- “Quite a loony selection for a group of drunken reprobates.”
- ―Judge Doom[src]
"The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" is a song written in 1937 by Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin. It is best known as the theme tune for the Looney Tunes cartoon series and Merrie Melodies reissued cartoon series produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons. Roger Rabbit sings it to entertain the customers in Dolores' bar, and Eddie Valiant later sings it to make the Toon Patrol laugh themselves to death. These are not the actual lyrics to the song; they were written for the film only. Since pretty much all of the Looney Tunes are friends with both Roger and Eddie, it stands to reason that Roger and Eddie would be familiar with the song.
The song's melody was used in the DuckTales episode, "Metal Attraction", in which a version of the song, with alternate lyrics, is performed by the Singing Chocolates.
Lyrics[]
Roger Rabbit:
Oh, Roger is my name
And laughter is my game
C'mon, cowpoke
It's just a joke
Don't sit there on your brain
(spoken) Woo-hoo-hoo! Nice shirt! Who's your tailor? Quasimodo? Hoo-hoo!
I'm not that debonair
I'm just a silly hare
If you want class
I'll have to pass
So go get Fred Astaire
(spoken) Yeah, he's good. But can he do this? Bl-bl-bl-bl-bl-bl-bl! Eat your heart out, Ginger Rogers!
My buddy's Eddie V.
A sourpuss, you'll "C"
But when I'm done
He'll need no gun
Cause a joker he will "B"
C, D, E, F, G, H, I
I love to raise some cain
Believe me, it's no strain
It feels so great
To smash a plate
And look, there is no pain.
No pain.
Roger Rabbit:
I'm not that debonair
I'm just a silly hare
If you want class
I'll have to pass
So go get Fred Astaire
(spoken) Yeah, he's good. But can he do this? Bl-bl-bl-bl-bl-bl-bl! Eat your heart out, Ginger Rogers!
Oh, Roger is my name
And laughter is my game
C'mon, cowpoke
It's just a joke
Don't sit there on your brain
(spoken) Woo-hoo-hoo! Nice shirt! Who's your tailor? Quasimodo? Hoo-hoo!
My buddy's Eddie V.
A sourpuss, you'll "C"
But when I'm done
He'll need no gun
Cause a joker he will "B"
C, D, E, F, G, H, I
I love to raise some cain
Believe me, it's no strain
It feels so great
To smash a plate
And look, there is no pain
[Smashes plate on his head; the record starts skipping, and Roger keeps repeating himself.]
No pain [Smashes plate on his head]
No pain [Smashes plate on his head]
No pain [Smashes plate on his head]
No pain [Smashes plate on his head]
No pain [Smashes plate on his head]
No-
Eddie Valiant:
Now Roger is his name
Laughter is his game
C'mon, you dope
Untie his rope
And watch him go insane
Jessica Rabbit (spoken):
He's lost his mind.
Roger Rabbit (spoken):
I don't think so.
Eddie Valiant:
This singin' ain't my line
It's tough to make a rhyme
If I get stuck...
I'm out of luck...
Jessica Rabbit (spoken):
I'm running out of time!
Eddie (spoken):
Thanks.
Roger Rabbit (spoken):
Hey Eddie keep it up! You're killing them! You're slaying them. You're knocking them dead!
Eddie Valiant:
I'm through with taking falls
I'm bouncing off the walls
Without that gun
I'd have some fun
I'll kick you in the--
Roger Rabbit (spoken):
Nose!
Smarty (spoken):
"Nose"? That don't rhyme with walls!
Eddie (spoken):
No, but this does. [Kicks Smarty in the groin]
Ask me why I'm happy singing like a lark
And I'll tell you of an old amusement park
A merry-go-round was there
I gladly paid the fare
My baby rode around with me
Then suddenly
The merry-go-round broke down
As we went round and round
Each time t'would miss, we'd steal a kiss
When the merry-go-round went
Um-pah-pah! Um-pah-pah! Um-pah! Um-pah! Um-pah-pah!
The merry-go-round broke down
And it made the darnedest sound
The lights went low, we both said, "Oh!"
'Cause the merry-go-round went
Um-pah-pah! Um-pah-pah! Um-pah! Um-pah! Um-pah-pah!
Oh, what fun, a wonderful time
Spending love for only a dime
The merry-go-round broke down
But you don't see me frown
Things turned out fine 'cause now she's mine
'Cause the merry-go-round went
Um-pah-pah! Um-pah-pah! Um-pah! Um-pah! Um-pah-pah!
The merry-go-round-broke down!
Video[]
Trivia[]
- If viewers consider Who Framed Roger Rabbit a Disney film, this is the first song in which a rhyme is subverted, as Eddie almost says he will kick the weasel in the privates, but instead, he got interrupted and Roger finished by shouting, "Nose!"
