The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze
Encyclopedia
"The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", originally published under the title "The Flying Trapeze" and also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a 19th century popular song about a flying trapeze
circus
performer, Jules Léotard
. The refrain statates:
The song was first published in 1867, with words written by the British lyricist and singer, George Leybourne
, with music by Gaston Lyle, and arranged by Alfred Lee. The lyrics were based on the phenomenal success of trapeze
artist Jules Léotard
.
. The film Man on the Flying Trapeze
came out in 1935, starring W. C. Fields
and Mary Brian
.
was the first to record the song, in 1934. It became his theme song whenever he appeared on radio or television. It was also recorded by Don Redman & His Orchestra (1936), The Chipmunks
, Eddie Cantor
, Burl Ives
, Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
, Spike Jones
(with lyrics thoroughly trashed), Ian Whitcomb
, Les Paul
& Mary Ford
, Crispin Hellion Glover, and Bruce Springsteen
(with a couple of F-bombs inserted), among others.
(Little Rascals) kids as the International Silver String Submarine Band in the 1934 short film Mike Fright
. A second Our Gang rendition, by Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
, was later included in the 1939 short Clown Princes
.
The passengers on the bus sang the song in the 1934 Frank Capra
film It Happened One Night
. American actor and musician Crispin Glover
covered the song on his 1989 album, The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be. The song was also the basis of the 1934 Popeye the Sailor musical cartoon, titled The Man on the Flying Trapeze.
In The Bridges at Toko-Ri the USS Savo Island's band plays the refrain while Mickey Rooney's character (CPO Mike Forney) is being transferred via highline to a ship alongside.
Flying Trapeze
The flying trapeze is a specific form of the trapeze in which a performer jumps from a platform with the trapeze so that gravity makes the trapeze swing....
circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
performer, Jules Léotard
Jules Léotard
Jules Léotard , was a revolutionary French acrobatic performer who developed the art of trapeze. He also popularised the one-piece gymwear that now bears his name and was the inspiration for the 1867 song "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze"....
. The refrain statates:
- He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease,
- That daring young man on the flying trapeze.
The song was first published in 1867, with words written by the British lyricist and singer, George Leybourne
George Leybourne
Joe Sanders , better known as George Leybourne, was an English music hall performer. Often nicknamed "Champagne Charlie", Leybourne is best-remembered as the lyricist for The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze....
, with music by Gaston Lyle, and arranged by Alfred Lee. The lyrics were based on the phenomenal success of trapeze
Trapeze
A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances...
artist Jules Léotard
Jules Léotard
Jules Léotard , was a revolutionary French acrobatic performer who developed the art of trapeze. He also popularised the one-piece gymwear that now bears his name and was the inspiration for the 1867 song "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze"....
.
Literature
The following century, the song inspired the 1934 short story The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze by William SaroyanWilliam Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
. The film Man on the Flying Trapeze
Man on the Flying Trapeze
Man on the Flying Trapeze is a 1935 comedy film starring W. C. Fields as a henpecked husband. As with his other roles of this nature, Fields is put-upon throughout the film, but triumphs in the end.-Plot:...
came out in 1935, starring W. C. Fields
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
and Mary Brian
Mary Brian
Mary Brian was an American actress and movie star who made the transition from 'silents' to 'talkies'.-Early life:...
.
Recordings
Comedian Walter O'KeefeWalter O'Keefe
Walter O'Keefe was an American songwriter, actor, syndicated columnist, Broadway composer, radio legend, screenwriter, musical arranger and TV host....
was the first to record the song, in 1934. It became his theme song whenever he appeared on radio or television. It was also recorded by Don Redman & His Orchestra (1936), The Chipmunks
The Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
, Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...
, Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards
Cliff Edwards
Cliff Edwards , also known as "Ukelele Ike", was an American singer and voice actor who enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes. He had a number-one hit with "Singin' in the Rain" in 1929...
, Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
(with lyrics thoroughly trashed), Ian Whitcomb
Ian Whitcomb
Ian Whitcomb is an entertainer, singer, songwriter, author, record producer, and actor...
, Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
& Mary Ford
Mary Ford
Mary Ford , born Iris Colleen Summers, was an American vocalist and guitarist, comprising half of the husband-and-wife musical team Les Paul and Mary Ford. Between 1950 and 1954, the couple had 16 top-ten hits...
, Crispin Hellion Glover, and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
(with a couple of F-bombs inserted), among others.
Cinema
A version was performed by the Our GangOur Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
(Little Rascals) kids as the International Silver String Submarine Band in the 1934 short film Mike Fright
Mike Fright
Mike Fright is a 1934 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gus Meins. It was the 130th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
. A second Our Gang rendition, by Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
Carl Switzer
Carl Dean "Alfalfa" Switzer was an American child actor, professional dog breeder and hunting guide, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters.-Early life and family:Switzer was born in Paris,...
, was later included in the 1939 short Clown Princes
Clown Princes
Clown Princes is a 1939 Our Gang short comedy film directed by George Sidney. Produced and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 178th Our Gang short to be released.-Plot:...
.
The passengers on the bus sang the song in the 1934 Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
film It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night is a 1934 American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed by Frank Capra, in which a pampered socialite tries to get out from under her father's thumb, and falls in love with a roguish reporter . The plot was based on the story Night Bus by Samuel...
. American actor and musician Crispin Glover
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
covered the song on his 1989 album, The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be. The song was also the basis of the 1934 Popeye the Sailor musical cartoon, titled The Man on the Flying Trapeze.
In The Bridges at Toko-Ri the USS Savo Island's band plays the refrain while Mickey Rooney's character (CPO Mike Forney) is being transferred via highline to a ship alongside.
Published versions
- 1868 version in Levy Sheet Music Collection
- July 11, 1874 broadsideBroadside (music)A broadside is a single sheet of cheap paper printed on one side, often with a ballad, rhyme, news and sometimes with woodcut illustrations...
- Rise Up SingingRise Up SingingRise Up Singing is a popular folk music fake book containing chords, lyrics, and sources. There are 1200 songs in the 2004 edition.The book does not include notation of the songs' melodies , meaning that users must either know the tune, or find a recording, to be able to learn many of the songs...
page 80
Popular Culture
- The Kidsongs Kids sing this song in the 1987 KidsongsKidsongsKidsongs is an American award-winning children's media franchise which includes Kidsongs Music Video Stories on DVD and video, The Kidsongs TV Show, CDs of favorite children’s songs, song books, sheet music, toys and an ecommerce website...
episode "A Day at the Circus." - In the opening video of the 1998 computer game Redneck Rampage Rides Again the main character, Leonard, sings a line of this song just before the UFO he is riding in crashes.