Annoying song - The Birds (1963) Discussion

[–] BlackVelvetGlove 9 years ago

It probably was the straw that broke the birds' back.  Depending on whom you ask, it's called either "The Wee Cooper O' Fife" or "Risselty-Rosselty," and it has two sets of lyrics, accordingly.

There are some jokes and videos on YouTube about that scene. I was going to post one from Mario Cantone, but the version on YouTube is particularly vulgar compared to the one I originally saw. Your mileage may vary...

---
"Will you be okay on the futon?"
"Oh, the futon. Isn't that Japanese for 'insomnia'?"

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[–] rj-27 9 years ago

I was wondering after about the 16th verse, why Tippi didn't beg the crows to end her life by any means necessary.

I guess I'll have to check out the YouTube video.

Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken

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[–] MsLadybird99 9 years ago

I can't find the racy versions.

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[–] leybell 8 years ago

true true. I feel the same whenever I hear Bye Bye Miss American Pie or anything by Beyoncé Knowles.

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[–] Minus_The_Beer 8 years ago

I feel the same whenever I hear Bye Bye Miss American Pie or anything by Beyoncé Knowles.

I'm glad you specified which Beyonce you were talking about. I thought you were talking about Beyonce Levenstein for a second there.

'Remember when' is the lowest form of conversation. - Tony Soprano

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[–] tspalmer-36860 8 years ago

Lol! I always wonder how many verses does that song have?! Good grief! There's like 10 verses!

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[–] PenTheater 8 years ago

Trivia from the DVD extra, the song was public domain (so they didn't have to pay to use it) but it wasn't long enough for the scene, so the writer had to come up with more verses, and now he gets ASCAP royalties from it.

Ephemeron.

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[–] YouthIsWasted 8 years ago

OMG what an annoying little song! Hitch must have recognized how irritating it was, so what was his point in including it? So we would cheer for the birds? I have to hit the mute button every time I watch this great film!

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[–] jgroub 8 years ago

Jesus, that is the world's most annoying song. Like you, I just rewatched this movie (for the first time in about 40 years; I used to watch it as a kid), I knew the song was coming, so I muted it. And then the closed captions came up, and I could still hear that song even though there was no sound. AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

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[–] PenTheater 8 years ago

You are singing it in your head right now now now...

You're welcome.

Ephemeron.

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[–] Minus_The_Beer 8 years ago

You are singing it in your head right now now now...

I always hear it as "meow, meow, meow!"

'Remember when' is the lowest form of conversation. - Tony Soprano

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[–] Horror-yo 8 years ago

Yes it was atrocious. Glad I'm not the only one. Felt like skipping at a point. I NEVER skip during movies.

Harry !!....your hands are freezing !!...

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[–] csimpkins53 8 years ago

Agreed! That song is horrible! It's the ultimate horror scene in the movie. The lyrics are ridiculous and pointless. Why would this stupid thing be sung in any school? The birds should have attacked before the first line of this crappy song was over! C'mon birds, attack! Save us from this horror!

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[–] PenTheater 8 years ago

You never sang folk songs or rounds in school?
It's a good way to get children to participate in singing and verse. Plus other things.

Ephemeron.

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[–] MsLadybird99 8 years ago

You never sang folk songs or rounds in school?
It's a good way to get children to participate in singing and verse. Plus other things.

No, not in any school I attended. We did sing those kind of songs in summer camp, though nothing anywhere near as irritating as that one. I remember something about a hole in a bucket..

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[–] PenTheater 8 years ago

I first heard "There's a hole in my bucket, Dear Liza" at a talent show around 1968, and I thought it was very cool, these two girls sang it to each other verse for verse, One dressed as Henry, one as Liza, and it was probably the first song where I realized there could be a progression of a story in a song structure. Of course in that song it comes full circle. Seriously.

Ephemeron.

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[–] pretentious_hack 8 years ago

We did in the 1980's when I was in elementary school. The one I remember most is an Australian nursery rhyme, "Kukaburra sits in the old gum tree.."

And "This Land is Your Land."

And, of course, "Kumbaya." 

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[–] PenTheater 8 years ago

We sang Kukaburra song, I can sing it right now!

And later I always got a kick how Guthrie's socialist song This Land is Your Land made it through the 60's anti-communism era in America! Of course they changed the lyrics.

I actually think the Risseldy Rosseldy song is pretty cool. Maybe I'd think different if we had sang it.
I married my wife
In the month of June,
Risseldy, rosseldy,
Mow, mow, mow,
I carried her off
In a silver spoon,
Risseldy, Rosseldy,
Hey bambassity,
Nickety, nackety,
Retrical quality,
Willowby, wallowby,
Mow, mow, mow.

Ephemeron.

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[–] scooters-55892 8 years ago

No kidding! That thing goes on longer than In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida!

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[–] nutsberryfarm 8 years ago

it's not as quality as a ray pruit tune that's for sure.

"You have to live life to its full chorizo!"-Mario Batali🏄

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[–] Rudd-12 8 years ago

Hilarious thread.

I'm really going to miss this place.

Silly anecdote. I created a sound bite of this song from the movie, which I looped into a larger loop of various haunted house sounds which I made as an atmospheric background for a Halloween party. I mixed plenty of reverb and buried it in the mix to give the quality of children in a far away place in the house. It truly was haunting, lol.

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