727. The Merry Minuet (Sheldon Harnick)

Sheldon Harnick, who wrote this charming little ditty in 1958, is best known for the popular musical, "Fiddler on the Roof".

The rendition that everybody knows is the recording by The Kingston Trio on the 1959 album "The Kingston Trio at the Hungry i." They changed the original "la la" lines to whistling, and most subsequent renditions, such as those of Bud and Travis and Alonzogarbanzo, are basically covers of the Kingston Trio version, including the whistling. "Charlotte Rae" also sings it on "Songs I Taught My Mother" (1955).

I decided to go back to the "la la"s - mainly because I can't whistle.

You can hear a playlist of my satirical and parody songs here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EFC5EFD3C7FC636C

For lyrics and chords of all my songs please see my website: http://www.raymondcrooke.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• happy
• folk
• song
• fiddler
• on
• the
• roof
• kingston
• trio
• bud
• travis
• alonzogarbanzo
• charlotte
• rae
• war
• atom
• bomb
• riot
• famine
• humour
• irony

[ladyvestapattywhack]

Please add "Charlotte Rae" and "Songs I Taught My Mother" (1955 album name) to your tags...she really sang the definitive version of it, and the album is available on CD since 2006. Love your version too!

[raymondcrooke]

@ladyvestapattywhack Okay. I've added it to the information.

[Conspiracy2Riot]

Talk about a timely tune...never would've really pegged the Kinston Trio as avante garde but this tune forces me to reverse that opinion.

[raymondcrooke]

@Conspiracy2Riot They did have their moments!

[727Phoenix]

I know this sounds stupid, but I clicked on this video because of the "727". My local area code. The place where my whole life changed for the worse, for the better, and made me into who I am and can be, which is why, no matter where I live, I'll always have the 727 in my moniker.

But I'm not superstitious! Because it's bad luck to be superstitious!

Anywhoo, Thumbs-up rating, saved to "Favorites" because this song describes so many of the happy idiots in my life! Thank you!

[raymondcrooke]

@727Phoenix That's a strange reason for watching this video, but I'm glad it got you here.

[ladyvestapattywhack]

@ladyvestapattywhack Thanks! Charlotte Rae and Sheldon Harnick went to school together and he has written much material for her over the years (Merry Little Minuet was actually written in 1953). Isn't he a wonderful lyricist?

[raymondcrooke]

Thanks. You might like some of the other songs on my channel, so feel free to explore. :- )

[gortie]

Someone sent me a link to your cover. It's grand! Somehow, I never heard this before, so I truly appreciate your explanation in the "info" section. Cheers

[raymondcrooke]

Thanks, Max. I enjoyed doing this one.