help me identify a circus song!

March 31, 2006 11:04 AM

ok, its a very very commonly heard 'circus' song, often used in other shows (tv shows etc) for 'comic effect'; within the circus context I think you most often hear it when the jugglers or other funny acrobats come out and do silly things. I'll 'hum' a few bars for you...

It goes like this: (i'll 'virtual hum' the first 5 bars or lines of it):

ta ta tatatata ta ta taaa ta
ta ta tatatata ta ta taaa ta
tum ta taaa ta
tum ta taaa ta
ta ta tatatata ta ta taaa ta


Can anyone name it? Where can I get an mp3 or a .wav of it? I just need the famous opening, not the whole song.

Thanks for any help - and you're a genius if you figured it out from the virtual humming!

posted by jak68 to sports, hobbies, & recreation (16 comments total)

Asked and answered previously, although mp3/wav is not linked to in said thread.
posted by WCityMike at 11:05 AM on March 31, 2006

i believe it is called "thunder and blazes" - also known as "the march of the gladiators". other folks will surely soon follow with handy links and whatnot.
posted by chr1sb0y at 11:06 AM on March 31, 2006

Wow! thanks! Askmefi Rocks! Aint the internet amazing?
posted by jak68 at 11:07 AM on March 31, 2006

Well, now that that's taken care of, mind if I piggy-back and ask what that other circus music is? The song that Homer hears when he is hallucinating everyone as clowns, when they are actually on fire? It's not the same piece, as far as I can tell. It's more fight songy, and has a cymbal crash every beat.
posted by team lowkey at 11:25 AM on March 31, 2006

This one?

doo dadoodoo doodoo
doo doo daah
da doo doo daah
something something
dee dodeedee deedoo
doo doo dee
da doo doo dee
posted by sonofsamiam at 11:30 AM on March 31, 2006

As a slight aside: In the UK, football (soccer) teams usually take to the field accompanied by a rousing tune, which the fans recognise as 'their' tune (i.e. each team has its own particular anthem).

For reasons that are obscure and lost in the mists of time, but which probably relate to Doug Ellis's grandad or someone thinking that any song entitled 'March of the Gladiators' sounded like fighting talk guaranteed to put the fear of God into the opposing team, Aston Villa FC used to take to the field to this clown song. Highly appropriate.
posted by essexjan at 11:30 AM on March 31, 2006

Or how about the song where homer is in the 'land of chocolate' in his daydream (episode where germans buy the nuclear plant) and he's prancing around taking bites out of chocolate lamp posts? I believe thats a circus song too. (and what a great scene that was!)
posted by jak68 at 11:31 AM on March 31, 2006

the chocolate lamp post one goes:

taaaa ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
taaaa ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
tadaaaaaaaaa
tadaaaaaaaaa
(repeat)
posted by jak68 at 11:34 AM on March 31, 2006

doo dadoodoo doodoo
doo doo daah
da doo doo daah
something something

This looks like the same song with doos instead of tas.

Or how about the song where homer is in the 'land of chocolate' in his daydream

Also asked (sort of). (It's probably an original composition by Danny Elfman or Alf Clausen). Doesn't sound much like circus music to me.
posted by designbot at 11:39 AM on March 31, 2006

The land of chocolate music is indeed hilarious. I'm pretty sure its by Alf.

This looks like the same song with doos instead of tas.

It's totally different! It's a lot faster!
posted by sonofsamiam at 11:41 AM on March 31, 2006

SHAZAM tagged THE SIMPSONS: "The Land Of Chocolate".

Not all the helpful.
posted by ed\26h at 11:45 AM on March 31, 2006

sonofsamiam: yes, thats the song! hahaha - its so hilarious.
posted by jak68 at 11:58 AM on March 31, 2006

It's even better when you play them on top of each other.
posted by starman at 12:07 PM on March 31, 2006

I like the sabre dance
posted by kookywon at 12:11 PM on March 31, 2006

Kookywon: yes originally I was thinking of the sabre dance for homer's land of chocolate. (I got my funny songs confused! ;) sabre dance is hysterical.
posted by jak68 at 12:25 PM on March 31, 2006

comedians gallop
posted by hortense at 7:33 PM on March 31, 2006