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What does the phrase Mack the Knife mean?
It means that if you bet 5, you’ll get ten back, or 2:1 odds. It’s saying that it’s such a sure thing that Mack is back in town that you would get ten back if you bet five on it.
Where does Mack the Knife come from?
“Mack the Knife” or “The Ballad of Mack the Knife” (German: “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer”) is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama The Threepenny Opera (German: Die Dreigroschenoper).
Why was Mack the Knife banned?
For example, it was the BBC’s Dance Music Policy Committee that reviewed Louis Armstrong’s “Mack the Knife,” from The Threepenny Opera, to where it was ultimately banned in 1959 because of worries that its jazzy tune might incite gang violence.
Who wrote the lyrics to Mack the Knife?
Bobby Darin
Kurt Weill
Mack the Knife/Composers
Who has sung Mack the Knife?
Bobby Darin
Mack the Knife/Artists
Is Mack the Knife a real person?
The popular song Mack the Knife was based upon the story of an eighteenth-century highwayman named Captain Macheath. It tells the story of a womanising highwayman, Macheath, based upon the real-life thief, Jack Sheppard (1702–24), who has a romance with the daughter of the thief taker, Peachum.
Is Mack the Knife about Jack the Ripper?
Jack MacHeath, also known as Mac the Knife, is a charismatic butcher and is believed to be the notorious serial murderer, Jack the Ripper. He is also a direct descendant of the 18th-century highwayman MacHeath a.k.a. Mack the Knife.
WHO has recorded Mack the Knife?
What singer took Mack the Knife to the No 1 spot in the charts?
Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor in film and television. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music.
Who has covered Mack the Knife?
5 of the best covers of Mack The Knife
- Bobby Darin sings “Mack the Knife”
- Mack the Knife from Dream Lover the Bobby Darin Musical.
- Ella Fitzgerald – Mack the Knife.
- Robbie Williams | Mack The Knife | Live At The Albert 2001.
- Marianne Faithfull – Mack the Knife.
- Sting – The Ballad of Mack the Knife.
What’s the story behind the song Mack the knife?
However, it was performed by the ballad singer, to introduce the character. The essence of the song is: “Oh, look who’s coming onstage, it’s Mack the Knife – a thief, murderer, arsonist, and rapist.” (If these last two startle you, be patient for a couple paragraphs.) The Brecht-Weill version premiered in Germany in 1928 and was an instant hit.
What’s the difference between Mack the knife and Macheath?
He’s now called Mackie Messer, AKA Mack the Knife. (“Messer” is German for knife.) Where Gay’s Macheath was a gentleman thief, Brecht’s Mackie is an out-and-out gangster. He’s no longer the Robin Hood type, he’s an underworld cutthroat, the head of a band of street robbers and muggers.
Who is the main character in Mack the knife?
The main character is still Macheath, but Macheath transformed. He’s now called Mackie Messer, AKA Mack the Knife. (“Messer” is German for knife.) Where Gay’s Macheath was a gentleman thief, Brecht’s Mackie is an out-and-out gangster.
What are the crimes of Mack the knife?
The play opens with the Moritat singer comparing Macheath (unfavorably) with a shark and then telling tales of his crimes: arson, robbery, rape, murder.