REQ: 'Ding, Dong, the Wicked Witch is Dead' Wizard of Oz Movie

Henry Baker

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Feb 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM2/25/97

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This question must surely belong in the FAQ, but here goes:

What are the words to the 'Wicked Witch is dead song', who wrote the
words, who wrote the music, and which witch are they singing about.

Thx in advance.

web...@charweb.org

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Feb 25, 1997, 3:00:00 AM2/25/97

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Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead - Fifth Estate did a version.

They (Munchkins) are singing about the Wicked Witch, which had a house
fall upon her, in the Wiz of Oz.

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Bootsy

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Feb 27, 1997, 3:00:00 AM2/27/97

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On Tue, 25 Feb 1997 05:21:11 -0600, web...@charweb.org wrote:

>Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead - Fifth Estate did a version.

>> What are the words to the 'Wicked Witch is dead song', who wrote the
>> words, who wrote the music, and which witch are they singing about.

>They (Munchkins) are singing about the Wicked Witch, which had a house

>fall upon her, in the Wiz of Oz.

Yupp - I now remember...

BUT I also remember NAKED GUN 3 1/3 (I think) - when Drebbin in his blue
bar asks the piano man to play their song - it goes (at least as a
translation from German to English:) "Ding Dong! The Whitch is dead"

Can anyone tell me whether this is just a coincidence ?
And please tell me the English lyrics ( :-)) ) of the Naked Gun
version!

Bye!

Joe Offer

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Mar 1, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/1/97

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Henry Baker <hba...@netcom.com> wrote in article
<hbaker-2402...@10.0.2.1>...

> This question must surely belong in the FAQ, but here goes:

> What are the words to the 'Wicked Witch is dead song', who wrote the
> words, who wrote the music, and which witch are they singing about.

Well, here's a fantastic Wizard of Oz Web site:
http://www.cybercom.net/~devine/wifey/k-oz.html

I couldn't find the lyrics, so I hope somebody else will post them. Words
are by E.Y. Harburg, and music by Harold Arlen, 1939.

As I recall, the Munchkins and the rest of the cast sang the song when
Dorothy's house landed on the Wicked Witch of the East.
"She's gone where the goblins go, below, below, below...."

-Joe-

KimmyStev

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Mar 3, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/3/97

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Does anyone remember who did a pop remake of that song in the late '60's
or early '70's?

They also did a song called "Rice is Nice (Throw Some My Way)."

Anyone who can guess gets my utmost respect. Or, anyone who can research
and find the answer, for that matter.

See ya!

Kimmy

Wayne Garvin

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Mar 3, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/3/97

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(posted to alt.music.lyrics and e-mailed to Henry Baker)

On Tue, 25 Feb 1997 04:02:02 GMT hba...@netcom.com (Henry Baker) wrote:
>What are the words to the 'Wicked Witch is dead song', who wrote the
>words, who wrote the music, and which witch are they singing about.

DING-DONG! THE WITCH IS DEAD
- words by E.Y. Harburg, music by Harold Arlen

Ding-dong, the witch is dead!
Which old witch?
The wicked witch
Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead

Wake up, you sleepyhead
Rub your eyes
Get out of bed
Wake up, the wicked witch is dead!

She's gone where the goblins go below
Below, below, yo-ho
Let's open up and sing
And ring the bells out

Ding-dong! the merry-o
Sing it high
Sing it low
Let them know the wicked witch is dead

------------------------------------------------------------------
Wayne Garvin, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

The Lyrics Library: http://www.kw.igs.net/~wgarvin/lyrics.html

alt.music.lyrics web site, FAQ and Frequently Requested Lyrics:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/3431/aml.html
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StevieAng

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Mar 9, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/9/97

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Well, the song I am thinking of is not from the movie the Wizard of OZ,
but instead was written by Harold Arlen and sung by him and Barbra
Streisand.

I think the lyrics go something like this - I hope it is what you were
looking for :)

Once there was a wicked witch in the lovely land of Oz
and a wickeder, wickeder, wickeder witch there never ever was
She filled the folks in munchkin land with terror and with dread
Til one fine day from Kansas a house fell on her head
and the coroner pronounced her
dead

And through the town the joyous news went running
The joyous news that the wicked old witch was finally done in

Chorus:
Ding Dong the Witch is dead
Which old Witch?
Well, the wicked witch
Ding dong the wicked witch is dead
Ooblee-ay happy day
Wake up ya sleepy head
Rub your eyes, get out of that bed
Wake up the wicked witch is dead

She's gone where the goblins go

below, below yo-ho
let's open up and sing and ring the bells out
sing the news out

Ding dong the merry-o sing it high and sing it low
let them know the wicked old witch is dead

Why everyone's glad she took such a crowning
Getting hit by a house is even worse than drowning
Let em know the wicked old witch is dead

- I have this song on Barbra Streisand's box set - 'Just for the Record'
It was originally on an album called 'Harold Sings Arlen.' It is about
the wicked witch from the movie the Wizard of Oz, for which Arlen wrote
the original music.

P. Streeter

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Mar 11, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/11/97

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A group called the Fifth Estate recorded this in the 60's

KimmyStev

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Mar 15, 1997, 3:00:00 AM3/15/97

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Great! Here's more Fifth Estate trivia:

What former member of the Fifth Estate is now a professor in the recording
department at Berklee College of Music? (hint: he used to own studio-B in
Boston, and produced several local acts in the late '70's and early
'80's).

"Today's pig is tomorrow's bacon."