Why isn't the best "West Side Story" song more famous?

[jmowreader]

You always hear about "Maria," "I Feel Pretty" and maybe the Jets Song, but you never hear about...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq28qCklEHc

"Gee Officer Krupke" is a fun tune in the mold of "The Model of a Modern Major General" from The Pirates of Penzance. And it's one of the most fun songs I've heard in a while.

[UTUSN]

1. The whole dang thing (the show) is classic from one end to th'other!1

I know we've got connoisseurs and gourmets and such up the wazoo here, but I have seriesly been shocked when some DUers here have deprecated Lennie.

[MilesColtrane]

2. The best "West Side Story" song is "Somewhere".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip9CCVX4Ms4&feature=related

[Richardo]

9. This is the correct response

:thumbsup:

[Lavender Brown]

3. I think there was recently an article about that song in the NY Times

There was controversy (back then) over the faux swearword in the lyrics.

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. 'Krup you'?

"No damned good"?

"Commie"?

:shrug:



'Course, I've seen only the film, not the play. The lyrics might've been rougher on stage, like in "Grease."

[Lavender Brown]

5. I thought it was "fug you"

I have to find the article.

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. I don't think they ever used 'fug' in the movie

They used "buggin'" a lot, as in "...my buggin' uncle!" "What?" "Uncle!" "What?" "UNCLE!"

I used to think the Jets Song ended with "On the whole... fuggin'... ever... lovin'... streeeeeeeeet!" But I listened more closely and it's "buggin'."

[Lavender Brown]

10. I have the movie soundtrack but haven't listened to it in years

I always thought the last line of Officer Krupke was "fug you!" Trick of memory I guess. :P

[Oeditpus Rex]

11. Yeah, especially when you're a young'un

You think you hear a naughty word and you're like , it sticks with you.

[jmowreader]

12. It's supposed to IMPLY "fuck you"

but it's "Officer Krupke...krup you!"

[Lavender Brown]

6. this is the article I was remembering

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/officer-krupke-youre-historically-precise/

You remember Officer Krupke. He’s the hapless foil for the high-spirited gang of teenagers of “West Side Story” and the target of a celebrated quasi-profane lyric that sent us all into conniptions way back before actual profanity got much of a hearing in public.

It's about the costumes, but that's the bit I was remembering.

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. Meh, the sensibilities of the era were offended

The early '60s were still the '50s, socially — JFK's "Camelot" and all that.

"Suck" raised a few eyebrows, too, from the "Well, we know what it really means" bunch when it gained slang popularity around 1980. :eyes:

Me, I say, "Krup your sensibilities." ;)




Afterthought: "West Side Story" was based on "Romeo and Juliet" — which, as written by Shakespeare, had its own share of naughtiness.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Because even the "best" in that suckhole of a musical is crap.

[CBGLuthier]

14. Rather fond of the song America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QS7wWzwak4

Probably because i have had a thing for Rita Moreno since The Electric Company.

[HamdenRice]

15. Bernstein made an egregious, unforgiveable mistake with "America"

I like the movie, but I can't get over how stupid he was with this song.

The movie is about a Puerto Rican pitted against a white American gang. But the music of America sounds Mexican, not even remotely Puerto Rican.

Keep in mind that at the time Berstein wrote this, Puerto Rican and Cuban music (at the time, Mambo) were all the rage in New York, and was having a massive influence on jazz and popular culture.

WTF was Bernstein thinking? Had he never been on 57th Street? Didn't he know any jazz musicians? Had he ever turned on a radio?

[Bucky]

16. Y'know, I feel the same way about Meatloaf's song in "Rocky Horror"

[Captain Hilts]

17. Oh, it is indeed famous! As is Offier Krupke. nt