October 1, 2001

2:31 PM

Mahnamahna!Just a moment of levity for a heavy Monday. For the full experience, download the video. In the words of the site: "Watch it, pray to it, name your first born after it, invite it over for dinner, but most importantly, download Mahnamahna. Spread the Mahnamahna word!"
posted by fraying (31 comments total)

Hey guys, thanks for the link. Re: the video download, the university is in full swing again, so if it's slow, look up Mahnamahna on Kazaa - a lot of people have it now.
posted by fouff at 2:52 PM on October 1, 2001

Derek, where do I send the check?

This song has been ingrained into my head since I was a wee lad. And now, I can enjoy it again. Thank you. Thank you.
posted by hijinx at 3:10 PM on October 1, 2001

Awesome!
If this video exists, maybe someone has another after-school classic I remember: it involved little creatures that looked a bit like fabric-covered dancing Slinkys. I invoke the mighty searching powers of MeFi readers...
posted by Tubes at 3:34 PM on October 1, 2001

Derek, where do I send the check?

to my therapist...

mahna mahna!
posted by heather at 3:37 PM on October 1, 2001

ha, that's really funny :)
posted by zeoslap at 3:47 PM on October 1, 2001

I'm so ashamed! I always thought it was MNOMNOP!...like the alphabet.

I need a minute here

*sniff*
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:03 PM on October 1, 2001

Tubes, you're not talking about "We're not candy", are you?
posted by cheesebot at 4:04 PM on October 1, 2001

Both my girlfriend and I had thought the word was "Phenomena", but we will spontaneously start singing the "doot doo" parts to any four-syllable word. Thanks fouff!
posted by Diddly at 4:09 PM on October 1, 2001

Well, according to this....

Originally from 1976 (episode 17 of the 1st season of the Muppet Show), and sung by Mahna Mahna and the two Snowths, the Mahna Mahna song was reborn as the Phenomena song in episode 7 of Muppets Tonight (broadcast 20/9/96 in the UK, 23/6/96 in the US). The Phenomena song was performed by Dr. (Sandra) Bullock the Animal Psychiatrist, who was visited by Kermit. Kermit's problem was that he saw strange creatures whenever he said the word "phenomena"...
posted by fraying at 4:45 PM on October 1, 2001

I miss the old Muppet show. I don't think I have had as wide a grin on my face in days.

Watching Manha Manha in Pago Pago would be even better I imagine.
posted by jasonshellen at 5:22 PM on October 1, 2001

I remember the Sanda Bullock version. It was a riot.

I saw a "Pigs lost in space" episiode a few years back and I was rolling around on the floor in hysterics- always did think the Muppets were aimed more at the parents than the kids.
posted by Danielle_T at 5:28 PM on October 1, 2001

Here we go: Sandra Bullock at her best
posted by Danielle_T at 5:45 PM on October 1, 2001

Diddly, I do the exact same thing.

Me: "What does the sauce need?"
Him: (tasting sauce) "Oregano"
Me: "doo-doo-doodoodoo!"

If this is what us "raised on Jim Henson" folks are doing now, what will the "raised on Barney" kids be doing in 20 years?
posted by arielmeadow at 6:48 PM on October 1, 2001

Katie, Jill and I sang this to the word "Menominee," which worked quite well :) My evil sparkly roommate came from Menominee.
posted by dagnyscott at 6:51 PM on October 1, 2001

Re: mahna mahna vs. phenomena
posted by arielmeadow at 6:56 PM on October 1, 2001

scary. help me, childhood images drowing. strangely funny. hold me.
posted by eatdonuts at 10:51 PM on October 1, 2001

Did I see someone say that they wished they could find this song as an mp3? =)
posted by suprfli at 12:14 AM on October 2, 2001

I can't listen to it without bursting out laughing... so watching the video naturally woke the roommates...

It's been stuck in my head since Halcyon put it in his last tale, I knew it was a muppet thing but couldn't place it... glad that's cleared up...

mahna mahna!
posted by Bernreuther at 12:58 AM on October 2, 2001

jasonshellen: Watching Manha Manha in Pago Pago would be even better I imagine.

While eating Mahi Mahi with a certain former UN honcho.
posted by fidelity at 1:52 AM on October 2, 2001

Tubes, you're not talking about "We're not candy", are you?

Cheesebot: I don't think so. The bit I'm thinking of had no lyrics... just an arch-shaped tubular creature dancing to music. It was then joined by a couple of smaller versions, which it ended up blasting off the "stage" like a fire extinguisher.

Memory is a funny thing...!
posted by Tubes at 7:51 AM on October 2, 2001

an arch-shaped tubular creature dancing to music

Hey Tubes - I know exactly what you're talking about! I can see it in my brain! I can sing the song at this very moment! But there are no words! And I have no idea what the hell the song is! Sorry! And now it's gonna bug me all day. I may even have to make some phone calls and sing to people.

Meanwhile I remember two tube-creatures - and the big one kept shoving the little one off stage. This is wildy early in muppet history...
posted by batgrlHG at 8:25 AM on October 2, 2001

And I think they looked like this (the two creatures on this page) - only I don't remember the color as that lurid.
posted by batgrlHG at 10:10 AM on October 2, 2001

YES, batgrlHG! YES! That's them! Maybe there were only two in the skit, somehow I was thinking 3. I wish I could conjure up the song... it's so close to popping up from my memory but I've got "mahnahmana" on the brain and can't get it out.

This has been buggin' me since yesterday now!
posted by Tubes at 11:09 AM on October 2, 2001

I think the Sesame Street thing that sticks in my head more than any other is the pinball-machine counting-to-twelve song. That, probably more than anything else, is responsible for my obsession with the silver ball (hence my oh-so supple wrist [no wisecracks please]).

onetwothreefourfive
sixseveneightnineten
eleven twehehehelve!

Aigh! Damn muppets is in my subconscious! It's kind of like the ear-bugs in Wrath Of Khan, except with Tweedlebugs!

Get out of my mind!!!!
posted by Kafkaesque at 11:15 AM on October 2, 2001

Meanwhile I remember two tube-creatures - and the big one kept shoving the little one off stage.

Yes, this is my favorite, too, and I have never been able to find a downloadable video, though I would dearly love to. Alas, you'll have trouble finding the song online, because I believe it is named "Java."
posted by redfoxtail at 11:16 AM on October 2, 2001

just an arch-shaped tubular creature dancing to music. It was then joined by a couple of smaller versions, which it ended up blasting off the "stage" like a fire extinguisher.

There are two creatures, one large and one small. The big one moves quite sedately to the music, and then the small one zips on screen and rocks out until the big one steps on it and kicks it off. The large slinky-monster then returns to its sedate dance, only to have the small one come back on and be unable to restrain itself from dancing wildly. This repeats a couple of times. Eventually, I believe, the little one blasts the big one and is free to dance its little heart out without interference.
posted by redfoxtail at 11:22 AM on October 2, 2001

I found it! I found the song!
"Java" on Al Hirt's All-Time Greatest Hits!

"Java" on Ace Cannon: The Entertainer

"Java" from Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra

At last, "mahnamanah" can go on the back burner!

Now someone's gotta come up with the video...
posted by Tubes at 11:33 AM on October 2, 2001

Aw nuts, apparently CDNow doesn't like direct links to songs. Well, you can run a search easily enough.
posted by Tubes at 11:36 AM on October 2, 2001

pinball-machine counting-to-twelve song

This was also an epic song. And thank you for letting me know that it's Java - I was about to start making long distance calls to annoy people who know this kinda (highly important) trivia!

Instead of all those stupid Nowthat'swhaticallmusic things - why can't we have Obscure But Memorable Sesame Street Tunes?
posted by batgrlHG at 12:47 PM on October 2, 2001

A pedant writes:

In fact, the song Mah Nà Mah Nà was a hit for an Italian soundtrack composer called Piero Umiliani, many years before it appeared in the Muppet Show.

The song in question came from the soundtrack to Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso.
posted by Grangousier at 1:33 PM on October 2, 2001

wah. (-__-,)

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posted by otherchaz at 1:14 PM on October 3, 2001