The kids were watching it today (some marathon on some channel…they’re all sick so I just let them watch it all day 
). Now, I know that the old cartoons used to use quite a bit of “real” music in them…classical-ish styles being the big one. But the episode that was on today was playing “The Irish Washerwoman” while Tom was cleaning the house. The kids thought I was weird when I got all excited about it. 
Just thought I’d share.
Ive heard Tchaik, Ravel, Brahms, Dvorak on Barbie dvd’s recently.
There’s quite a bit of Celtic fiddling on ‘Tinkerbell’ too.
I like the Mayan Chocolate flavour, myself.
djm
Here the granddaughter found a marathon of Warner Bros cartoons! I watched half of them with her. She was fascinated I suppose because they are so different than the crap that she watches that pass for cartoons now. Her mom was commenting on some of the content and I reminded her that those early ones were for movie theaters, not kids shows.
I just love them.
Izzy, one of her favorite games to play with her grandpa is “Tom & Jerry”. They chase each other all through the house, slamming doors, etc. It’s kinda nerve wracking.
Yes indeed! Spangle tiger film upholster trajectory mumble jellybean heretic, eh!?! 
Ooo, I can feel the zits forming already! 
djm
“Kill de wabbit! Kill de wabbit”
Classic!
For curious and indistinct reasons, Edvard Grieg’s “Hall of the Mountain King,” from Peer Gynt, has figured as a theme throughout my life. If I wish to mention the tune to my children, for whatever reason (and it happens, oddly,) I say, “you know, the Sonic the Hedgehog tune.”
That clears things right up.
Instead of “Irish Washerwoman” you could just say “Bean nighe.”
I loved the Farmer Grey Terrytoons, a staple of New York kids TV in the 1950s. These were silent cartoons from the 20s and 30s, with beginning-to-end soundtracks excerpted from the greatest hits of light classical music. By the time I was old enough to grok the separate idea of Classical Music around age 5, I already knew hundreds of themes. Simply wonderful.
“Arkansas Traveler” and “Chinese Breakdown”
Although it is not PC and, I believe, now banned from the US, there were several Li’l Black Sambo cartoons from Merry Melodies. While the content was execrable, I always loved the musical theme, which, I think, came from some classical-type score; a sort of stereotypical, Middle Eastern, snake-charmer type melody. Anyone have any ideas? (of the music, not the cartoons).
Something like:
d3 d ^cd ^ca | c3 c Bc BG | _B3 _B A_B AF | D6 …
djm
Hmm…I found this one, on a site of banned cartoons, but the music isn’t as you describe, so it must be a different one…
No, that cartoon is on YouTube several times, too, though not viewable from the US. That is not a Merry Melodies cartoon, so the music is not the same. The version I am referring to used to come on tv in the 60s, mixed in with Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, etc. (long before Road Runner). It was part of the older style 30s and 40s cartoons.
djm
While searching for your Little Black Sambo cartoon I actually found one that I remember loving as a kid. Early Sunday mornings we use to watch really old black and white cartoons from the 30’s. I remember my dad saying he watched the same cartoons at the movie theater when he was a kid. Like you, I remember the music from it, “you got two wings and you don’t know how to use them, etc.” I can still hear the whole thing. That line did it. I found the name of it- Happy Butterfly, 1934, staring… Scrappy and Oopy-
My fave is the square dance scene in Hillbilly Bunny (YouTube). Have you ever noticed just how often Bugs ends up in a dress? What’s up with that? I wonder if Bugs is related to Charles Stewart.
“hit him in the head, the critter ain’t dead”
That’s one of my favorites too.
Recently my daughter used Bugs’ crossdressing tendency in a college course presentation on transsexuals in film/music.
Yup, my favourite tune (though I don’t much care for the rest of the toon) was always Pop Goes Your Heart with the bullfrogs.
djm
He just looks so darn CUTE with the red lipstick, bows, and little skirt.
I’m more impressed with his fiddle playing. He bows better than I do