"Cheyenne" is a popular and sentimental song written in 1906, with words by
Harry Williams and music by
Egbert Van Alstyne
Egbert Anson Van Alstyne (March 4, 1878 – July 9, 1951) was an American songwriter and pianist. Van Alstyne was the composer of a number of popular and ragtime tunes of the early 20th century.
Biography
Van Alstyne was born in Marengo, ...
. It became a hit for a number of artists. The chorus is:
Other uses
The song became a staple of the underscore of western films, to the point of being stereotyped. It also lent itself well to parody.
In the 1943
cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of imag ...
"
Yankee Doodle Daffy",
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character created for Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melo ...
puts on a cowboy hat and rides
Porky Pig
Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many crit ...
like a horse, as the exasperated pig is trying to get rid of and away from the annoying duck, who sings these not-overly-clever lyrics to the same tune:
At the time the song was first popular, scandals about conditions in meat-packing plants were in the news.
Billy Murray, who had also recorded a "straight" version of the song, recorded a biting parody about a diseased horse that was targeted for such a plant. The chorus:
References
Bibliography
*Williams, Harry; Van Alstyne, Egbert. "Cheyenne" (sheet music). New York: Jerome H. Remick & Co. (1906).
External links
Billy Murray's recording of the original song (1906)Billy Murray parody version
*
Songs about cowboys and cowgirls
1906 songs
American popular music
Western music (North America)
Songs with music by Egbert Van Alstyne
Songs with lyrics by Harry Williams (songwriter)
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