1958 was our sophomore year at John R. Rogers High School. In addition, Bobby Darin recorded the song, Mack the Knife in 1958. It's lyrics were about an anti-hero ... and murder.
Late 50's music was a curious mix of rock n' roll, the dying whimper of the Big Band Era, a flash of Calypso, folk music, love ballads, teen suicide ballads, and even ballads about murderers. Titles about murderers include Stagger Lee, Lizzie Borden, Tom Dooley, and Mack the Knife. I've had questions about some of these songs.
The Internet is a wonderful thing. I've answered questions to myself that I'd never trouble to research otherwise. I wondered about the why and how of the song, Mack the Knife. It turns out its origins are in the Three Penney Opera, but that just raised questions such as “I've heard of that, but what the heck is it?” It is an adaptation of a moritat – a medieval murder ballad. The Three Penney Opera premiered in Berlin in 1928, only a few years before our John R. Rogers campus was built. The hero, or anti-hero, was named MacHeath, a character who committed robbery, murder and rape. The music and lyrics progressed through several versions.
Louis Armstrong introduced the version we know as Mack the Knife in 1954 on Your Hit Parade. Bobby Darin recorded it in 1958, against Dick Clark's advice. Clark's position was that the American public would not go for a song rooted in opera. Wrong! Recently Simon Cowel named Mack the Knife, the best song ever written. To each his own (hey, that's a song title from my first memories).
Mack the Knife, apparently, was a pussycat compared to MacHeath, but that same name appears in the song. To fill in the details, I snagged the lyrics to the song from the Internet.
Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
And he keeps it … ah … out of sight.
Ya know when that shark bites, with his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves, though, wears old MacHeath, babe
So there’s nevah, nevah a trace of red.
Now on the sidewalk … uuh, huh … whoo … sunny mornin’ … uuh, huh
Lies a body just oozin' life … eeek!
And someone’s sneakin' ‘round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?
A-there's a tugboat … huh, huh, huh … down by the river don’tcha know
Where a cement bag’s just a'droopin' on down
Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten old Macky’s back in town.
Now, d'ja hear ‘bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor
Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?
Now … Jenny Diver … ho, ho … yeah … Sukey Tawdry
Ooh … Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky’s back in town.
Aah … I said Jenny Diver … whoa … Sukey Tawdry
Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Yes, that line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky’s back in town …
Look out … old Macky is back!!