# What's the name of the manamana song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309 "2005-04-08T00:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/21 "2005-04-08T13:29:47Z")
We had a 45 of it at a radio station where I used to work. The label read “The Manna Manna Song” by “The Muppets”. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/22 "2005-04-08T14:41:55Z")
They did the song on the short-lived **Muppets Tonight**. Sandra Bullock was the guest host, and they did a skit with her and (as I recall) Kermit as psychiatrist and patient, respectively. The Snowths (that’s what those pink cow-like things are called) popped out and "doo dooooo, doo doo doo"ed every time one of them said “phenomenon”. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/23 "2005-04-08T15:43:26Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > **Biggirl.** Nitpick/ It was definitely the Muppet Show… unless it was somehow on both. Oh, aren’t you a sweet young thing. Us old folks remember it from Seseme Street. I sing it in funny voices for my kids. ---
**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:** [April 8, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/24 "2005-04-08T15:47:48Z")
> [@Mr. Goob](#): > > My older brother had a version of that song on an album (yes vinyl) in the 70’s by _Hot Butter_ Four guys playing those huge synthesizers that looked like they had old fashioned telephone switchboards attached. Are these the same guys who did Popcorn? 'Cause I love that song. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/25 "2005-04-08T15:48:46Z")
From the wiki link above > [@](#): > > The song subsequently became familiar to many from its rendition by the Muppets, first for national television audiences on the Ed Sullivan Show, and later on Sesame Street and the Muppet Show. It was performed in 1976 by the Muppets as “Mahna Mahna”, and credited to “Manah Manah and the Snowths”. As a result, the original Piero Umiliani recording finally became a hit in the UK, where the Muppet Show soundtrack album featuring the Muppets’ version went to number one. The alt.tv.muppets FAQ considers “Mahna Mahna” to be the best Muppet sketch ever. The Muppet version of the song is available on various Muppet collections and recordings. > > The song has resurfaced in many guises. The Muppets’ comeback series Muppets Tonight revisited it as a parody using the word “phenomena” in place of the title; ---
**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:** [April 8, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/26 "2005-04-08T16:26:47Z")
(Didn’t anyone get my joke about Bahrain? Sigh ☹ ) ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/27 "2005-04-08T16:31:39Z")
Sorry, **Paul** , I found the idea of it humorous, but not knowing the real anthem, I don’t know how appropriate it is as a parody of the actual music. Besides, every one who’s been through introductory chemistry knows it’s not “Mahna Mahna.” It’s “[Manometer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manometer).” 😃 ---
**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:** [April 8, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/28 "2005-04-08T17:01:06Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Oh, aren’t you a sweet young thing. Us old folks remember it from Seseme Street. Actually, us **old** folks remember it from the Ed Sullivan and Red Skelton shows. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/29 "2005-04-08T17:06:47Z")
I know that girl! Her name is Annie Gronbeck-Tedesco (possibly just Annie Tedesco as her professional name). I went to college with her! Many, many of my friends went to high school with her. She was also in a no-budget movie I worked on called “Small Secrets”. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/30 "2005-04-08T17:08:24Z")
That is, the girl in the Dr. Pepper commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/31 "2005-04-08T17:49:40Z")
Irn Bru. [It’s Phenomenal.](http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=17715) (Warning: includes scenes of football and pixelated nudity. Oh, and that tune of course. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/32 "2005-04-08T18:06:07Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Oh, aren’t you a sweet young thing. Us old folks remember it from Seseme Street. > > I sing it in funny voices for my kids. Hey, now I am 34. It’s entirely possible I don’t remember it on Sesame Street because I swore off the show after Mr. Hooper’s death and was busy outside riding my Green Machine from the 7-11, wearing my Zips, eating Pop Rocks (10 cents) and Now or Laters (10 cents) and a Watchamacallit (15 cents) for 35 cents. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/33 "2005-04-08T18:13:52Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > (Didn’t anyone get my joke about Bahrain? Sigh ☹ ) I got it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/34 "2005-04-08T18:59:09Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Hey, now I am 34. It’s entirely possible I don’t remember it on Sesame Street because I swore off the show after Mr. Hooper’s death and was busy outside riding my Green Machine from the 7-11, wearing my Zips, eating Pop Rocks (10 cents) and Now or Laters (10 cents) and a Watchamacallit (15 cents) for 35 cents. Whoa, that was my life at the time too! Except I had my Green Machine stolen at the school playground and I was down at Rogers’ Pantry looking for new Garbage Pail kids:) I’m 35, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/35 "2005-04-08T19:17:33Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Are these the same guys who did Popcorn? 'Cause I love that song. Psst: Yep. 🙂 I love it, too. I don’t know much about it, just that my father told me as a very impressionable child that it came out in the 70s and was the first song made entirely by synthesizers to make it on the charts. He bought me a moog shortly afterward, and they were very expensive back then… The only thing about this story that is a fact are the personal details. The rest I’ll have to look up. 😛 [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/36 "2005-04-08T19:54:59Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > The correct name is of course _The National Anthem of the Kingdom of Bahrain._ /_COLLAPSES AND DIES LAUGHING_/ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/37 "2005-04-08T23:23:30Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Are these the same guys who did Popcorn? 'Cause I love that song. > [@Anastasaeon](#): > > Psst: Yep. 🙂 I love it, too. I don’t know much about it, just that my father told me as a very impressionable child that it came out in the 70s and was the first song made entirely by synthesizers to make it on the charts. He bought me a moog shortly afterward, and they were very expensive back then… > > The only thing about this story that is a fact are the personal details. The rest I’ll have to look up. 😛 > > [/hijack] \*Popcorn \* is also the title of the album. Glued on the cover is a flattened popcorn box. I’m pretty sure it’s still in my closet with the other few hundred albums I’m in custody of from my parents and brother. _sniff_ I never had a Green Machine, I had to make do with a series of big wheels. I kept wearing out the front tire, would rub right through the center of it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/38 "2005-04-08T23:54:11Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > (Didn’t anyone get my joke about Bahrain? Sigh ☹ ) Okay, I’ll abase myself and admit to not getting it, but now you have to explain it. I’ll be checking in on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/39 "2005-04-09T00:54:10Z")
The capital of Bahrain is […](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manama,_Bahrain) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309/40 "2005-04-09T01:27:07Z")
I remember the OP’s very question being used on Jeopardy once. It was the Audio Daily Double in the Stupid Answers category (no offense to the OP!). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-the-manamana-song/298309.md?page=1)