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Pluvious

(4,788 posts)
Sat Dec 21, 2024, 11:19 AM 10 hrs ago

Boomer Special: The interesting backstory of Bobby Darin's version of Mack The Knife

This video is probably one of his best live performances captured, that I have seen at least

This particular song is one of my go to earworms to chase out the unwanted earworms which I dare even mention because then they will intrude on my brain and I will need to go listen to Bobby Darin again lol



( From Quora, posted by Trevor Zylstra )
The female names are pretty ambiguous in the Bobby Darin version of the lyrics. I think it is typical to read the lyrics and think that they are murder victims of Mack.

BUT, Mack the Knife is from the Threepenny Opera, written in 1928. The music is by Kurt Weill and the lyrics are by Bertolt Brecht. (Those are the same two who also wrote Alabama Song [Whiskey Bar] that was famously covered by The Doors.)

And if we look at the historic pre-Bobby Darin iterations of the song we can explain the female names.

For the record, Bobby Darin’s version mentions Jenny Diver, Suky Tawdry, Miss Lotte Lenya, and Lucy Brown.

Jenny Diver is one of the main characters in the Threepenny Opera, described as “a prostitute once romantically involved with Macheath; is bribed to turn Mack over to the police”. She is based on a real Irish pickpocket who was notorious in her day.

Suky Tawdry is another character from Threepenny Opera, described as “one of several prostitutes who associate with the gangster Macheath”.

Miss Lotte Lenya is different. Instead of a fictional character, that is the real name of the actress and singer who originally played Jenny in ThreePenny Opera in 1928. Her name was not in the original song lyrics, it was added by Louis Armstrong when he covered Mack The Knife. Bobby Darin based his cover on Louis’.

Lucy Brown is another character name. She is described as “Tiger Brown's daughter; claims to be married to Mack”. (Tiger Brown is an old friend of Mack and is the Police Chief in ThreePenny Opera.)

So, other than “Miss Lotte Lenya”, they are other characters in the opera. Mack does not murder any of them.

Ref: https://www.quora.com/Who-are-the-list-of-girls-mentioned-twice-in-the-song-Mack-the-Knife-Bobby-Darin-version-Are-they-more-murder-victims-or-is-he-implying-they-are-the-prostitutes-he-was-filling-their-wombs-using-the-money-earned-from
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Boomer Special: The interesting backstory of Bobby Darin's version of Mack The Knife (Original Post) Pluvious 10 hrs ago OP
BIG FAVORITE....THANKS !!!! Karadeniz 10 hrs ago #1
LOL about earworms viva la 10 hrs ago #2
I saw the movie years ago when I was taking film courses. I love the music. Walleye 10 hrs ago #3
I have a CD (yes, I'm a dinosaur) greatauntoftriplets 10 hrs ago #4
When i first heard Darin's Mack the Knife on the radio Chipper Chat 10 hrs ago #5

viva la

(3,841 posts)
2. LOL about earworms
Sat Dec 21, 2024, 11:26 AM
10 hrs ago

I have that same problem... if I even say the title of an earworm song, I'm trapped!
My go-to is Beethoven's 5th, which pretty much drowns out every song in the world.
But this is a good one and shorter!

Walleye

(36,354 posts)
3. I saw the movie years ago when I was taking film courses. I love the music.
Sat Dec 21, 2024, 11:26 AM
10 hrs ago

I love the melody. Sounds more like a waltz in the movie soundtrack. I just read that Hitler banned the movie because it had “socialist themes”. I guess that’s the kind of thing we can look forward to

greatauntoftriplets

(176,977 posts)
4. I have a CD (yes, I'm a dinosaur)
Sat Dec 21, 2024, 11:35 AM
10 hrs ago

of Lotte Lenya singing "Mack the Knife". It's my favorite version.

Chipper Chat

(10,081 posts)
5. When i first heard Darin's Mack the Knife on the radio
Sat Dec 21, 2024, 11:45 AM
10 hrs ago

I just knew it was going to be no #1. And it did.

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