Swinging the Alphabet

Swinging the Alphabet is a novelty song sung by The Three Stooges in their 1938 film, "Violent is the Word for Curly." It is the only full-length song performed by the Stooges in their short films, and the only time they mimed to their own pre-recorded soundtrack.

In 2005, film historian Richard Finegan identified the composer of the song as Septimus Winner, who had originally published it in 1875 as "The Spelling Bee".

Lyrics

B-A-bay, B-E-bee, B-I-bicky-bi, B-O bo, bicky-bi bo, B-U bu, bicky bi bo bu.

C-A-cay, C-E-cee, C-I-cicky-ci, C-O co, cicky-ci co, C-U cu, cicky ci co cu.

D-A-day, D-E-dee, D-I-dicky-di, D-O do, dicky-di do, D-U du, dicky di do du.

F-A-fay, F-E-fee, F-I-ficky-fi, F-O fo, Ficky-fi fo, F-U fu, ficky fi fo fu.

G-A-gay, G-E-gee, G-I-gicky-gi, G-O go, Gicky-gi go, G-U gu, gicky gi go gu.

(Dat-da-da-da)

H-A-hay, H-E-hee, H-I-hicky-hi, H-O ho, hicky-hi ho, H-U hu, hicky hi ho hu.

J-A-jay, J-E-jee, J-I-jicky-ji, J-O jo, Jicky-ji jo, J-U ju, jicky ji jo ju.

K-A-kay, K-E-kee, K-I-kicky-ki, K-O ko, Kicky-ki ko, K-U ku, kicky ki ko ku.

L-A-lay, L-E-lee, L-I-licky-li, L-O lo, Licky-li lo, L-U lu, licky li lo lu.

M-A-may, M-E-mee, M-I-micky-mi, M-O mo, Micky-mi mo, M-U mu, micky mi mo mu.

Notes

* This song also appeared on several Three Stooges records in the 1960s with that era's Stooges (Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe DeRita).

* The lip-synching is a bit "off" in spots, particularly among the "chorus" of students who accompany the Stooges. Also note that during Curly's solo on the letters "K" and "L" he rushes the tempo on the tongue-tying lyrics, forcing the backing singers to keep up with him.

* "The Alphabet Song," written by Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo and featured in the 1980 movie "Forbidden Zone," was inspired by this song.Fact|date=August 2007

*Dale Gribble says the beginning verse of this song in the King of the Hill episode "A Firefighting We Will Go."

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Pk1UYkB3I Video clip on YouTube]

References