I Taut I Taw a Puddy-Tat

This article is about the 1950 novelty song. For the 2011 animated short, see I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat.
"I Taut I Taw a Puddy-Tat"
Side A of the US single
Single by Mel Blanc and the Billy May Orchestra
B-side"I'm Glad That I'm Bugs Bunny"
ReleasedDecember 1950
RecordedJune 29, 1950
GenreNovelty
Length2:58
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Alan Livingston, Billy May, Warren Foster
Alternative cover
Sleeve of the 1970 UK single

"I Taut I Taw A Puddy-Tat" is a novelty song composed and written by Alan Livingston, Billy May and Warren Foster.[1] It was sung by Mel Blanc, who provided the voice of the bird, Tweety and of his nemesis Sylvester.[2]

The lyrics depict the basic formula of the Tweety-Sylvester cartoons released by Warner Bros. throughout the late 1940s into the early 1960’s - Tweety is just being a canary. Sylvester, the cat, is always (he thinks, craftily), plotting to catch Tweetybird. While Tweety, being much smarter than Sylvester, is relentlessly teasing him and getting away, making Sylvester very frustrated indeed.

Toward the end of the song, the two perform a duet, with Tweety coaxing Sylvester into singing with him after promising that his (Tweety's) mistress won't chase him (Sylvester) away.

"I Taut I Taw A Puddy-Tat" reached No. 9 on the Billboard pop chart during a seven-week chart run in February and March 1951, and sold more than two million records.[3]

The song was covered by Helen Kane between 1950–51 with Jimmy Carroll & His Orchestra.Around the same time the song was also covered by Danny Kaye.

Tony Blair had the sheet music for this song upon his piano during the war against Iraq.[4]

In 2011, Warner Bros. created a 3D CGI Looney Tunes short of the same name starring Sylvester, Tweety, and Granny (June Foray in her final theatrical voice acting role before her death in 2017), incorporating Blanc's vocals with brand new animation and music. The short premiered in theaters with Happy Feet Two.[5]

In 2008, the British comedian Jeremy Hardy sang the song's lyrics to the tune of "I Vow to Thee, My Country", during a live recording of the BBC Radio 4 panel game, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

References

  1. ^ Sandra Choron; Harry Choron; Arden Moore (2007), Planet Cat, p. 59, ISBN 978-0-618-81259-2
  2. ^ Robert Andrews (1997), Famous Lines: A Columbia Dictionary of Familiar Quotations, p. 64, ISBN 978-0-231-10218-6
  3. ^ Aljean Harmetz (November 24, 1988). "Man of a Thousand Voices, Speaking Literally". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Peter Stothard (2004), Thirty Days, p. 61, ISBN 978-0-06-058262-3
  5. ^ Adam B. Vary (2011), Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat do battle in new Looney Tunes short -- EXCLUSIVE CLIP


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