Mahna Mahna (song)
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| Written by | Piero Umiliani |
| Music by | |
| Lyrics by | |
| Date | 1968 |
| Source | Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso (Sweden, Heaven and Hell) |
| Publisher | Edward B. Marks Music Company |
"Mahna Mahna", originally titled "Mah-Na Mah-Na," was written by Italian composer Piero Umiliani for an Italian documentary about life in Sweden, titled Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso (Sweden, Heaven and Hell). It is a nonsense song that achieved widespread fame when the Muppets performed it.
Contents |
Classic Sketches
The most well-known Muppets' rendition of "Mahna Mahna" debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, performed by Mahna Mahna and his back-up singers, the Snowths. This version of the skit was restaged for episode 101 of The Muppet Show.
The earliest version of the skit was first performed on episode 0014 of Sesame Street by Bip Bippadotta, backed up by two Anything Muppet girls. Whereas the Snowths sing "doo doo doo doo doo" on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Muppet Show, the back-up singers on the Sesame Street version sing "pa tee pa tee pee". This version was also used during the closing credits of an episode of Play With Me Sesame, with the cast singing and dancing along as this clip played. It was also included in the broadcast version of The Street We Live On.
The air date for episode 0014 of Sesame Street was November 27, 1969, and the Ed Sullivan Show appearance was on live television three days later.
The song was also performed on The Dick Cavett Show and This Is Tom Jones in 1971 by Mahna Mahna and the Snowths.
Ruth Buzzi, Johnny Carson and Goldie Hawn performed the song when they all turned into Muppets on Pure Goldie in 1971.
Modern Sketches
The "Mahna Mahna" sketch was parodied in "The Psychiatrist's Office" sketch on episode 107 of Muppets Tonight, in which the Snowths would appear and sing "doo doo doo doo doo" every time Kermit said that the word "phenomena." As the sketch continues, guest star Sandra Bullock begins performing the song, taking on some of the mannerisms of the Mahna Mahna character (i.e. trying to dominate the song with a manic scat until she's calmed down by others).
"Mahna Mahna" opened The Muppet Show Live at Muppetfest in 2001. Bill Barretta performed Mahna Mahna to a pre-recorded track of Jim Henson's vocals. New video footage of Mahna Mahna riding in a limo was also taped and shown on a video monitor at the event. Another live performance with Sweetums was staged in 2003 during a promotional appearance at Lincoln Center in New York.
Kermit performed the song with the Snowths for the 2002 Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.
An advertisement featuring "Mahna Mahna" was filmed for a New Zealand cancer charity called CanTeen in 2005. In the ad, Mahna Mahna was both puppeteered and voiced by Bill Barretta, and the lyrics were changed from "Mahna Mahna" to "Bandanana" to promote CanTeen's "Bandanna Week".
The Muppets also sang this song in Muppets Ahoy!
References
- A line in "Weird Al" Yankovic's 2003 song "Couch Potato" mentions "The Muppet Show where they go 'Mahna Mahna!'"
- In 2005 a television advertisement for Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper featured the recording of "Mahna Mahna" by Jim Henson and Frank Oz.
- A cover of the song was performed by Cake as the opening track of the 2002 album For the Kids, a CD whose sales proceeds went to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. The cover also appears on Cake's 2007 album B-Sides and Rarities.
- The characters on Mystery Science Theater 3000 broke out into the song during their commentary of "Jungle Goddess"
- Banana Boat have used the song in one of their ongoing television advertisements, but instead replacing the "Mahna Mahna" with "Banana Boat"
- In the Spring of 2007, the song was used as the background music of a commercial for Menard's home improvement stores.
- In the spring of 2007, BOB 95.1 FM radio started advertising commercials with muppet-like puppets, singing "turn your knob to BOB" as replacement for "mahna mahna"
- The song was used many times in the 1970s and early 1980s in The Benny Hill Show.
- The song was regularly featured on the J.P. Patches children's television show on KIRO-TV channel 7 in Seattle between 1970 and 1981.
- In 2004 a children's music radio show on WEFT 90.1 FM called "Mah Na Mah Na" began. The show features the song as its theme song.
- In 2004, the German film Sommersturm used a version of this song when the QueerSchlag Team plays a prank on Georg.
- The song was sung by Gareth, David and Ben in the first episode of the second series of BBC's The Office.
- The song was sung by Jennifer Finnigan in the pilot of the short-lived NBC sitcom Committed in 2005. Later episodes revealed that it was also the ringtone on her cell phone.
- In late 2006, a version in which the phrase "you never know" replaced the title lyrics was used as background music for Big Lots TV advertisements.
- Also starting in late 2006, a version was used in Saturn automobile commercials.
- In the May 7, 2007 episode of As the World Turns, the song plays in the background while characters Brad Snyder and Katie Kasnoff clean up a woman's house during.
- The punk band That Handsome Devil sampled "Mahna Mahna" in their song "Hey White Boy."
- Sampling of the song formed the basis for a 1997 UK hit single, "No Way No Way" by Vanilla.
- Pato Fu, a Brazilian pop group used the melody of "Mahna Mahna" as a basis for their song "Made in Japan", the chorus uses a vocoded voice singing "Made in Japan" instead of "Mahna Mahna".
- Fargo, North Dakota radio station KBVB "Bob 95 FM" created a commercial with puppets that spoofed the sketch by changing the "Mahna Mahna" lyrics to "Turn Your Knob To Bob" (which is the station's slogan).
Audio Releases
The Muppet Show version
- The Muppet Show (album) (1977)
- Mahna Mahna/Mr. Bassman (single, 1977)
- Mahna Mahna/Sax and Violence (single, 1977)
- Favorite Songs From Jim Henson's Muppets
- Muppet Hits
- Music, Mayhem and More! (2002)
- Best of the Muppets (2005)
Sesame Street version
Others
Although the song has been recorded a number of times since its debut, most inclusions of the song on children's compilation albums are a result of the song's popularity stemming from its exposure via the Muppets.
- Songs from Sesame Street
- Muppet Vision 3D (instrumental)
Video Releases
- The Muppet Revue (1985)
- It's the Muppets: Meet the Muppets! (1993)
- The Muppet Show: Season One (2005)
