FIRST TIME HEARING Bobby Darin - Mack The Knife REACTION

[@garyarnett1220]

The 4 women he mentions aren't victims , they're forming the line to help Mac spend all that loot. Excellent choice, a true classic, and HUGE hit.

[@gailbug]

Yep! A killer and a lady killer

[@paulhagger3895]

Lotte Lenya sang the song in it's original version in 1928. She was the wife of the composer Kurt Weill who wrote the song with Bertolt Brecht as part of "The Threepenny Opera".

[@mikeguerrero72]

Bobby Darren is one of those singers that had you snapping your fingers as soon a2s the song started. On top of that, he could make homicide $

[@anthonyfieldhouse9691]

Yeah they were what's called gangsters molls

[@jonm1114]

Yep, the ladies line up for the "bad boy".

[@lindazee]

This song is originally from a musical called "Three Penny Opera". The characters are named in the song. Bobby Darin turned it into a popular, jazzified tune that became a HUGE hit. Takes me way back to the very early 60s. And yes...it's about a murder!

[@DerekDominoes]

@Beverly Nelms Arranged... not wrote.

[@edwardgozdowski834]

Lotte Lenya sang this song in the original version of the 3 Penny Opera.

[@rbash]

And Threepenny Opera is in turn an adaptation of The Beggar's Opera by John Gay - which is nearly 300 YEARS OLD at this point! Macheath (who's a highwayman), Jenny Diver, and Suky Tawdry are all characters in the original play, so this song really has some history behind it!

[@craigplatel813]

I believe the original German version is much more brutal, talks about stabbing a woman, burning down a house with a family inside and violating a young widow. Very indicative of the between wars unsettled Germany

[@elliotsmith9812]

@@craigplatel813 Weirdly, though the play is set in London and critical of everything British, it was banned by the Nazi's.

[@sorrystaunton]

Now listen to Bobby’s “Beyond The Sea” “Artificial Flowers” “Clementine” and “18 Yellow Roses”…he was the greatest…..died in 1973 at the age of 37, he had rheumatic fever as a child, developed heart problems and died after heart surgery. Thanks for bringing him back…

[@carollittle1059]

Also, If I Were a Carpenter.

[@ewetoobblowzdogg8410]

Beyond the sea!!!

[@petestaint8312]

Beyond the sea is awesome! 👍

[@bennychristensen4314]

Artificial Flowers is the most heartbreaking song ever.

[@sexysadie2901]

Call Me Irresponsible

[@ReapTheChaos]

The look on her face when she realizes what the lyrics are about is priceless.

[@dalemorris7014]

Yes! I've found myself there too. Ha ha ha!

[@timothynoel786]

Amber's reaction when she realizes what the song is about is priceless!!😂

[@strangeworldsunlimited712]

The double-take that Jay does at the cement bag line... 😂

[@vintagehighlights]

Yeah she had me rollin'!

[@rkb2092]

I was laughing through this too. She caught on earlier than I thought, LOL.

[@vintagehighlights]

@@rkb2092 Yeah. She was on it!

[@snardfluk]

There is a story behind this song. It is from a very dark German musical (before World War II) from the 1930s called “The Three Penny Opera”. It is about a London criminal called MacHeath or Mac the Knife. It is based on a much lighter operetta from the 1790s called “The Beggars Opera”. Somebody made the jazzy version Bobby Daren recorded. It was very popular and was covered separately by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. “The Three Penny Opera” was written by Kurt Weil and Bertolt Brecht. Lotte Kenya was a real person. She was married to Kurt Weil and appeared in the original stage play of the show. She played an evil Spy in “From Russia With Love” and tried to kick 007 with poisoned knives in her shoes. Also, Mac didn’t kill the ladies. He spent money on them he stole from the men he killed. Nice guy, huh?

[@BaronessErsatz]

Ja, Der Bettler Oper. I learned about it in college.

[@coolcpa3321]

Saw Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera" at London's National Theatre in 1986. Tim Curry was Macheath. It was a traditional production so not at all "jazzy". Curry's rendition of "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" was a bit of a surprise for those of us that knew only Bobby Darin's hit.

[@snardfluk]

@@coolcpa3321 I saw “Three Penny Opera” in Austin more than 30 years ago. There was a German movie of it made in the early 1930s, pre-Hitler, of course. It has been on Taylor Classic Movies.

[@BaronessErsatz]

@@coolcpa3321, my professor played a recording of the original version of the song. It was an organ grinder's tune! So dismal. So why not have a crooner spiff it up a bit?

[@snardfluk]

@@coolcpa3321 Laurence Olivier made a film of a musical version of “The Beggar’s Opera” of the 1790s. His MacHeath was a romantic swashbuckling highwayman, not the deranged killer of the Weimar reimagining.

[@jangle4246]

Because of the immense success of Bobby Darin's recording, "Mack the Knife" became one of the most-performed songs by nightclub and piano-bar singers throughout the '60s, and later, too.

[@rebekahvillon4245]

Love Louis Armstrong's version of this song!

[@maureencollins5177]

How did he make this sound so fun? That's why this is considered one of the best songs of the past 100 years. Bobby Darin took a explanatory 'murder ballad' from a German folk opera and with a swinging arrangement, multiple key changes, and 'that voice' made it a one in a million. Now listen to "Beyond The Sea", "If I Were a Carpenter", and "Simple Song of Freedom".

[@LCCWPresents]

What’s the source for the pre Bobby Darren sound?

[@KenRoerden]

@@LCCWPresents It is a German musical play The Three Penny Opera written by Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill. It was made into a movie in 1931 with Lotte Kenya playing the part of Jenny Driver. She went on to play Rosa Klebb in the James Bond film From Russia With Love. I haven't seen the movie since college over 40 years ago. Need to check it out again. Apparently the German play was adapted from an English play written by John Gay called The Beggar's Opera.

[@Jayscollo]

I had no idea this was a remake from a penny opera, thanks for the fun fact

[@antoinev9733]

@@KenRoerden brecht 1928 :)

[@jeannedavies6813]

⁠​⁠@@LCCWPresentsLouis Armstrong was the first to swing it. He recorded it a couple of years before Darren.

[@charlesbeckner7657]

The band was killing it too!

[@lydiahernandez4700]

Yeah love that big band!

[@freebird3348]

ABSOLUTELY!

[@BonMooney]

Bobby Darin is the most underrated singer EVER!

[@vintagehighlights]

I agree 100%. His voice is silky-smooth.

[@BruceCross]

Frank Sinatra had great rhythm, but Bobby was even better.

[@jvsmith7888]

Bobby Darin was an incredible talent who knew his time was limited. Born with a bad heart he knew he was not going to live a long life. He may have died too young at age 37 but he left an incredible legacy of music.

[@RobertSmith-iw2kb]

He was as cool as it got in those days.

[@dmanwainright2132]

Wow, I did not know that, what a bad ass singer!

[@stephenbromley1876]

Bless him , left a great legacy.

[@T-bone1950]

He had parts in quite a few movies too. My favorite one is "Captain Newman, M.D."

[@craigharris9185]

Bobby Darin was great. His songs really ran the gambit of styles and genres. Rock and roll, crooner, folk. Lot of variety. I suggest “Beyond The Sea” That’s a great one

[@armynurseboy]

Probably his most famous song.

[@karenkat1111]

Love it!!!

[@rbash]

Yes! If you want to hear Bobby Darin swing, you have to hear Beyond the Sea. And there's no blood in it. :)

[@edprzydatek8398]

Didn't he kind of become a "hippie" and put out a song called "Me and Mr. Hohner"? (Hohner harmonica)

[@johnd8892]

Beyond the Sea another clever re working of an older song finding a new audience who had not heard the original : kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKfIdp6sab-Abs0

[@armynurseboy]

Need to do "Beyond the Sea". Probably Darrin's most iconic song. And yes, this song is about a hit man: MacHeath (Mack) "The Knife"....

[@pladuke71]

Agreed. Awesome song!

[@johnd8892]

Beyond the Sea a clever rework of an older iconic French song. So iconic that Mr Bean used it to evoke this scene from France : kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnrcnKFqoqeHb7c

[@larrystuder8543]

The original song is a long list of the crimes MacHeath ( Mack the Knife) has committed. Everybody knows it was him, but nobody can prove it. And all the ladies love him...

[@singluna888]

Beyond the sea is one of his best!

[@TristanandIsolt]

Mack the Knife is Bobby's most iconic song. Beyond the Sea is good. Mack the Knife is LEGENDARY.

[@kathlelan]

One of the best songs ever recorded. NEVER gets old. I could listen to it every day.

[@TristanandIsolt]

Absolutely.

[@TheMartinick]

I saw Bobby perform in 1960 at the Sahara Hotel, Las Vegas. He was mesmerizing. Indeed, he sang, “Mack the Knife.” He was on stage w George Burns. Class act.

[@starwood213]

What a great thing. He was supposed to be a legendary performer.

[@andrewrobinson3605]

That’s a night out

[@garyarnett1220]

Okay... so I'm now envious... could it get any better?

[@mikeboudreau]

Very cool

[@TristanandIsolt]

Bobby Darin and George Burns? I am so Jelly.

[@jesseheiman1806]

They were really worried about giving Bobby Darin this song. He was not always a "Crooner". One of his previous hits was Splish Splash, a kookie pop song. But they went ahead and let him record this song and it became a jazz standard. Every crooner worth his salt has recorded or performed this jazz classic. Bobby started recording more crooner records and gave up the pop music. He had a fantastic voice and could even make a song about a serial killer sound cool.

[@lipby]

It was a jazz standard when he recorded it.

[@jesseheiman1806]

@@lipby True, but not really well known. I know that it was written originally for the musical Three Penny Opera and Louis Armstrong also recorded it. But I was not well known until Bobby Darin's recording. Then it took off on both the jazz and pop charts.

[@leonardshevlin7260]

He didn't croon "Mack the Knife". A crooner sings a romantic song softly. That's what crooning is. It ain't singing uptempo songs about stabbings with a swinging orchestra.

[@davelegget1000]

@@jesseheiman1806 advancement in media exposure was a huge factor as is the case nowadays with you tube , face book , twitter and what ever else .

[@davelegget1000]

Darin idolized Sinatra . used rock to get to the top. never intended to do rock as career.. probably the most talented performer ever. played drums , zylaphone , horn , harmonica , guitar . piano , bones . used to arrange music for Debby Reynolds niteclub act . nominated for acting award . remember years ago friend got married and went to Vegas on honey moon . saw Elvis and Bobby(incedently preferred BOB toBobby) they said Darin was way better . Had better presence and mixed it up with audience . also did imitations. Had his own tv show . singer songwriter is putting it mildly.

[@GeekGinger]

This song was so popular that other artists rushed to add it to their repertoire. I've heard Ella Fitzgerald doing a live version and she forgets the lyrics so she starts adlibbing. It's awesome and hilarious.

[@kahuna754]

Louis Armstrong did it before Bobby.

[@johnandmarie7250]

And Ella’s ad lib includes a nod to Bobby AND an awesome Armstrong imitation. The brilliance of the Jazz Greats.

[@DrCecil86]

Live from Budapest is an awesome one from her doing this song.

[@shanemcconnell358]

I found the video clip of her live performance of the song and posted it above for Jay and Amber to see. Ella was a legend to wing it and keep going. It was funny and so cool.

[@markadolph8715]

The album "Ella in Berlin" contains her forgotten lyrics version, and it's one of the best versions of this song you'll ever hear.

[@alexandervasel6845]

The history of this song is crazy. It was written almost 100 years ago as part of a German "3 penny opera" basically musicals for working folks. Mack the knife is the bad guy in the play, some day based on a real guy. The song was remade by several people in different countries, but didn't blow up until Bobby Darin made it super cool 😎

[@OrdinaryJack1912]

The genius of this song is being a story about a murder spree without ever mentioning the word murder, kill, blood etc, yet we still get a vivid image of what's going on

[@KTI-n8g]

Exactly!

[@sherronclavier1705]

When I was a teenager I had such a crush on Bobby Darin. He was a real heart throb. I was a 25 year old new Mom, living in Japan with my Navy husband, when I heard he had died after having heart surgery. I have never forgotten how devastated I was.

[@dagmar.6954]

He started his career as a songwriter for "Connie Francis". He was an American singer, musician & actor. He performed all styles of music such as jazz, pop, rock & roll, folk, swing, & country music. He had many hits from the late 50's-60's such as "Splish Splash", "Dream Lover", "Mack The Knife", "Beyond The Sea", "Things", "You're The Reason I'm Living", "18 Yellow Roses" & "If I Were A Carpenter". Darin married actress Sandra Dee in 1960 whom he met while filming the movie "Come September". Darin suffered from poor health his entire life & died in 1973 at the age of only 37.

[@kahuna754]

Speaking of Miss Connie Francis, she'd be a great add for female Friday. Who's Sorry Now? is likely her most popular song.

[@jeanstrickland2445]

Wow I didn’t know all that, that’s fascinating and sad at the same time😃

[@bethcrumpton476]

Please consider Mr. Darin's version of "If I Were A Carpenter". Very beautiful and emotional. Makes me cry every time.

[@matthewnickerson8629]

Yes! This is easily the best version of the song.

[@jussinawaydeanamortl5680]

Better than Johnny and June? That’s the version I know.

[@matthewnickerson8629]

@@jussinawaydeanamortl5680 I think so...it's just so heartfelt. Give it a listen.

[@sunsungoaway]

Yes Yes Yes!!!

[@edprzydatek8398]

Written by Tim Hardin, I believe.

[@lancers8666]

Great reaction. Bobby was a genius as he also did the musical arrangements for his songs. The perfect word description for the crooners of this era was “swinging”. Sammy, Frank and Dean were the tops of this time, but everyone knew, including those three, that Bobby could swing harder then any of them. For a more fun and light song, there’s his all time, legendary performance of “Beyond the Sea”.

[@kurtjk01]

Love me some Bobby. Nat King Cole had the smoother, smokier voice; Frankie had the deeper thrum and the decades of chops; Dean-o was uber sexy with the suave voice; and Sammy was Mr. Entertainment, able to dance, play, and reach right into your heart with his voice . . . But Bobby could cut between rock and swing and folk, and make it all seem so effortless yet astounding. Truly the King of Cool in his day and age, funny and sweet and relatable. Damn I wish he had lived longer.

[@nancyhelpinstill1834]

Huge kudos to the arranger of this recording. The band was perfect - so low key at the beginning, building up to full blown brass by the end. Genius! Love ya, Bobby!

[@frankmastroianni2501]

German song from 1928 "Three Penny Opera" - It was recoded many times but this version is considered to be the 3rd biggest song in the all-time Billboard Chart - It is about a murder.

[@jamesalexander5623]

.... A Murderer!

[@davewildermuth7519]

Another great swing/crooner tune from Bobby Darin is "Beyond the Sea." Slightly less murder-y than this one.

[@chelsea747]

😂

[@shadowsgathered6878]

"Less murder-y" LOL!

[@foolsjourney8118]

Funny how they turned a noir song about a serial killer into a standard so catchy that most people forget what it's about.

[@DoctorChange106]

BEST SONG WOW

[@hickokhaley]

OMG lol. I'm 71, and all of these years I too just listened to the beat, sound, and the energy of the song. Not the words. What a eye opener. I was 10 yrs when the song came out. Very innocent back in 1960. Nobody could have sung that song better then Bobby Darin. What a voice.

[@cassiereroni]

You do need to jump deep into the Bobby Darin rabbit hole. His variety of style is surprising and amazing.

[@jeffking4176]

Bobby Darin was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and an Academy Award Nominee, so a Fantastic actor as well. 📻🙂

[@andrewpayne4466]

@@ThatLynnGirl Why do people have to defame the dead on a fan page, you need to look at tour own life, is it so good. own life

[@jeffking4176]

@@andrewpayne4466 ❓

[@jeffking4176]

@@andrewpayne4466 Who’s “DE-faming him❓ 📻😳

[@merlinsclaw]

I'm so proud of Amber for deciphering the lyrics! 😀

[@vintagehighlights]

I agree. She was on it while her husband did the same thing I did years ago when I first heard the song, just kept grooving to the beat, ha ha!

[@iammorethd]

Ok, so this song is not about the subject matter really..he could be singing about a pot of soup. What does need to be acknowledged here is what Bobby is DOING with this song; It's about the arrangement, the insane phrasing, the timing, how he moves when he sings it, and yea..the voice and vocal styling. A crazy talent that got cut too short. I'm still crushing on Bobby after all these decades .

[@clarerobards3781]

Only really started to really listen to Darin recently. Your comments about his style and delivery are spot on.

[@kraig7777]

He does a lot of fun songs that sound like they would be easy to sing, until you actually try to sing them lol.

[@christopherphillips8027]

Bobby Darin. A crooner. One of the best male singers of all time. Lost him at age 37. Died too young. He was awesome. Love you guys.

[@tomlew55]

"Mack the Knife" was composed on a whim by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill while they were putting the finishing touches on Die Dreigroschenoper in 1928. As the story goes, the diva-esque tenor who was playing the part of Mackie Messer, a.k.a. Macheath or Mack the Knife, suggested that a whole song should be written to introduce his character before he comes on stage. "the essence of the song is: Oh, look who's coming onstage, it's Mack the Knife-a thief, murderer, arsonist, and rapist."

[@chrisdutton2975]

Thanks for the description. I've never been able to make heads or tails of the lyrics of this song. Something bad is going down and there's this guy who's at the center of it. But it always felt like I was missing a lot of detail.

[@ericallen774]

I just love it how Amber always catches the point pretty quickly, Bobby Darrin should sing a song about her!!

[@paulguthrie4857]

He's been dead since 73

[@allisonreed7682]

His rendition of Tim Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter” is sublime perfection. What a tragedy that he left this world so young.

[@Happyheretic2308]

Robert Plant sings this one too, and it's sublime.

[@allisonreed7682]

@@Happyheretic2308 yes! His version is so beautiful!

[@freda9809]

One night I was in a bar next to a theatre and some of the performers came in for drinks after they were done. This song came on and the entire bar started singing. It was amazing! The musical was La Cage aux Folles (so lots of men).

[@purplehayes5718]

I'm, 77 years old and I remember the day that Bobby Darin died. He was the Frank Sinatra of my youth. What a voice, Mr. Smooth.

[@charlessaggio8412]

Smooth is the correct word. The heir apparent to Frank.

[@evanleehome2178]

One of the most complicated and brilliant song arrangements ever! And Darin was the perfect singer to pull it off!

[@suewilliamson5382]

One crooner I don’t think you’ve covered is Tony Bennett. His most famous song is “I Left My Heart in San Francisco “, which was released in 1962. He has been around for decades and is now 95. In 2016 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Last year he completed a farewell tour with Lady Gaga.

[@freyastewart3964]

He also did a duet with Amy Winehouse for his duets album called "Body and Soul"

[@andrewpayne4466]

@@freyastewart3964 Didn't know he lived that long, I will have to look up Body and Soul

[@freyastewart3964]

@@andrewpayne4466 Tony Bennet is still about though I don't know if he's still singing

[@helindove2237]

Tony Bennett retired from performing at the age of 95. August 5, 2021 was his last-ever performance. Despite his Alzheimer's disease, he was able to retain and sing almost every word of the lyrics of his songs. I hope he still sings at home because that makes him come alive!

[@SuperJoy71]

Yes please do TONY Bennett

[@sarahjaneblenkhorn8821]

Ella Fitzgerald covered this, too; she famously 'forgot' the words and skatted her way out. Oh, and 'the line forms on the right' because Mack's a ladies' man as well as a murderer.

[@toniwilson1579]

So did Dean Martin. Only make sense he sung it to cause Dean was definitely a lady man.

[@yvonnemendez3075]

This is music rip Bobby 😢❤

[@frankbonacci4972]

Amber's reactions, when she first figures out what the song's about, are absolutely priceless.

[@kathleenmenker3853]

The first Bobby Darin hit I remember was “Splish Splash”. It was the summer of ‘58. I was 14 and looking forward to starting high school in the fall. I love all of Bobby’s songs. I have several of them on 45s still on my record rack.

[@valeriemoore2762]

Remember Chemmetine ? .c

[@Head-ck4hu]

Beyond the Sea is a movie about Bobby Darin's life. It stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth. Bosworth plays Sandra Dee who Darin was married to. Spacey sings all the songs and pulls it off. Bobby is my favorite singer. If you like horns there is no better at big band. Nightingale sang in Berkley Square, Hello Dolly, Artificial Flowers(another sad song), If I were a Carpenter, A Little song of Freedom and to close out the set The Curtain Falls (pun intended).

[@davelegget1000]

another song " Me and Mr Hoener" is close to being rap.

[@strangeworldsunlimited712]

Bobby started as a rock n roll singer (check out "Splish Splash") and then evolved into more of a swing style crooner. This is one of his best known "crooner" songs. The other one is "Beyond the Sea" (check that one out too).

[@shalalala3032]

So i had to Google the meaning behind this song, so this is what I got: "Mack" is Macheath, the title character, portrayed as a criminal. The light melody can make this feel like an upbeat song, but it contrasts sharply with the lyrics, which are about a murderer. Darin decided to perform this song when he saw a production of The Threepenny Opera in Greenwich Village in 1958.

[@AL13NM]

Timeless Classic! VOLARE cover by BOBBY RYDELL is Pure Fire!!!

[@debrabeck9630]

He’s a Mafia Killer, as lethal as a shark.You got it. Takes a while, because Bobby Darin is so smooth.

[@helgar791]

Perhaps Bobby Darin's greatest cover. Certainly his arrangement of this is the most copied in the pop genre. In the musical "Three Penny Opera", from which this song is taken, this theme song opens the play. Three Penny Opera is a "murder play", the style of which is very old. The characters mentioned in the song (Jenny Diver etc.) all play prominent roles in the play. Except for Lotte Lenya who was the wife of the Kurt Weill, the man who wrote the music, and the star of the musical. Bobby's second greatest cover was "Beyond The Sea", a song originally composed by Charles Trenet, and which was named "La Mer".

[@swanvictor887]

Lotte Lenya can be seen playing Rosa Klebb in the Bond film, From Russia With Love.

[@helgar791]

@@swanvictor887 You're not old enough to remember, but she was also a frequent performer on the old Ed Sullivan shows.

[@swanvictor887]

@@helgar791 Alas, Ed Sullivan never made it across the pond to the UK, so, I've only ever seen the odd clip of his shows!

[@helgar791]

@@swanvictor887 Damn and double damn. You can however see some of this icons shows on KZbin. Ed was the most unlikely host for a show. Every show he showed his stage fright and on occasion his nervousness was epic. But if you were anything in entertainment you performed on his show. He also had his favorites, and if he soured on you your career was ruined. But the great singers of the R&B/R&R era, whether black or white, were by damn, going to be on his show no matter what. He was a big fan of performers such as Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, The Supremes (who appeared 14 times on his show) and Ray Charles, as well as Elvis, The Beatles, and most British bands of the period including The Rolling Stones, who were on many times. Bill Haley and the Comets performed in 1955, and were the first R&R acts to perform on American national TV.

[@swanvictor887]

@@helgar791 I have seen and enjoyed the infamous appearance by the King, Elvis! He caused one hell of a stir I remember, with his "Lewd and Indecent Dancing!" as they screamed in outrage in the South! lol. Truly was a remarkable show, thanks for your info!

[@yambo59]

Mack the knife is a hit man --- very famous old tune played on juke boxes for decades

[@bruceday4036]

Love it guys! Frank couldn't shine Bobbies shoes

[@chrisbateman5358]

LOL It took J about half the song to realize that this is about a mafia hit man... Great voice and fantastic presentation. Bobby Darin was always a class act. Super reaction J & Amber... luv you guys!

[@kcw]

The sound vs the lyrics is the definition of Juxtaposition. Such opposite experiences at the same time and it actually worked in this case. Genius!

[@paulpeterson4216]

If you're liking this one. Roger Miller has "King of the Road" very different theme, but very much a storyteller song. This link is to when he did this (very short) song on The Dean Martin Show, so you get color footage and a little bit of a Rat Packer as a bonus. It was originally from 1965.

[@pladuke71]

Love "King of the Road". It's on my road trip play list. Great song!

[@allisonreed7682]

Yes! Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” and Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons!”

[@moodyblues108]

OMG they have to do King of the Road.

[@pattiaustin1808]

Oh, yes! Play King Of The Road!

[@wishingb5859]

The song is originally in German. It is a medieval version of the murder ballad performed by strolling minstrels. In The Threepenny Opera he tells the tale of the deadly Mackie Messer, or Mack the Knife, a character based on the dashing highwayman Macheath in John Gay's The Beggar's Opera and it is all based on the life of Jack Sheppard.

[@captainwhitebread4616]

I have loved this since since I was a kid and found it in my dad's record collection. I didn't have any idea what the lyrics meant, I just knew Bobby Darrin could SING, and I wanted to sing like that when I grew up. I stumbled across one of your reaction videos a couple of days ago, and have been binge watching through the weekend. Thanks for checking out songs from across both decades and genres, and helping to show that great music is truly timeless! God bless!

[@jackies5481]

If you had done a performance version (as I have suggested), you would see the swagger, finger-snapping and PERFORMANCE.

[@faithnyou1732]

Probably Bobby Darin's biggest hit. I grew up with this song as a child. He was a heart throb in the 60s. Love this reaction! Thank you!

[@vodriscoll]

I heard this song numerous times growing up and never really listened to the words. I had no idea this about a serial killer. Wow!

[@tigerprayers2824]

Lol we had the 45 in the 70s growing up. Must've played it 500 times without a clue. Too busy happily snapping my fingers - so funny!

[@kahuna754]

Same. But I finally learned what it was about around 10 years ago.

[@patches1589]

His early pop tunes were fun. "Splish Splash" and "Dream Lover" are the ones I remember. His crooner years were my favorite. Huge Bobby fan thanks to my parents playing so much great music when I was growing up.

[@PamArtsValentine]

At the time everyone was saying Jazz was dead & Bobby Darin stepped up & said "No way!" He made Mack the Knife & brought Jazz back to the front. And, my favorite Bobby Darin song is :Beyond the Sea- if you haven't heard it, I highly recommend it!

[@pattiaustin1808]

Hey, kids, as soon as I saw y’all were about to react to Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin, I started laughing because I knew you were in for a surprise. It was so fun watching your reactions! Bobby Darin was the coolest cat ever when he sang this song, and he always knocked it outta the park.

[@dcool2u2]

I love how Amber's expressions showed her internal struggle of the fight between the grewsom words and the "fun" feel of the song! 😄 6:28

[@joemarin7445]

Any song I've ever heard that refers to "Lucy Brown" or " Mr. Brownstone", has always been a reference to heroin. Sounds like a mob murder song about drugs and someone getting clipped and thrown in the river...

[@narisarasgroove2625]

Dang! I have known this song since childhood (now 68) and it is the first time I have known and understood the words. Wonderful lyrics which the music absolutely belies. Terrific stuff.

[@gary1642]

I used to sing this song to my family as a little boy. My Uncle played it all the time and I picked up the lyrics. Weirdly 30yrs later my newborn son was handed to me in the theatre by the medical staff after a section with this song playing. The surgeon either had great taste or a very wicked sense of humour.

[@JohnGoodwinVideos]

The song was written by two German, Jewish songwriters in the late 1920s. Mack The Knife was a metaphor for the rise of Hitler. He looked so respectable but behind it, he was a killer.

[@tjhunger5656]

Check out Beyond the Sea it's a 2004 American biographical musical drama based on the life of Bobby Darin it depicts his rise to success in both music and film during the 50s and 60s as well as his marriage to Sandra Dee portrayed by Kate Bosworth

[@daniellecarr5014]

Also, this song has been performed by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and a host of other stars. Who would have imagined that a serial killer could be so entertaining?

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

I really like Sinatra's version.😎👍

[@blueycarlton]

Louis Armstrong's version was the hit in Australia in 1956. I believe the BBC banned it in Britain. This version by Darin made the lower level of the charts in Melbourne in 1960.

[@margaretmarks6685]

This was a huge hit for Bobby Darin. It kind of became his signature song. When you reacted to Dire Straights' "The Walk of Life" the lyric that says "He do the song about the knife" he's referring to this song.

[@patriciaadams-rl4iz]

I just love to watch the expression's on your face's. When you remember how the older artist used to sing. Such a wonderful entertainer. He left this world to early

[@jimnoe3856]

The song is from the musical Three Penny Opera!

[@MrEvenStranger]

Y'all are killing me (pun intended)! When Amber talked about how it "Sounds SO FUN!" and Jay looked at her with that "Oh #$*%" look on his face. Dead! Love you guys!

[@kenpatton8761]

As someone else mentioned, checkout the movie”Beyond the Sea”. A musical based on the life of Bobby Darin. Kevin Spacey has the lead role and does his own singing and dancing. Amazing!!!

[@charlesciranni8187]

And directing

[@LoPet6225]

I wanted to like that movie, but I couldn't get passed that Spacey was way older than Darin was when he died. He was too old for the part, but the movie was HIS baby.

[@peterg219]

Cool reaction guys. Loved your surprise at getting the lyrics. Bobby Darin had the smoothest voice. And we danced to this huge hit in the 60's. The arrangement is killer, Jay was totally hooked. Cool dude. Amber got the theme real quick. Love your smile girl. Your reaction was too funny. Hi from Sydney, AU 🙃

[@salsanchez4177]

LOL!!!!! I love it! I love it! When Amber started to realize what the song was about, will be a priceless moment forever. LOL!!! Yup! this is a GREAT song

[@2299jsimon]

This is a classic... damp hard song to sing also...

[@topherwhite370]

The names are entendres. “Jenny Diver”, “Suzy Tawdry” He’s being “like a sailor” … in port. THEY’RE HOOKERS. And he’s making his way through the list with his murder victim’s funds.

[@laurabaudry7168]

Suki Tawdry!

[@nickgov66]

"Sukie Tawdry", not "Suzy".

[@douglasglenn4351]

Loved your reactions to this song. You guys are adorable. I've been a Bobby Darin fan longer than you've been alive. It is delightful to see a new generation falling in love with this music. Thank you.

[@capstan50g]

Beyond The Sea is another great big band arrangement for Bobby. It sounds so swingin'!

[@americanaforever6725]

“Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price is a great song from this era

[@charmagnecollick9788]

I luv the moment Amber starts to realize the story of the song!

[@ronnix23]

One artist that did everything from rock to disco, and pop to r&b, actually finished his career as a crooner. That would be Rod Stewart who you've already reacted to. I'd love to see you guys do one of his crooner songs.

[@paultfarina]

This was a great dance song. We use to do the Lindy Hop. A slow version of the Jitter Bug. I'm 89 and enjoying this. Great reaction guy's

[@EcclesiasticusRex]

By the way, your reaction when you realized what it was about was priceless.

[@josephhyland8904]

All the people in this song are characters in a play called "The Three Penny Opera." (IIRC)

[@carymartin6382]

This was my Grandmother's favorite song. She would be 93 years old today. She also loved "Bad Moon Risin' by CCR..She was one cool Granny. I miss her so much. LOVE YOU GUYS!

[@JazzDogTraveler]

I think that Darin's version, with its multiple key-changes can be considered the "gold standard," by which all versions present, past, and future will be measured.

[@carolcovarrubias2070]

I love your willingness to hear old songs, and I absolutely adore both of your reactions! ❤❤

[@robertacolarette1594]

I think you’ve got to see Bobby doing Mack the Knife live so you can see all his moves. Such a cool cool entertainer.

[@neilmartin99]

LOL 02:06 that look when the listener realizes what this song is about. A little bit of misdirection trick ya there, kiddo?😆 Probably my favorite video with you two. | OMG cracking up over here.

[@NancyPollyCy]

Lotte Lenya was the wife of Kurt Weill who was the composer for Threepenny Opera and player Jenny Diver in the show's premiere. We read it in the original German in college and acted out scenes in the university theater. It was, to say the least, an ... interesting ... experience.

[@byrontowles2018]

Perfect! Now it's time for you to react to Ella Fitzgerald's version of "Mack The Knife" from her album "Ella Live In Berlin", where she famously forgot the lyrics and created an all-time great jazz classic! The album is in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and if I'm not mistaken was the best selling album of her career.

[@rbash]

Great suggestion. This channel definitely needs more Ella!

[@manuelalvarez8966]

How high the moon. (masterpiece) Del mismo album

[@ProdigyBowlersTour]

This is like vintage 1960, as I recall. But it is Bobby Darin's signature hit song. A huge #1. Sadly, he left us much, much too young from a rare disease (a heart disease, as I recall) in 1973. He was thought to be among the American artists of his generation with one of the brightest futures. But fate had other ideas. Shortly before his death, he recorded a Tim Hardin song that became a classic of the folk music era, and in 1973, his live performance of it was captured on videotape. Fortunately, it's been preserved for generations to come. One of the greatest live performances of a song you'll ever see. Check out Bobby Darin singing "If I Were A Carpenter" from his 1973 performance: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJupg3-FoNl7jtE You'll hear a much different, much more tender side of Bobby Darin in this remarkable live performance. Highly recommended!

[@grantman1148]

Thanks for the suggestion and the link. That was an amazing performance. Wow!

[@marygoodson4920]

Bobby was a little younger than the other great crooners who came first, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. He also acted in movies. So talented.

[@davidpartridge8136]

perfect example of why these guys are great!

[@kaybear1972]

There is no one that can do this song like Bobby Darin. This is his song. He is truly missed.

[@Barristerboy]

Love Ella Fitzgerald's version in Berlin when she forgets some of the lyrics x