The Muppet Show. British Chap - The Gnu Song (ep 519)

[Spelvin1964]

This song is by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann. It was written in 1964. Man, I miss the Muppet Show. Like Looney Tunes, it was ostensibly for children. I was one of those children and while I liked it, I didn't 'get' at the time that the producers were really entertaining themselves. There's nothing like this in the media now - it's all about selling something. I feel privileged to predate that attitude.

[Ateamgrl]

Is it just me or did that head talk??!??

[breakdancergurl456]

1:29 Animal killer!

[SocksMacguffin]

Yay for Flanders and Swan!

[alexgpasco]

I heard this song about 27 years ago and I still remember it!!!

[efil4own1]

Richard Hunt used this voice several times...for this English character, Don Music on "Sesame Street", Gillis Fraggle (the Maestro) on "Fraggle Rock", and the Wild Impresario on "The Ghost of Faffner Hall".

[followernumber1]

you really gnouhgt to know a whose wa who X)

[Raggamechababy]

Check the Flanders and Swan original. Much more convincing English accents. Because they're English.

[drfoxcourt]

@Raggamechababy I miss old F & S (esp the song about the spider in the bath)

Hardly anyone knows about Flanders and Swann anymore. :-(

[maziebunny2]

well, g-now, that was g-nice. hee hee.

[invaderkeek]

wow lol i have the cd of all this guys songs lol

[human20freedom]

what the hell is a gnu ?

[patrickballoonman]

@human20freedom "Gnu" is another word for Wildebeest.

[4a8p9x]

@human20freedom

Not much, what's a-gnu with you?

[veovideo3]

I first heard this wonderful song on a great children's album by John Lithgow. I thought he had written it.

[KaliBubblesBaldwin]

lmaoo so remember this when i was 5 :)

[EroticFishfinger]

I'm 13 and I absolutely love this song! I sing it to my school chums and they are quite avid with it! I'm a Gnu!

[KaliBubblesBaldwin]

@EroticFishfinger SAME :D

[EroticFishfinger]

@KaliBubblesBaldwin OMG!

[klomotolop]

Im 44 years old and this memory glitch just hit me a few moments ago. i went to look for it on youtube and behold!! the gnu song. such fond memories come to mind...thankyou jim henson thankyou youtube...

[electroexecutee]

@klomotolop dot dot dot, dot dot dot, dot dot dot. You fucking retard. Learn to punctuate. A child of 5 can punctuate better than you. And who asked for your opinion?

[5610winston]

Flanders and Swann and the Muppets! Not edgy enough to be called satire, but it is great!

[Jourell1]

Actually a lot of their humour is satirical, though a lot gentler that a most satire that we're used to today. As Mr Flanders himself put it-

"The purpose of satire, it has been rightly said, is to strip off the veneer of comforting illusion and cosy half-truth. And our job, as I see it, is to put it back again."

And of course there are a lot of good old fashioned puns, understatement and irony. Wonderful (and very British) humour.

[5610winston]

Didn't Flanders include the clause ",,,that have served us so well for so long'''" in that quote? Certainly, as you observe, gentler than most satire we hear today.

This song is a great comment in the Shavian tradition.

Ghoti and chips, anyone?

[ShowmanaZ]

Gnicest animal in the zoo :)

[fallinanjal]

I'll never sleep again...(@,^)~*

[jwitchbaby]

this is richard hunt singing.

[ddrusa]

oh nice

[disneynut06]

Yes. It is very guh-nice. :D