You make me dizzy Mr. Mizzy!
February 22, 2013 12:24 AM Subscribe
As if a line like "their house is a museum, when people come to see 'em, they really are a scree-am" (heard, of course, in the Addams Family theme) wasn't playfully brilliant (and brilliantly playful) enough, the same fellow happened to also have written the Green Acres theme. If you're an American of a certain age, you'll remember these two songs from their original TV runs during your childhood, or perhaps from reruns if you're a bit younger. Anyway, the composer of these catchy, familiar ditties was one Vic Mizzy. Hear Vic talk about the Addams Family theme and his degree in advanced finger snapping here. Thanks Vic!
Lyrics:
The Addams Family theme song
They're creepy and they're kooky
mysterious and spooky
They're all together ooky
the Addams Family
Their house is a museum
when people come to see-em
They really are a scree-am
the Addams Family
(spoken: neat, sweet, petit!)
So get a witch's shawl on
a broomstick you can crawl on
We're going to make a call on
the Addams Family
Green Acres theme song
Green acres is the place to be
Farm livin' is the life for me
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside
New York is where I'd rather stay
I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue
...The chores!
...The stores!
...Fresh air!
...Times Square!
You are my wife
Good bye, city life!
Green Acres we are there
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:42 AM on February 22, 2013
The Addams Family theme song
They're creepy and they're kooky
mysterious and spooky
They're all together ooky
the Addams Family
Their house is a museum
when people come to see-em
They really are a scree-am
the Addams Family
(spoken: neat, sweet, petit!)
So get a witch's shawl on
a broomstick you can crawl on
We're going to make a call on
the Addams Family
Green Acres theme song
Green acres is the place to be
Farm livin' is the life for me
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside
New York is where I'd rather stay
I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue
...The chores!
...The stores!
...Fresh air!
...Times Square!
You are my wife
Good bye, city life!
Green Acres we are there
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:42 AM on February 22, 2013
the entire original soundtrack is equally brilliant....mind if I smoke?
posted by sexyrobot at 12:52 AM on February 22, 2013
posted by sexyrobot at 12:52 AM on February 22, 2013
All these years I never had the Green Acres lyrics quite right. I never got the line "I get allergic smelling hay": I thought it was something like Moon livin' in an awful way, which obviously doesn't make sense.
Thank you.
posted by Segundus at 1:03 AM on February 22, 2013
Thank you.
posted by Segundus at 1:03 AM on February 22, 2013
I thought it was something like Moon livin' in an awful way
Don'tcha just love a good mondegreen?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:10 AM on February 22, 2013
Don'tcha just love a good mondegreen?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:10 AM on February 22, 2013
(Also, I sing randomly-made-up lyrics to both of these tunes all the time to my dog. Make of that what you will.)
posted by trip and a half at 1:47 AM on February 22, 2013
posted by trip and a half at 1:47 AM on February 22, 2013
posted by pracowity at 1:59 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I sing randomly-made-up lyrics to both of these tunes all the time to my dog.
Like this?
The Mefi Family
They're sometimes kinda loopy
their mood is sometimes droopy
at times they're even shmoopy
the Mefi Family
Occasionally they're barky
or else a little snarky
sometimes it's all malarkey
the Mefi family
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:07 AM on February 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
Like this?
The Mefi Family
They're sometimes kinda loopy
their mood is sometimes droopy
at times they're even shmoopy
the Mefi Family
Occasionally they're barky
or else a little snarky
sometimes it's all malarkey
the Mefi family
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:07 AM on February 22, 2013 [4 favorites]
I get the theme for Green Acres stuck in my head often. It's an excellent theme to tap out on your desk while on hold.
posted by h00py at 2:11 AM on February 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by h00py at 2:11 AM on February 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's an excellent theme to tap out on your desk
Indeed! And until I put this post together, I never thought about how both the Addams and the Acres themes feature two percussive hits as an integral and important part of their 'hook'.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:19 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Indeed! And until I put this post together, I never thought about how both the Addams and the Acres themes feature two percussive hits as an integral and important part of their 'hook'.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:19 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Their house is a museum
when people come to see-em
This line always made me want to live in a museum.
Be careful what you wish for.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:41 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
when people come to see-em
This line always made me want to live in a museum.
Be careful what you wish for.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:41 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I sing randomly-made-up lyrics to both of these tunes all the time to my dog.
Oh good, I'm glad my family isn't alone.
posted by marxchivist at 5:19 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Oh good, I'm glad my family isn't alone.
posted by marxchivist at 5:19 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
FWIW, Green Acres remains the greatest piece of surrealist comedy every run on American TV.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:57 AM on February 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 5:57 AM on February 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
The late, great punkabilly band Elvis Hitler had a track on their first album (Disgraceland) called "Green Haze" that was the music to Purple Haze and the words to Green Acres...
posted by AJaffe at 6:46 AM on February 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by AJaffe at 6:46 AM on February 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Don't forget Barnes & Barnes "A Day In The Life Of Green Acres" - I bought that single back in the late 70's.
posted by rfs at 7:00 AM on February 22, 2013
posted by rfs at 7:00 AM on February 22, 2013
He wrote the Adams Family thee-um?
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:26 AM on February 22, 2013
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:26 AM on February 22, 2013
What a fantastic post.
The theme song from the Addams Family is so brilliant, so oddly surrealistic in how it breaks the fourth wall, I can't help but love it.
I can imagine the hypothetical pitch meeting: "I've got it! Everybody, including the fat kid and the old lady look deadpan into the camera, but then they snap along with the music! That's the only movement they do! Gold, Marty, gold!"
Anecdotally: From what I've learned, my grandfather was a big fan of the Addams Family, to the point where he and my grandmother dressed up as them for Halloween more than once in the late '60s, and since he was a tall skinny guy with a slightly protruding forehead he went as Lurch while my sub five foot tall grandmother went as Morticia.
The hilarious part is that they consistently won costume contests. As Lurch and Morticia. For like four years running. When they got into square dancing with those same friends in the '70s, grandpa's nametag had his name and "Lurch" under it.
I really miss you grandpa.
posted by Sphinx at 8:19 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
The theme song from the Addams Family is so brilliant, so oddly surrealistic in how it breaks the fourth wall, I can't help but love it.
I can imagine the hypothetical pitch meeting: "I've got it! Everybody, including the fat kid and the old lady look deadpan into the camera, but then they snap along with the music! That's the only movement they do! Gold, Marty, gold!"
Anecdotally: From what I've learned, my grandfather was a big fan of the Addams Family, to the point where he and my grandmother dressed up as them for Halloween more than once in the late '60s, and since he was a tall skinny guy with a slightly protruding forehead he went as Lurch while my sub five foot tall grandmother went as Morticia.
The hilarious part is that they consistently won costume contests. As Lurch and Morticia. For like four years running. When they got into square dancing with those same friends in the '70s, grandpa's nametag had his name and "Lurch" under it.
I really miss you grandpa.
posted by Sphinx at 8:19 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
My favorite part of Green Acres was when Oliver would go on about country living making America great, the work of the farmer, etc. A snare drum and fife would start playing something stirring and patriotic in the background. All the neighbors would completely ignore the speech, listening to the music and wondering where it came from.
That joke never got old.
posted by Killick at 8:32 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
That joke never got old.
posted by Killick at 8:32 AM on February 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Since Green Acres (Fred de Cordova pal Paul Henning was executive producer) is a close relative to Beverley Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction (both Henning creations), I thought Mizzy might have had a hand in the music for one of them. But Henning was (at least) co-writer of both. Widely-talented guy.
posted by Twang at 10:51 AM on February 22, 2013
posted by Twang at 10:51 AM on February 22, 2013
And until I put this post together, I never thought about how both the Addams and the Acres themes feature two percussive hits as an integral and important part of their 'hook'.
All the greats do.
posted by bongo_x at 10:56 AM on February 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
All the greats do.
posted by bongo_x at 10:56 AM on February 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:30 AM on February 22, 2013 [2 favorites]