Unexpected Showtunes

[achancetofly]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:33pm

What are some songs you've either so often heard in popular culture or have so often been referenced to that you never realized that they were from a musical until you heard the cast recording or a Broadway compilation album of some sort?

Here are some of mine:

"Ballad of Mack the Knife" from Threepenny Opera (I had no idea this was from a musical...I always grew up with my dad singing along to Frank Sinatra's version..)

"I Only Have Eyes For You" from 42nd Street

"Whatever Lola Wants" from Damn Yankees

"Tea for Two" from No, No, Nannette



Those are just a few..I'll let you guys name a bunch!

[sondheimsweetie07]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:36pm

this sounds really dumb but i didn't know the song aquairius was from hair

[achancetofly]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:37pm

Hahhaa neither did I! I was hoping someone would mention that one...I was too embarrassed to list that one...


But yeah, it's not dumb, because I didn't know it either!

[JamesMacon]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:49pm

"All that jazz" from Chicago.

[achancetofly]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:51pm

Yep, that's one of mine too!

[aspen]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:53pm

Ooh this is my first post! I'm so excited to just jump right in and reveal my ignorance early on with a thread like this...

Honestly, I was like 15 before I realized how much Gershwin and Cole Porter stuff was from musical theatre. I just knew it from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, etc.

And ditto for Age of Aquarius! I totally thought it was a 5th Dimension song, hahaha.

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:56pm

"Some Enchanted Evening" South Pacific
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" Dreamgirls

This is before I was a musical theater observer.

[achancetofly]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:58pm

That's exactly my situation, aspen.


Until recently, I really did not know much about the realm of musical theatre before Rodgers and Hammerstein. All my knowledge was based from R&H stuff onward, so when I first saw the Broadway:The American Musical special on PBS, I learned a LOT. I then got the compilation CDs, and learned how many of those songs I had no idea were from musicals.

I knew it all from Fran and Ella, just like you said. Which is why most of the ones I mentioned up there are all earlier musicals.


And by the way, great first post. You won't believe how many morons join this board and just post ridiculous posts with no knowledge of spelling, grammar, or proper usage of the search function. Welcome to the boards!

[achancetofly]

Posted: 8/10/06 at 11:59pm

Ditto on the "Some Enchanted Evening", Curtis.

[Yero]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:03am

"Big Spender" from Sweet Charity (My grandfather would always listen to Shirley Bassey, and her version was the only version I knew.
Also...
"Luck Be A Lady" from Guys and Dolls.

[aspen]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:06am

Phew! I'm not regarded as a moron--yet. That's a relief :) And I thought of another one: "Girl, You're a Woman"

I thought this was a Dolly Parton song. No idea it was from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. AND I LIVE in Texas. Sad, isn't it?

[achancetofly]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:08am

Ooh, you've got some good ones, Yero! I was gonna add "Luck Be a Lady" to my list, but I wanted to see if someone else would mention it, haha.

And I haven't heard anything from Sweet Charity, so that's a new one! I had no idea "Big Spender" was from it. My friend Mindy is always singing it, and I never bothered to ask. Awesome!

[Madhatter]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:08am

Oh What a Batiful Morning-Oklhoma(my dad always sung it when taking me to school,so when I saw Oklahoma I was like wow it's from a musical, I was also like 8 years old.)

[x_FedUp]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:08am

Seasons of Love

We sand it in choir and someone told me it was from a sitcom... lol

[greeneyed_one]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:10am

"Put on a Happy Face" from Bye Bye Birdie.

[peggyandvelma]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:15am

Luck Be a Lady - Guys and Dolls
Mack the Knife - Threepenny

...and I never got the puns in Do Re Mi from the Sound of Music. I finally heard the song all the way through recently and I just got the references. I feel stupid now.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:18am

"this sounds really dumb but i didn't know the song aquairius was from hair "

I didn't know that until right now...

[brdwybound2]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:43am

A local radio station plays nonstop Christmas music from Thanksgiving until Christmas day, and my favorite song they always played was Hard Candy Christmas. It wasn't until I bought it on iTunes that I realized it was from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas!

[OOTI2004]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 12:48am

We Need a Little Christmas from Mame. I Had just assumed it was another holiday song.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:01am

REMEMBER: THIS IS FROM WHEN I HAD NO IDEA WHAT MUSICAL THEATRE EVEN WAS!

We Need A Little Christmas - Mame (the first time I heard it was from a muppet christmas special)

Put on a Happy Face - Bye Bye Birdie
Luck Be A Lady - G & D
Matchmaker - Fiddler

[FeelingElectric]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:36am

I don't quite know if this is what you're looking for, but here's a story. I used to Baltimore Orioles games quite frequently. They play a pre-game video with highlights from the past. They played this song about magic (Because the motto of the team is "Orioles Magic, make it happen".). I never knew what it was until listening to Sirius' Broadway's Best about six months ago. The song is Magic To Do from the musical Pippin. I always loved hearing that song whenever I went to the ballpark, and it fits baseball perfectly (Miracle plays to play, Parts to Perform, etc.).

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:42am

"Tell Me on a Sunday" from Song and Dance. I just didn't know.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:42am

"Tell Me on a Sunday" from Song and Dance. I just didn't know.

[singtopher]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:46am

"Have yourself a merry little christmas" from Meet me in St. Louis

"De Lovely", "Friendship", and "You're the Top" were all songs I knew before I saw Anything Goes for the first time.

[Act4ever]

Posted: 8/11/06 at 1:50am

there are also a lot of people who don't know that "We're in the Money" is from 42nd Street