- Source: Arabian riff
"Arabian riff", also known as "The Streets of Cairo", "The Poor Little Country Maid", and "the snake charmer song", is a well-known melody, published in different forms in the 19th century. Alternate titles for children's songs using this melody include "The Girls in France" and "The Southern Part of France". The melody is often associated with the hoochie coochie belly dance.
History
There is a clear resemblance between the riff and the French song Colin prend sa hotte (published by Christophe Ballard in 1719), whose first five notes are identical. Colin prend sa hotte appears to derive from the lost Kradoudja, an Algerian folk song of the 17th century.
A version of the riff was published in 1845 by Franz Hünten as Melodie Arabe. The melody was described as an "Arabian Song" in the La grande méthode complète de cornet à piston et de saxhorn par Arban, first published in 1864.
Sol Bloom, a showman (and later a U.S. congressman), published the song as the entertainment director of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. It included an attraction called "A Street in Cairo" produced by Gaston Akoun, which featured snake charmers, camel rides and a scandalous dancer known as Little Egypt. Songwriter James Thornton penned the words and music to his own version of this melody, "Streets Of Cairo or The Poor Little Country Maid". Copyrighted in 1895, it was made popular by his wife Lizzie Cox, who used the stage name Bonnie Thornton. The oldest known recording of the song is from 1895, performed by Dan Quinn (Berliner Discs 171-Z).
The song was also recorded as "They Don't Wear Pants in the Southern Part of France" by John Bartles, the version sometimes played by radio host Dr. Demento.
Travadja La Moukère
In France, there is a song which pieds-noirs from Algeria brought back in the 1960s called "Travadja La Moukère" (from trabaja la mujer, which means "the woman works" in Spanish), which uses the same riff.
Partial lyrics:
In popular culture
= Music
=Since the piece is not copyrighted, it has been used as a basis for numerous songs, especially in the early 20th century:
"Hoolah! Hoolah!"
"Dance of the Midway" (in reference to the Midway Plaisance of the World's Columbian Exposition)
"Coochi-Coochi Polka"
"Danse Du Ventre"
"In My Harem" by Irving Berlin
"Kutchy Kutchy"
''Strut, Miss Lizzie'' by Creamer and Layton
In Italy, the melody is often sung with the words "Te ne vai o no? Te ne vai sì o no?" ("Are you leaving or not? Are you leaving, yes or no?"). That short tune is used to invite an annoying person to move along, or at least to shut up.
In 1934, during the Purim festivities in Tel Aviv, the song received Hebrew lyrics jokingly referring to the Book of Esther and its characters (Ahasaurus, Vashti, Haman and Esther) written by Natan Alterman, Israel's foremost lyricist of the time. It was performed by the "Matateh" troupe, under the name "נעמוד בתור / Na'amod Bator" ("we will stand in line").
1900s
"Scherzo for String Quartet" by Charles Ives (1904)
1920s
"Sweet Mamma (Papa's Getting Mad)" by Original Dixieland Jass Band (1920)
"Strut Miss Lizzie" by Lucille Hagamin (1921)
The "Little Egypt" segment of the World's Columbian Exposition scene in Show Boat (1927)
"Tight Like This" by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five (1928)
1930s
"Dinah" by Louis Armstrong scene in København, Kalundborg og - ? (1933)
"Twilight in Turkey" by the Raymond Scott Quintette (1937)
"A Language All My Own" a song in the 1935 Betty Boop short, sung by Mae Questel (1935)
1940s
This tune is quoted in Luther Billis' dance in "Honey Bun" from the musical South Pacific. (1949)
"Bonaparte's Retreat" by Pee Wee King (1949)
1950s
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by The Four Lads (1953) and They Might Be Giants (1990)
"Native Dancer" by Abner Silver and Al Hoffman, recorded by Rusty Draper (1953)
"Nellie the Elephant" by Ralph Butler (1956)
"Teenager's Mother (Are You Right?)" by Bill Haley & His Comets (1956)
"Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si" from the motion picture Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
"Oriental Rock" by Bill Haley & His Comets (1958)
1960s
"The Sheik of Araby" performed by the Beatles during their 1962 Decca audition, with George Harrison as the lead singer and Pete Best on the drums (this track can be found on Anthology 1).
"Egyptian Surf" by The Temptations (New York vocal group) (1963)
"I've Got the Skill" by Jackie Ross (US #89, 1964)
"Revolution 9" by the Beatles (1968)
"Funky Mule" by Buddy Miles Express (1968)
1970s
"The Grand Wazoo" by Frank Zappa (1972)
"Sharon" by David Bromberg (1972)
"Uragiri No Machikado (裏切りの街角)" by Kai Band (甲斐バンド) (1975)
"Pra Lá de Bagdá" by The Fevers (1975)
"You Scared the Lovin' Outta Me" by Funkadelic (1976)
"Open Sesame" by Kool & the Gang (1976)
"One for the Vine" by Genesis (1976)
"Egyptian Reggae" by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (1977)
"King Tut" by Steve Martin (1978)
"White Cigarettes" by P-Model (1979)
1980s
"Menergy" by Patrick Cowley (1981)
"Lies," by Thompson Twins, immediately after the line, "Cleopatra died for Egypt. What a waste of time!" (1982)
"Monster" by Fred Schneider (1984)
"Starchild" by Teena Marie (1984)
"Egypt, Egypt" by Egyptian Lover (1984)
"Jail House Rap" by The Fat Boys (1984)
"Camel by Camel" by Sandy Marton (1985)
"Chicago Smokeshop" by Roy Buchanan (1985)
"Chhoti Si Kahani Se" by Asha Bhosle, composed by R. D. Burman, penned by Gulzar for the Indian movie Ijaazat (1987)
"Hoolah Hoolah" by Can (1989)
1990s
"Iesha" by Another Bad Creation (1990)
"Place in France" by L.A.P.D. (1991)
"Gypsy Reggae" by Goran Bregović (1993)
"Cleopatra, Queen of Denial" by Pam Tillis (1993)
"Cleopatra's Cat" by the Spin Doctors (1994)
"Whiney Whiney (What Really Drives Me Crazy)" by Willi One Blood (1994)
"The Short-Tempered Clavier and other dysfunctional works for keyboard" by Peter Schickele (1995)
"Soap Opera" by Screeching Weasel (1995)
"Me Tengo Que Ir" by Adolescent's Orchestra (1995) (Trombone part played in middle of the song)
"Skatanic" by Reel Big Fish (1996)
"Chance to Farewell" (헤어지는 기회) by So Chan-whee (소찬휘) (1996)
"Criminal" by Fiona Apple (1997)
"Hokus Pokus" by Insane Clown Posse (1997)
"Rip Rock" by Canibus (1998)
"Illusion" by Destiny's Child (1998)
"Circus" (马戏团) by David Tao (陶喆) (1999)
2000s
"Playboy" by Red Wanting Blue (2000)
"Migdalit" by Nurit Hirsch (2002)
"Learn Chinese" by MC Jin (欧阳靖) (2003)
"Over There" by Jonathan Coulton (2003) (lyrics)
"Act a Ass" by E-40 (2003)
"The Treasures of Ancient Egypt" by The Backyardigans (2004)
"Lækker pt. 2 feat. L.O.C." Nik & Jay (2004)
"Would You Be My Girlfriend (你愿意做我女友吗)" by The Flowers (花儿乐队) (2004)
"Naggin" by Ying Yang Twins (2005)
"Bhool Bhulaiyaa (Bhool Bhulaiyaa Film Title Song) by Neeraj Shridhar (2007)
"Bye Bye Baby" by beFour (2007)
"Toc Toc Toc" by Lee Hyori (이효리) (2007)
"Killer (杀手)" by Lin Junjie (林俊杰) (2007)
"Till You Come to Me" by Spencer Day (2009)
"¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)" by Green Day (2009)
"Grasswalk" by Laura Shigihara (2009)
2010s
"Space Girl" by The Imagined Village (2010)
"Take It Off" by Kesha (2010)
"S.E.X." by Nadia Oh (2010)
"Who's That? Broooown!" by Das Racist (2010)
"Grunt Tube" by Blue Water White Death (2010)
"Spy (间谍)" by Silence Wong (汪苏泷) (2010)
"Shotgun" by Limp Bizkit (2011)
"Lipstick" by Orange Caramel (2012)
"ÆØÅ (Size Matters)" by Kollektivet (2012)
“Gul Jana” by Mansour (singer) (2013)
"I'm Not In Your Mind" by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (2014)
"Gloryhole" by Steel Panther (2014)
"Hypnotic" by Zella Day (2015)
"Back On The Train" by Phish (7/22/2015, Bend, OR)
"Music to Watch Boys To" by Lana Del Rey (2015)
"Genghis Khan" by Miike Snow (2015)
"Bay of Pigs" by Civil War (2015)
"We Appreciate Power" by Grimes (2018)
"Hide Out" (사라지는 꿈) by Sultan of the Disco (2018)
"I'm So Hot" by Momoland (2019)
2020s
"Tantrum" by Ashnikko (2020)
"The Evil Folk" by KAAZE (2020)
"Mago" by GFriend (2020)
"Lovelife" by Benny Benassi feat. Jeremih (2020)
"Broke N****s" by City Girls feat. Yo Gotti (2020)
"Ladada (Mon Dernier Mot)" by Claude (2022)
"Vermelho" by Gloria Groove (2022)
"Benny's Got A Gun" by BLK ODYSSY feat. Benny the Butcher and George Clinton (2022)
"Snake Charmer" by Sapling (2023)
"Knows No Bounds" by Ryder Houston (2023)
"When The Darkness Comes" by Jeris Johnson (2023)
"My Oh My" by Ava Max (2024)
"Timanttei" by Mirella (2024)
"Śrubka" by sanah (2024)
= Cartoons
=Felix the Cat: Arabiantics (1928)
Mickey Mouse: The Opry House (1929)
Mickey Mouse: The Karnival Kid (1929)
Mickey Mouse: The Chain Gang (1930)
Mickey Mouse: Pioneer Days (1930)
Mickey Mouse: Mickey Steps Out (1931)
Circus Capers (1930)
Betty Boop: Boop-Oop-a-Doop (1932)
Flip the Frog: Circus (1932)
Goofy Goat Antics (1933)
Mickey Mouse: The Band Concert (1935)
Mickey Mouse: Magician Mickey (1937)
Mickey Mouse: Clock Cleaners (1937)
Donald Duck: Self Control (1938)
Donald Duck: The Autograph Hound (1939)
Goofy and Wilbur (1939)
Goofy Groceries (1940)
Pluto: Bone Trouble (1940)
Popeye "Nix on Hypnotricks" (1941)
Looney Tunes: Ali-Baba Bound (1940) and What's Cookin' Doc? (1944)
Private Snafu: Booby Traps (1944)
"Dog, Cat and Canary" (1945)
Aladdin's Lamp (1947)
Popeye "Nurse to Meet Ya" (1955)
Woody Woodpecker: Witch Crafty (1955)
Woody Woodpecker: Roamin' Roman (1963)
Vincent (1982)
The Simpsons episode "Homer's Night Out" (1990)
Kirby: Right Back at Ya! episode "Caterpillar Thriller" (2003, Japanese version only)
JoJo's Circus – used as the melody of the "Snake Dance" song (2003)
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius episode "Beach Party Mummy" (2003)
The Backyardigans episode "Secret Mission" (2004)
Dave the Barbarian episode "Floral Derangement" (2004)
The Simpsons episode "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (2004)
King of the Hill episode "SerPunt" (2007)
Little Einsteins episode "Super Fast!!" (2007)
Littlest Pet Shop episode "Helicopter Dad" (2013)
Bob's Burgers episode "Uncle Teddy" (2014)
Family Guy episode "Switch the Flip" (2018)
Disenchantment (season 2) opening credits (2019)
The Walten Files episode "The Mysterious House" (2020)
Big Mouth episode "No Nut November" (2021)
Smiling Friends episode "Shrimp's Odyssey" (2022)
= Video games
=It appears on following computer and video games:
Dark Tower (1981 electronic game, bazaar)
Venture (1981)
Lady Tut (1983)
Oh Mummy (1984)
Bombo (1986)
Rick Dangerous (1989, Level 2 – Egypt)
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire (1990, Katta's Tail Inn)
Spot: The Video Game! (1990, when adding a piece to the right)
Pyramid and Pyramid II (1990, first level)
Lotus Turbo Challenge 1 (1991, desert level)
Jill of the Jungle (1992)
The Lost Vikings (1992, Level 3 – Egypt)
Lemmings 2 (1993, Egyptian tribe)
Zool 2 (1994, Tooting common level 3)
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999, Sung by Gex upon starting the level “Tut TV”)
Rampage Through Time (2000, Egyptian time zone)
JumpStart Explorers (2001, Egyptian area)
Plants vs. Zombies (2009, “Grasswalk”)
Kirby Mass Attack (2011, "Desert Scorcher" and "Lifted Upward")
Rayman Origins (2011) Lums Notes Of Desert Of Dijridoos
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (2015, "More Dig and Dash" (taken directly from the anime) and "Evade and Dig and Dash")
Cuphead (2017, Pyramid Peril)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
= Television
=Andy Bernard sings a variation with a sitar in the "Moroccan Christmas" episode of The Office (season 5).
Tom Ellis as 'Lucifer' plays a part of 'The Streets of Cairo' on the piano in the fourth-season episode.
= Film
=In Charles Lamont's 1932 short film War Babies, the first film in the Baby Burlesks series, the song is briefly used while Shirley Temple's character Charmaine is dancing around in Buttermilk Pete's Cafe.
In Laurel and Hardy's Sons of the Desert (1933), it is heard briefly in a belly dancer scene at the beginning of the convention.
In The Great Ziegfeld (1936), which won the Best Picture Oscar in 1937, the song is heard as the backdrop to the "Little Egypt" attraction on the Midway of the World's Columbian Exposition run by Billings, a character portrayed by Frank Morgan and loosely based on Sol Bloom.
It is heard in the beginning of Patrice Leconte's short film "Le laboratoire de l'angoisse" (1971).
In Emir Kusturica's 1993 film Arizona Dream, the tune is being played several times with accordion by Grace.
In the 1997 comedy film The Pest, the title character played by John Leguizamo sings the tune briefly during the opening sequence.
= Children's culture
=The tune is used for a 20th-century American children's song with – like many unpublished songs of child folk culture – countless variations as the song is passed from child to child over considerable lengths of time and geography, the one constant being that the versions are almost always smutty. One variation, for example, is:
or a similar version:
Another World War II-era variation is as follows:
See also
Oriental riff – similar musical motif, often associated with China
Italian riff
References
External links
"Streets of Cairo" sheet music in the Levy Collection, via Jscholarship
"The Streets of Cairo or the Poor Little Country Maid" reference recording on YouTube
"The Streets of Cairo" Dan Quinn recording on YouTube
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