Tiptoe Through the Tulips

Tip Toe Through the Tulips with Me
by Joe Burke & Al Dubin

Cover of the sheet music for "Tip Toe Through The Tulips With Me"
Genre Popular song from the 1929 film Gold Diggers of Broadway
Publisher M. Witmark & Sons (New York)

"Tiptoe Through the Tulips", also known as "Tip Toe Through the Tulips with Me", is a popular song originally published in 1929. The song was written by Al Dubin (lyrics), and Joe Burke (music).

Recording history

"Crooning Troubadour" Nick Lucas topped the US charts with "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" in 1929, after introducing the song in the musical "talkie" film Gold Diggers of Broadway. Lucas's recording held the #1 position for 10 weeks.[1] Other artists charted with the song in 1929, including Jean Goldkette (#5), Johnny Marvin (#11), and Roy Fox (#18).

The song was used in Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the first Looney Tunes cartoon short, in 1930. It is also heard in the opening scene of the 1945 film Confidential Agent.

The song was revived in 1967 by the California rock group The Humane Society and in 1968 by Tiny Tim, whose version charted at #17 that year, becoming his signature song, which he would continue to perform throughout his career. It was also later covered by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

In the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine, George briefly sings "Tiptoe through the Meanies" to the tune of this song.

Pepé Le Pew also sings this song in the Looney Tunes 1961 short film A Scent of the Matterhorn

In the 1976 movie The Pink Panther Strikes Again, Dreyfus (Herbert Lom) plays the song on the pipe organ as his super weapon destroys him and his castle hideout.

The song is sung by Dr. Smith and again by the Robot in the Lost in Space episode "Space Circus"[2]

In Dad's Army, a drunk Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) sings this song at the end of the episode "Gorilla Warfare".

The Chuck E. Cheese animated show had the character 'Mr. Munch' sing this song in one of the 1987 shows.

In the 1980s television program The Facts of Life Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae) is briefly seen singing the song while working.

The 1990 crime drama Q & A features it being sung by a female impersonator.

The song is mentioned in the 1997 book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.[3] Vernon Dursley hums the song while boarding up small cracks around the front and back doors of his house so he can stop letters from Hogwarts reaching Harry.

Tiny Tim's version of the song is featured in the 2011 horror film Insidious a number of times throughout, and in the thriller film Wrecked as a radiotune. The song was covered by Cherry Glazzer for the third Insidious film, Insidious: Chapter 3.

The song is played every year by the Holland High School marching band in the Tulip Time festival parades each May in Holland, Michigan.

Comedian Ilja Richter sang his own version, "Tip Tap in die Tulpen".

Comedian Otto Waalkes sang a version, similar to that from Tiny Tim in his program Otto[4]

Nick Lucas' version of the song is heard playing multiple times in the episode "Start to Finish" of the TV Series The Walking Dead.

Nick Lucas' version of the song is heard playing during end credits in the episode "The Fury" of the TV series Sneaky Pete.

In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the phrase "I like to tiptoe through the tulips" is one of Geralt's speech options for the pass-phrase to enter the Putrid Grove in Novigrad (though not the correct one).[5]

References

  1. ↑ CD liner notes: Chart-Toppers of the Twenties, 1998 ASV Ltd.
  2. ↑ "Lost in Space Memories | Episodes". Pythononline.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, p. 34, Scholastic Corporation, ISBN 0-7475-3269-9
  4. ↑ "Otto Waalkes "Tip Toe through the Tulips" 1973". YouTube. 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  5. ↑ "ChristopherOdd "Let's Play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Part 43"". YouTube. 2015-06-19.
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