunted house theme? > > Dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ duuuuuuuuuuuum, dumdumdumdum > (repeat as necessary.) > > \*\* Donā€™t know the name, if indeed it has one, but I just had to say that going by your lyrics alone I was able to figure out the song in my head. I can just see someone tip-toeing around and a large monster tip-toeing behind them. Each ā€˜dumā€™ goes up a couple of notes, ā€˜duuuuuuuuuuuumā€™ is a bit of vibrato and goes down a bit, and the last ā€˜dumsā€™ go down the scale. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/28 "2003-02-01T22:33:52Z")
The ā€œhaunted house musicā€ question came up in the past year, but Iā€™ll be dog-gone if I can find it. ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/29 "2003-02-02T02:58:49Z")
I think we have a breakthrough on the Snake Charmer music, at least: > **["There's a Place in France" aka "Streets of Cairo" - That "Snake Charmer" Song](http://www.shira.net/streets-of-cairo.htm)** > > Learn the history of the song Streets of Cairo, which the general public in North America associates with belly dancing, snake charmers, and 'There's a place in France...' ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/30 "2003-02-02T04:35:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ben \* > \*\*What about the haunted house theme? > > Dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ duuuuuuuuuuuum, dumdumdumdum > (repeat as necessary.)\*\* I first heard this on Sesame Street as Sherlock Hemlock(the worldā€™s greatest detective)'s theme. As for the Anvil Chorus, it was used on a TV ad back home that went like this: Husband: ā€œJust sit here, mā€™dear, and leave it up to me-ee. With Rigoletto pasta sauce, weā€™re going to Capri-i.ā€ Son: ā€œPlease, Dad, can I have some more?ā€ Wife: ā€œI never knew, Jeff, you were such a Chef, you should cooooook, every night.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/31 "2003-02-02T04:43:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ben \* > \*\*What about the haunted house theme? > > Dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ dumā€¦ duuuuuuuuuuuum, dumdumdumdum > (repeat as necessary.)\*\* Are you thinking of Bachā€™s Toccata and Fuge in D Minor? Thatā€™s usually what people are thinking of when they think scary music but it goes more like: Dum Dum Dumā€¦Duhduhduhduh Dummmmm Dummmmm So Iā€™m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/32 "2003-02-02T05:04:41Z")
No, Tocatta and Fugue is Dracula music, not haunted house music. Max Carnage is right- the haunted house theme is definitely tiptoeing music. ---
**Author:** ![Shadez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shadez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadez)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749/33 "2003-02-02T05:15:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > \*\*I saw the OP and thought Flight Of The Bumblebee. Oh well, another fast classical piece! \*\* _I_ saw the OP and thought he was asking for the word ā€œrecordā€. Woo boy. /Shadez [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plate-spinner-music-called/151749.md?page=1)