Alabama Song - WikiHQ

The "Alabama Song"—also known as "Moon of Alabama", "Moon over Alabama", and "Whisky Bar"—is an English language song written by Elisabeth Hauptmann in 1925 and set to music by Franz Servatius Bruinier and Kurt Weill for Bertolt Brecht's 1927 Mahagonny-Songspiel. Brecht also used it for his 1930 opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It has been recorded by the Doors and David Bowie.

Original version

The "Alabama Song" was written in English on Bertolt Brecht's behalf by his close collaborator Elisabeth Hauptmann before 1925 and published in Brecht's 1927 (Home Postil), a parody of a collection of sermons by Martin Luther. It was set to music by Bruinier, and Weill adapted it for the 1927 and reused it for Brecht and Weill's 1930 opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny ('), where it is sung by Jenny and her fellow prostitutes in act 1. Although the majority of all three works is in German, the "Alabama Song" retained Hauptmann's English lyrics throughout.

Brecht and Weill's version of the song was first performed by the Viennese actress and dancer Lotte Lenya, Weill's wife, in the role of Jessie at the 1927 Baden-Baden Festival's performance of Mahagonny-Songspiel. The first recording of the song—by Lenya for the Homocord record label—came out in early 1930 under the title "Alabama-Song"; She continued to perform and record the song throughout her life, including for her 1955 album Lotte Lenya Sings Kurt Weill (), released in the United States under the title Berlin Theater Songs.

Refrain melody

% From https://www.el-atril.com/partituras/Weill,%20Kurt/Canciones/Alabama%20song.pdf

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Oh! Moon of A -- la -- ba -- ma

we now must say good- bye.

We've lost our good old mam -- ma

and must have whis -- ky oh you know why.

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The Doors version

The song was recorded in 1966 by the rock group the Doors, listed as "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)". According to drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, the song was presented by keyboardist Ray Manzarek to the group during their early years, and they decided to rearrange it. The Doors' cover version combines avant-garde and carnival music influences with psychedelic elements. It was a regular one from their set at the Whisky a Go Go, and Van Morrison reported that he was surprised when he heard the Doors playing it at the venue.

Lead singer Jim Morrison altered the second verse from "Show us the way to the next pretty boy" to "Show me the way to the next little girl". For the Doors' recording, Ray Manzarek also contributed marxophone along with organ and keyboard bass. Manzarek recalled that it was producer Paul Rothchild's idea to provide a marxophone on the track, and Manzarek felt that "It worked out perfectly, that jingle-jangly sound."

Personnel

Per sources:

Jim Morrison – lead and backing vocals
Robby Krieger – guitar, backing vocals
Ray Manzarek – Vox Continental, keyboard bass, marxophone, backing vocals
John Densmore – drums, backing vocals
Paul A. Rothchild – backing vocals