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Isn't the inclusion of the Simpson's lyrics here a copyvio? -- Solipsist 15:11, 21 February 2006 (UTC)

the lyrics weren't written by the simpsons writers, they are real lyrics to the song, though some are left out of this page.. I'm adding the full lyrics now 128.197.81.252 19:38, 12 March 2006 (UTC)

User 72.139.86.105 seems to insist on adding extraneous information that Solipsist originally removed. I reverted because I agree with Solipsis that the background music reference is non-notable. The user also added a bizarre tag to the word "guitar" in the lyrics and copy-and-pasted a block of text from a previous edit from that IP that maintains the simpsons writers wrote the lyrics when the article now claims (and google searches confirm) that the lyrics are part of the original song, though not included in Herb Alpert's well-known rendition. 65.96.221.107 01:02, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, I'd thought the original was Herb Alpert's version, so I've now edited the article to make it clear that the original version had lyrics. From what I can tell, it was the Herb Alpert instrumental version that was used on The Dating Game, so I've connected those two sentences.

However, I've yet to be able to confirm what the original lyrics were. The lyrics we had appear to be the ones used on The Simpsons — see for example the Music section at [1]. But they suggest the lyrics were reinterpreted by Homer. Similarly there is another parody version by Allan Sherman here.

So for the mean time I've removed the lyrics. In any case, even the original version would be likely to be a copyvio, although we could probably quote the first verse. -- Solipsist 08:33, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

Hmm, actually, I hadn't realised that Julius Wechter was part of Tijuana Brass. So it looks like the original version that he wrote was the instrumental version played by Herb Alpert, but his wife Cissy later wrote some lyrics. There is a quote on juliuswechter.com that 8 out of 60 recorded versions used those lyrics. -- Solipsist 08:49, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

The band Optiganally Yours at http://www.optigan.com/mp3s.html claim to have an old song book with the original lyrics: "One of the Optigan songbooks had a great Johnny Largo arrangement of "Spanish Flea," complete with the seldom-heard lyrics, so we decided we had to do the song." You can download the mp3 and those lyrics match the ones that appeared on this page, which suggests to me that they are the original. It is likely that the authors of the page at SNPP had never heard of the original lyrics (few people have, it seems) so they just wrote that the writers of the Simpsons made it up. You do seem to be write that it's copyvio, as apparantly lyric copyrights extend for 70 years after the death of the last surviving co-author. That's unfortunate, as the full lyrics to the song are very difficult to find online and most credit that first verse to the Simpsons. 128.197.81.217 21:41, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

Matt Groening and Dan Castellaneta among others discuss the lyrics in the DVD commentary for one episode (possibly Natural Born Kissers?), confirming they had nothing to do with writing them. Maybe a quote from that would be good. In said commentary track, Dan C (as Homer) also sings along to the Herb Alpert version that's played over the closing credits. 82.6.83.187 16:42, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fourth Simpsons Episode

Added info on a fourth Simpsons episode featuring the song, which it turns out is even mentioned on that episode's page, Natural Born Kissers. Thedoorhinge 00:49, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Should it also be added that Homer reveals he has a Doodletown Pipers record in the episode El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer? 82.6.83.187 16:42, 26 December 2006 (UTC)