OK, so everywhere I look, it says the Animaniacs song “Yakko’s World” is supposedly set to the Mexican Hat Dance.
But this is Yakko’s World:
and this is the Mexican Hat Dance:
Unless I’m completely missing something (likely), that’s not the same tune. Surely there are other Mexican Hat Dances, but which one is the source for Yakko’s World? It’s driving me a little nuts.
I was going to ask if he did that in one take, but there’s countless videos of him on youtube doing it live. Granted, he’s been doing it for 20+ years now and that video may have been several takes spliced together, but I’ve never seen it and it was fun to watch.
Anyways, the wiki page says it’s the Mexican Hat Dance, if it doesn’t sound right to you, it’s probably just modified a bit to fit the lyrics. Those WB/Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies (and Mel Blanc specifically) were pretty smart, I’m sure they could adjust a known melody to meet their needs.
The part where he says “Mozambique Zambia Swaziland Gambia Guinea Algeria Ghana” (that’s my favorite part) fits the bit at the beginning of the second link. But yes, there is a lot that doesn’t match up.
Yeah, true, that one line kind of does fit. But just that. Maybe it’s just an original tune, but then why do all the references say that it’s to the tune of the Mexican Hat Dance? I keep thinking there’s a dance out there that we could hear and think, “Ah! I know the words to that one! United States Canada Mexico Panama Haiti Jamaica Peru…”
¿No?
I can sing the entire song in one go; it’s fun to sing words that quickly. I can also sing Wakko’s State Capitals and the Presidents songs. Yes, I am a dork.
There are two themes. One sounds like it comes from Largo al factotum from “The Barber of Seville.” The Mexican Hat Dance shows up in the posted clip at 0:35 through 0:42, 0:59 through 1:06, 1:23 through 1:30, and 1:45 through the end.
Jeff, you are right about the sections that do indeed come from the linked tune. Had to listen to it again, but you’re right. I guess I was thinking about the other parts, which don’t. Not sure about the Barber of Seville, but not a bad idea for “inspiration”.
I guess it’s about half Mexican Hat Dance and half Animaniacs music team, which works for me. Thanks, all!
Just going from memory, I first saw it as an adult and I remember that to avoid controversy I think he lists Israel and Palestine separately…
The song was written is a pretty unstable time as far as “current countries” went too (1993). It doesn’t list a huge number of post-Soviet states that existed either shortly after or already existed but didn’t have constitutions or weren’t widely accepted or whatever else. I notice it doesn’t list Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Lithuania…
I think there’s also an African country that’s listed twice, under two different names.
I used to perform stand-up comedy professionally for about 6 years. I always sang these songs from memory (sometimes several times) before I hit the stage to loosen my tongue.