| Mack the Knife | |
|---|---|
| byKurt Weill | |
| Native name | Die Moritat von Mackie Messer |
| Genre | Moritat |
| Text | Bertolt Brecht |
| Language | German |
| Published | 31 August 1928 (1928-08-31) |
"Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" (German:"Die Moritat von Mackie Messer") is a song composed byKurt Weill with lyrics byBertolt Brecht for their 1928 music dramaThe Threepenny Opera (German:Die Dreigroschenoper). The song tells of a knife-wielding criminal of the London underworld namedMacheath, the "Mack the Knife" of the title.
The song has become a popularstandard recorded by many artists after it was recorded byLouis Armstrong in 1955 with translated lyrics byMarc Blitzstein. The most popular version of the song was byBobby Darin in 1959, whose recording became a number one hit in the US and UK and earned him twoGrammys at the2nd Annual Grammy Awards.Ella Fitzgerald also received a Grammy for her performance of the song in1961.
The original German lyrics and music of the song entered thepublic domain in the United States in 2024.[1]
AMoritat is a medieval version of themurder ballad performed by strollingminstrels. InThe Threepenny Opera, theMoritat singer with hisstreet organ introduces and closes the drama with the tale of the deadlyMackie Messer, orMack the Knife, a character based on the dashing highwaymanMacheath inJohn Gay'sThe Beggar's Opera (who was in turn based on the historical thiefJack Sheppard). The Brecht-Weill version of the character was far more cruel and sinister whose crimes included rape and murder, transforming him into a modernantihero.
The song was a last-minute addition that was inserted before its premiere in 1928 becauseHarald Paulsen, the actor who played Macheath, demanded that Brecht and Weill add another number that would more effectively introduce his character.[2] However, Weill and Brecht decided the song should not be sung by Macheath himself, opting instead to write the song for a street singer in keeping with theMoritat tradition. At the premiere, the song was sung byKurt Gerron, who played Police Chief Brown. Weill intended the Moritat to be accompanied by abarrel organ, which was to be played by the singer.[3] At the premiere, though, the barrel organ failed, and the pit orchestra (a jazz band) had to quickly provide the accompaniment for the street singer.[4]
TheMoritat singer introduces the play, first comparing Macheath to a shark:
Und der Haifisch, der hat Zähne,
Und die trägt er im Gesicht.
Und Macheath, der hat ein Messer,
Doch das Messer sieht man nicht.
And the shark, it has teeth,
And it wears them in the face.
And Macheath, he has a knife,
But the knife can't be seen.[5]
This is followed by tales of his crimes including a murder on theStrand, the disappearance of a wealthy man and theft of his money, a fatal stabbing of a woman, an arson that killed seven children inSoho, and the rape of a young widow.[6]
The final stanza – not included in the original play, but added by Brecht forthe 1931 film – expresses the theme and compares the glittering world of the rich and powerful with the dark world of the poor:[6]
Denn die einen sind im Dunkeln
Und die andern sind im Licht
Und man siehet die im Lichte
Die im Dunkeln sieht man nicht.
There are some who are in darkness
And the others are in light
And you see the ones in brightness
Those in darkness drop from sight.
The song was translated into French as "La complainte de Mackie" byAndré Mauprey and Ninon Steinhoff and popularized byCatherine Sauvage.[7]
The song was introduced to American audiences in 1933 in the first English-language production ofThe Threepenny Opera. The English lyrics were by Gifford Cochran and Jerrold Krimsky.[8] That production, however, was not successful, closing after a run of only ten days. The best-known Englishtranslation of the song comes fromMarc Blitzstein's 1954 version ofThe Threepenny Opera, which playedOff-Broadway for over six years.[9] The opening stanza reads:
Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear,
And he shows them pearly white
Just ajack-knife has Macheath, dear
And he keeps it out of sight[10]
Blitzstein's version is a loose translation of the German lyrics; some lines on the crimes of Macheath have been omitted, and he included a verse not in the original, giving a list of female characters in the drama.[11] The lyrics were further sanitized in the original Broadway cast recording (with Gerald Price as the ballad singer) with two stanzas on Macheath's assaults on women replaced.[12]
Blitzstein's translation forms the basis of most of the popular versions heard today, including those byLouis Armstrong (1955) andBobby Darin (1959), and most subsequentswing versions. Some further changes were made to Blitzstein's lyrics, for example, in Armstrong's recording, the name of Weill's widow,Lotte Lenya, who was the star of both the original 1928 German production and the 1954 BlitzsteinBroadway version, was added to the lyrics "(Look out, Miss Lotte Lenya)".[6]
In 1976, a brand-new interpretation of "Mack the Knife" byRalph Manheim andJohn Willett was used in theNew York Shakespeare Festival's production ofThe Threepenny Opera, starringRaul Julia as Macheath. This version, simply known as "Moritat", is an extension of the story with completely new lyrics that expound upon the tales of Macheath's trail of activity. Here is an excerpt:
See the shark with teeth like razors.
All can read his open face.
And Macheath has got a knife, but
Not in such an obvious place.
This version was performed byLyle Lovett on the soundtrack of the 1994 filmQuiz Show. Darin's version plays over the opening credits and Lovett's over the closing credits. This interpretation was performed bySting on Hal Willner's 1985 Weill tribute albumLost in the Stars and also recorded byNick Cave for the 1997 tribute albumSeptember Songs – The Music of Kurt Weill.[13]
A much darker translation byRobert David MacDonald andJeremy Sams into English was used for the 1994Donmar Warehouse theatrical production in London. The new translation attempted to recapture the original tone of the song:
Though the shark's teeth may be lethal
Still you see them white and red
But you won't see Mackie'sflick knife
Cause he slashed you and you're dead.
| "A Theme fromThe Threepenny Opera (Mack the Knife)" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single byLouis Armstrong | |
| B-side | "Back O'Town Blues" |
| Released | November 1955[14] |
| Recorded | New York City 28 September 1955[15] |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 3:25 |
| Label | Columbia,Coronet |
| Songwriters | Kurt Weill Bertolt Brecht Marc Blitzstein (English lyrics) Turk Murphy (arranger) |
A number of early artists recorded the song, including the cast recording and a jazz version bySidney Bechet,[16] but it wasLouis Armstrong who first introduced the vocal version of "Mack the Knife" to the United Stateshit parade.George Avakian, a producer atColumbia Records, whose wifeAnahid Ajemian gave a recital of Weill's Violin Concerto in 1954, became interested in Weill's music, in particular the song from the off-Broadway production ofThree Penny Opera that he had seen. He spent a few months trying to interest various jazz artists from his label to record "Mack the Knife",[17] eventually persuadingTurk Murphy to record. Murphy also suggested Armstrong to Avakian for the recording,[6] and made an arrangement of the song for him.[18]
Armstrong recorded an instrumental together with a vocal version on 28 September 1955, while Murphy also recorded both instrumental version and vocal versions himself as well as one in German withLotte Lenya on 22 September 1955.[16] The lyrics of Armstrong's version were based on the Broadway cast recording, but Avakian suggested changing Blitzstein's lyrics by using the word "drooping" instead of "dropping", as well as including the name of Lotte Lenya in the recording.[6] Armstrong gave a shout-out in the song to Lenya who was invited to the recording session by Avakian. Lenya also joined Armstrong to record a duet version which was not released commercially in their lifetime,[19] but was released posthumously in 1982.[20]
The version released by Armstrong was spliced together from the instrumental and the vocal recordings.[16] The song, titled "A Theme from The Threepenny Opera (Mack the Knife)", was released in late 1955 together with an instrumental version by Murphy, both by Columbia.[17] The song, however, faced an initial ban on the song by radio stations for lyrics perceived as glorification of a criminal, although it sold well.[19] Armstrong's recording reachedBillboard's Top 100 chart in February 1956, peaking at No 20 on 17 March 1956.[21][22] An instrumental version released byDick Hyman charted higher.[19] Armstrong's version also reached No. 8 in the UK.[23]
In 1997, the 1955 recording of the song byLouis Armstrong & His All-Stars onColumbia Records was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[24]
Armstrong's recording was inducted by theLibrary of Congress in theNational Recording Registry in 2016.[25]
| Chart (1956) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[23] | 8 |
| USThe Top 100 (Billboard)[22] | 20 |
| "Mack the Knife" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBobby Darin | ||||
| from the albumThat's All | ||||
| B-side | "Was There a Call for Me" | |||
| Released | August 1959[27] | |||
| Recorded | 19 December 1958 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:11 (album version) 3:04 (single version) | |||
| Label | Atco (U.S.) London Records (UK) | |||
| Songwriters | Kurt Weill,Bertolt Brecht Marc Blitzstein (English version) | |||
| Bobby Darin singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song, however, is most closely associated withBobby Darin, who recorded his version on 19 December 1958 for his albumThat's All. Darin had performed the song in his act before, and wanted to include the song in an album of standards. The song was arranged by Richard Wess.[29] Musicians who played on the song includedDon Lamond on drums,Milt Hinton on bass, andDoc Severinsen on trumpet.[30]Tom Dowd engineered the recording.[31] Darin's version has similar lyrics to Armstrong's but with small changes, such as using the word "babe" instead of "dear", and he ended the song with a reprise of the sixth verse instead of the first.[16] Darin recorded the song in around three takes, performing the song with an up-tempo bouncy beat[32] andmodulating up a semitone every verse starting with the third verse, from B-flat to B to C to D-flat to E-flat.[6]
The song was released as a single in August 1959, even though Darin was reluctant to release the song as a single.[33]Dick Clark had advised Darin not to record the song because of the perception that, having come from an opera, the song might not appeal to arock and roll audience; he subsequently acknowledged his error.[34] The song reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100 (Darin's only number 1 hit on the Hot 100) and number six on theBlack Singles Chart.[35][36] It was listed as aCash Box Top 100 number one single in 1959 for eight weeks.[37]
Frank Sinatra (who would record his own version in the 1980s withQuincy Jones for hisL.A. Is My Lady album) called Darin's the "definitive" version.[6]
Bobby Darin took the song by the scruff of the neck and turned it into the swing classic widely known today. Unlike the Brecht-Weill original, which remains in the same key throughout, Darin's version changes key, chromatically, no fewer than five times, ratcheting up the tension. –Financial Times[38]
Billboard ranked this version asthe No. 2 song for 1959.[39] In 2003, the Darin version was ranked No. 251 onRolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[40] Darin's version of the song was featured in the filmsQuiz Show andWhat Women Want.
The song earned Darin twoGrammy Awards in1959, forRecord of the Year and first everBest New Artist.[41] Darin's version was also inducted by theLibrary of Congress in theNational Recording Registry at the same time as Armstrong's in 2016.[25] It was ranked as No. 15 in the list ofSongs of the Century by theRecording Industry of America and theNational Endowment for the Arts.[42]
In 1999, the 1959 release of the song byBobby Darin on theAtco Records label was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[43]
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[44] | 11 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[45] | 15 |
| Canada (CHUMHit Parade)[46] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[47] | 14 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[48] | 9 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[49] | 1 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[50] | 1 |
| USCash Box[51] | 1 |
| West Germany (GfK)[52] | 31 |
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard Hot 100[53] | 4 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[54] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[55] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "Mack the Knife" | |
|---|---|
| Single byElla Fitzgerald | |
| from the albumElla in Berlin: Mack the Knife | |
| B-side | "Lorelei" |
| Released | April 1960 |
| Recorded | 13 February 1960, atDeutschlandhalle,Berlin |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:42 |
| Label | Verve Records |
| Songwriters | Kurt Weill,Bertolt Brecht Marc Blitzstein (English version) |
On 13 February 1960,[56]Ella Fitzgerald performed the song live for the first time in a concert atDeutschlandhalle in Berlin. Fitzgerald, however, forgot the lyrics after the first stanza, and she improvised new lyrics, including name-checking Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin.[57] The song was included on the albumElla in Berlin: Mack the Knife released in July.[58]
The song was released as a single in April 1960.[59] This version made the US Hot 100, peaking at No. 27 in June 1960.[60] This song was Fitzgerald's best performing song in the 1960s, and she included the song in all her subsequent shows.[61]
The performance earned Fitzgerald aGrammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the3rd Annual Grammy Awards.[62]
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[63] | 19 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[64] | 27 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[65] | 6 |
| USCash Box[66] | 31 |
An instrumental version of "Mack the Knife" titled "Moritat – A Theme From "The Three Penny Opera"" was recorded byDick Hyman,[6] and it performed better than Louis Armstrong's vocal version that charted around the same time, reaching No. 9 onBillboard's Top 100.[67] It also reached No. 9 on the Cashbox chart,[68] as well as No. 9 on the UK chart in 1956.[69] A number of other instrumental versions also appeared on The Top 100 at the same time:Richard Hayman andJan August (No. 12),[70]Lawrence Welk (No. 31),[71]Billy Vaughn (No. 37), andLes Paul and Mary Ford (No.49).[70] Billy Vaughn also reached No. 12 in the UK.[72]
Jazz saxophonistSonny Rollins recorded an instrumental version titled simply "Moritat" for his albumSaxophone Colossus, recorded in 1956.[73][74] A 1959 instrumental performance byBill Haley & His Comets was the final song the group recorded forDecca Records.[75]Ray Conniff recorded a version for orchestra and chorus in 1962 for the album,The Happy Beat.Liberace performed the song in five styles: as originally written, in the style of the "Blue Danube Waltz", as amusic box, in abossa nova rhythm, and inboogie-woogie.[76]
Frank Sinatra added the song to his repertoire in 1984 in an arrangement byFrank Foster;[6] In the performance included on his albumL.A. Is My Lady, Sinatra similarly name-checked Armstrong and Darin, as well as adding members of his backing band.[57] Sinatra andJimmy Buffett recorded a duet of the song for Sinatra's final albumDuets II (1994).
Nick Cave andSpanish Fly performed the song for the videoSeptember Songs – The Music of Kurt Weill in 1994, released as an album in 1997.[13] whileSting andDominic Muldowney recorded it for the 1985 tribute albumLost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill.[77]
Other notable versions include performances byLisa Stansfield,Mark Lanegan,Kenny Ball,Dave Van Ronk,Jimmie Dale Gilmore,Tony Bennett,Anita O'Day (in an arrangement byJimmy Giuffre),Marianne Faithfull,Brian Setzer,Dr. John,Ute Lemper,King Kurt,[78]Bing Crosby,Eartha Kitt,[79]The Psychedelic Furs,David Cassidy (inAt the Copa),Westlife,The Doors, andMichael Bublé.[57][80] Swiss bandThe Young Gods radically reworked the song inindustrial style on their 1991 albumThe Young Gods Play Kurt Weill as "Mackie Messer",Deana Martin recorded "Mack the Knife" on her second studio album,Volare, released in 2009 by Big Fish Records.Robbie Williams recorded the song on his 2001 albumSwing When You're Winning.[81]Hildegard Knef recorded a German version, "Mackie Messer".[82]
Salsa musicianRubén Blades recorded an homage entitled "Pedro Navaja" (Razor Pete).[83] Brazilian composerChico Buarque, in his loose adaptation ofThreepenny Opera (Ópera doMalandro), made two versions called "O Malandro" and "O Malandro No. 2", with lyrics in Portuguese.
1950s comedic legendErnie Kovacs used a German-translated version of the song throughout his television series.[84]
Sources
