Calliope Music for Clowns

November 16, 2004 8:13 AM

What is the "circus clown" music called? It is usually played on a calliope, it goes:
doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do
Homer hallucinates Marge singing it in the episode where he goes to Krusty's Klown Kollege.
posted by Capn to media & arts (15 comments total)

This is definitely a midi file of it, though I don't know what it's called.
posted by jessamyn at 8:25 AM on November 16, 2004

Oh, it's called Thunder and Blazes by Fucik. [scroll down for sheet music and a little sound clip]
posted by jessamyn at 8:29 AM on November 16, 2004

That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!
posted by Otis at 8:35 AM on November 16, 2004

A.K.A. Entrance of the Gladiators
Julius Fucik
posted by Grangousier at 8:35 AM on November 16, 2004

Well, I don't think any of us saw that coming.

Thanks all!
posted by Capn at 9:44 AM on November 16, 2004

This is totally off topic, but it is kinda fun to listen to the midi jessamyn linked to and try reading Capn's, "doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do" with the music.
posted by plemeljr at 9:58 AM on November 16, 2004

doot doot doodle oodle OOT doot do do
doot doot doodle oodle oot doot do do
doot-doodle oot oot
doot-doodle oot oot
doodle-oodle-oodle-oodle-oodle-oodle doot doot
posted by Capn at 10:46 AM on November 16, 2004 [1 favorite]

Good lord! I've been wracking my brains for years trying to think of a way to transcribe this melody using doots and doodles so I could ask what it was.
posted by Krrrlson at 11:09 AM on November 16, 2004

doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do

That's awesome. I knew exactly what you were talking about just from this musical transliteration.
posted by mfbridges at 12:16 PM on November 16, 2004

Just in case anybody wants to know, Fucik's name is pronounced FOO-cheek (although FOO-chick would probably sound more natural in an English context). And I'm very happy to get the answer to a question I would never have thought to ask. Thanks, jessamyn and Grangousier!

doot-doot-doodle-oodle oot doot do do...
posted by languagehat at 2:23 PM on November 16, 2004

Capn, that's the best thing I've read all day.
posted by adamrice at 2:27 PM on November 16, 2004

At the risk of complete irrelevance: I know from a Comp Sci colleague of mine who worked on a project to identify tunes by recording people whistling that it's rhythm, not pitch, that is most significant in melody recognition. That's why Capn's transcription works so well.

it would work even better with some eedles and iddles for pitch...

Yeah, I feel a blog entry for Capn's doodle oodle coming on.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:58 PM on November 16, 2004

Capn, what was HYSTERICAL was to take that and make my mac speak it.
fred never sounded so musical.
posted by ShawnString at 5:08 PM on November 16, 2004

Arguably one of the greatest scenes in Simpsons history. The best part: the expression on Homer's face as he is "carving" the mashed potatoes, with his tongue just sticking out a bit.

Who's with me on this?
posted by davidmsc at 7:15 PM on November 16, 2004

That MIDI is just great. Its like circus music meets Wendy Carlos, at least on my machine.
posted by skallas at 11:23 PM on November 16, 2004