The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze

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"The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a very well-known 19th century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer. The melody and words of its central refrain are instantly recognisable:

He'd fly through the air with the greatest of ease,

That daring young man on the flying trapeze.

The song was published in 1867 . The words were written by the British George Leybourne with music by Gaston Lyle, arranged by Alfred Lee. The lyrics were based on the phenomenal success of trapeze artist Jules Léotard. The 3/4 time tune may have been based on Jacques Offenbach's Le Papillon, Act 2, Scene 1.

The following century, the song inspired the breakthrough 1934 short story "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" by William Saroyan. The film The Man on the Flying Trapeze came out in 1935, starring W. C. Fields and Mary Brian.

Recordings or notable performances of the song have been made by Walter O'Keefe (1934), Don Redman & His Orchestra (1936), Eddie Cantor, Burl Ives, Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards, Spike Jones (with lyrics thoroughly trashed), Ian Whitcomb, Les Paul & Mary Ford, and Bruce Springsteen (with a couple of F-bombs inserted), among others. It was also memorably sung by Clark Gable in the 1934 Frank Capra film It Happened One Night.