"Arabian riff", also known as "The Streets of Cairo", "The Poor Little Country Maid", and "the snake charmer song", is a well-known melody, published in various forms in the nineteenth century. Alternate titles for children's songs using this melody include "The Girls in France" and "The Southern Part of France". This song is often associated with the hoochie coochie belly dance.

History

There is a clear resemblance between the riff and the French song ''Colin prend sa hotte'' (published by in 1719), whose first five notes are identical. ''Colin prend sa hotte'' appears to derive from the lost ''Kradoudja'', an Algerian folk song of the seventeenth century. A version of the riff was published in 1845 by

Franz Hünten Franz Hünten, otherwise known as François Hünten (26 December 179222 February 1878), was a German pianist and composer of salon music. He was born in Koblenz, the son of the organist Daniel Hünten, who taught Henri Herz. Like Herz he moved to ...

as ''Melodie Arabe''. The melody was described as an "Arabian Song" in the '' La grande méthode complète de cornet à piston et de saxhorn par Arban'', first published in the 1850s. Sol Bloom, a showman (and later a U.S. congressman), published the song as the entertainment director of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. It included an attraction called "A Street in Cairo" produced by Gaston Akoun, which featured snake charmers, camel rides and a scandalous dancer known as Little Egypt. Songwriter James Thornton penned the words and music to his own version of this melody, "Streets Of Cairo or The Poor Little Country Maid". Copyrighted in 1895, it was made popular by his wife Lizzie Cox, who used the stage name

Bonnie Thornton Elizabeth "Bonnie" Thornton (c. 1871-March 13, 1920) was an American vaudeville comedian and singer. She was considered "one of vaudeville's first headliners" and a "popular seriocomic singer". Thornton was born as Elizabeth Cox around 1871 in ...

. The oldest known recording of the song is from 1895, performed by Dan Quinn (Berliner Discs 171-Z). The melody is often heard when something that is connected with Arabia, Persia (''Iran''), India, Egypt,

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

s, belly dancing or snake charming is being shown. The song was also recorded as "They Don't Wear Pants in the Southern Part of France" by John Bartles, the version sometimes played by radio host Dr. Demento.

Travadja La Moukère

In France, there is a popular song which pieds-noirs from Algeria brought back in the 1960s called "Travadja La Moukère" (from ''trabaja la mujer'', which means "the woman works" in Spanish), which uses the same Hoochy Coochy tune. Its original tune, said to have been based on an original Arab song, was created around 1850 and subsequently adopted by the Foreign Legion. Partial lyrics:

In popular culture

Music

Since the piece is not copyrighted, it has been used as a basis for numerous songs, especially in the early 20th century: * "Hoolah! Hoolah!" * "Dance of the Midway" * "Coochi-Coochi Polka" * "Danse Du Ventre" * "In My Harem" by Irving Berlin * "Kutchy Kutchy" * ''Strut, Miss Lizzie'' by Creamer and

Layton Layton or The Laytons may refer to: Places United States * Layton, Florida, a city * Layton, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Layton Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa * Layton, New Jersey, an unincorporated community * Layton, Pennsyl ...

* In Italy, the melody is often sung with the words ''"Te ne vai o no? Te ne vai sì o no?"'' (''"Are you leaving or not? Are you leaving, yes or no?"''). That short tune is used to invite an annoying person to move along, or at least to shut up. * In 1934, during the Purim festivities in Tel Aviv, the song received Hebrew lyrics jokingly referring to the

Book of Esther The Book of Esther ( he, מְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר, Megillat Esther), also known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as "the Scroll" ("the wikt:מגילה, Megillah"), is a book in the third section (, "Writings") of the Judaism, Jewish ''Tanak ...

and its characters (Ahasaurus, Vashti, Haman and Esther) written by Natan Alterman, Israel's foremost lyricist of the time. It was performed by the "Matateh" troupe, under the name "נעמוד בתור / ''Na'amod Bator"'' ("we will stand in line").

1900s

* "Scherzo for String Quartet" by

Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed f ...

(1904)

1920s

* The "Little Egypt" segment of the World's Columbian Exposition scene in '' Show Boat'' (1927)

1930s

* "Twilight in Turkey" by the Raymond Scott Quintette (1937)

1940s

* This tune is quoted in Luther Billis' dance in "Honey Bun" from the musical ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

.'' (1949) * " Bonaparte's Retreat" by

Pee Wee King Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski (February 18, 1914 – March 7, 2000), known professionally as Pee Wee King, was an American country music songwriter and recording artist best known for co-writing "Tennessee Waltz". Pee Wee King is credited with ...

(1949)

1950s

* " Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by The Four Lads (1953) and They Might Be Giants (1990) * "Native Dancer" by

Abner Silver Abner Silberman (28 December 1899, in New York City, New York, United States – 24 November 1966) as pen name Abner Silver, was an American songwriter who worked primarily during the Tin Pan Alley era of the craft. Career Usually composing the m ...

and

Al Hoffman Al Hoffman (September 25, 1902 – July 21, 1960) was an American song composer. He was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number-one hits through each decade, many of wh ...

, recorded by

Rusty Draper Farrell Haliday "Rusty" Draper (January 25, 1923 – March 28, 2003) was an American country and pop singer-songwriter and radio and TV host who achieved his greatest success in the 1950s. Biography Born in Kirksville, Missouri, United State ...

(1953) * " Nellie the Elephant" by Ralph Butler (1956) * "Teenager's Mother (Are You Right?)" by

Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band founded in 1947 that continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...

(1956) * "Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si" from the motion picture Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) * "Oriental Rock" by

(1958)

1960s

* " The Sheik of Araby" performed by the Beatles during their 1962 Decca audition, with

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

as the lead singer and Pete Best on the drums (this track can be found on '' Anthology 1''). * "Egyptian Surf" by The Temptations (New York vocal group) (1963) * "I've Got the Skill" by

Jackie Ross Jackie Ross (born Jaculyn Bless Ross, 30 January 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States) is an American soul music, soul singer. Ross sang gospel music as a child, and performed on a radio show run by her parents, both preachers. After her f ...

(US #89, 1964) * " Revolution 9" by the Beatles (1968) * "Funky Mule" by

Buddy Miles Express The Buddy Miles Express was a musical group fronted by American drummer/vocalist Buddy Miles. It was formed after the 1968 breakup of Miles's earlier group Electric Flag. They released four albums. Background 1968 The Buddy Miles Express was ...

(1968)

1970s

* "The Grand Wazoo" by

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

(1972) * "Sharon" by David Bromberg (1972) * "Uragiri No Machikado (裏切りの街角)" by Kai Band (甲斐バンド) (1975) * "Pra Lá de Bagdá" by

The Fevers The Fevers is a Brazilian rock band formed in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1964. They were formerly known as The Fenders when they were formed. The original line up was: Almir Ferreira Bezerra (vocals), Liebert Ferreira Pinto (bass), Lécio do N ...

(1975) * "You Scared the Lovin' Outta Me" by Funkadelic (1976) * "Open Sesame" by Kool & the Gang (1976) * "One for the Vine" by

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

(1976) * "Egyptian Reggae" by

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks w ...

(1977) * " King Tut" by Steve Martin (1978) * "White Cigarettes" by P-Model (1979)

1980s

* "

Menergy ''Menergy'' is the second album by The White Octave. It was released in 2001 by Initial Records. Critical reception ''Indy Week'' wrote that the album "aches with intelligently structured, sincerely emotive indie-rock ''a la'' D.C. post-punk, s ...

" by

Patrick Cowley Patrick Joseph Cowley (October 19, 1950 – November 12, 1982) was an American disco and hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. Along with Giorgio Moroder, he often is credited as a pioneer of electronic dance music. Early life Patr ...

(1981) * " Lies," by Thompson Twins, immediately after the line, "

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

died for Egypt. What a waste of time!" (1982) * "Monster" by

Fred Schneider Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, and musician, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his ''sprechge ...

(1984) * "Starchild" by Teena Marie (1984) * "Egypt, Egypt" by Egyptian Lover (1984) * "Jail House Rap" by The Fat Boys (1984)

1990s

* " Iesha" by

Another Bad Creation Another Bad Creation (sometimes called ABC for short) Overview )))"> allmusic ((( Another Bad Creation > Overview ))) Retrieved November 7, 2007. Demetrius and Marliss ("Red" and "Mark", respectively) Pugh, as well as Adrian "G.A." (General Austi ...

(1990) * "Place in France" by

L.A.P.D. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

(1991) * "Gypsy Reggae" by Goran Bregović (1993) * "

Cleopatra, Queen of Denial "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis. It was released in May 1993 as the third single from her album ''Homeward Looking Angel''. The song reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' ...

" by Pam Tillis (1993) * "Cleopatra's Cat" by the Spin Doctors (1994) * "Whiney Whiney (What Really Drives Me Crazy)" by Willi One Blood (1994) * "

The Short-Tempered Clavier and other dysfunctional works for keyboard ''The Short-Tempered Clavier and other dysfunctional works for keyboard'' was released in 1995 by Telarc Records. The album contains works by Peter Schickele, sometimes under his pseudonym of P. D. Q. Bach, including "works for various types of key ...

" by Peter Schickele (1995) * "Skatanic" by Reel Big Fish (1996) * "Chance to Farewell" (헤어지는 기회) by

So Chan-whee Kim Kyoung-hee ( ko, 김경희, born January 20, 1972), better known by her stage name So Chan-whee ( ko, 소찬휘), is a South Korean singer, best known for her 2000 song, "Tears". Personal life Kim dated Roy of the '' Street Guns'' band (p ...

(소찬휘) (1996) * "

Criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

" by

Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...

(1997) * "Hokus Pokus" by

Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler ...

(1997) * "Rip Rock" by Canibus (1998) * "Illusion" by

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

(1998) * "Circus" (马戏团) by David Tao (陶喆) (1999)

2000s

* "Playboy" by Red Wanting Blue (2000) * "Migdalit" by Nurit Hirsch (2002) * " Learn Chinese" by MC Jin (欧阳靖) (2003) * "Over There" by Jonathan Coulton (2003) (lyrics) * "Act a Ass" by E-40 (2003) * "The Treasures of Ancient Egypt" by The Backyardigans (2004) * "Lækker pt. 2 feat. L.O.C." Nik & Jay (2004) * "Would You Be My Girlfriend (你愿意做我女友吗)" by The Flowers (花儿乐队) (2004) * "Naggin" by Ying Yang Twins (2005) * "Toc Toc Toc" by Lee Hyori (이효리) (2007) * "Killer (杀手)" by Lin Junjie (林俊杰) (2007) * "Till You Come to Me" by

Spencer Day Spencer Day (born June 28, 1978) is a modern jazz singer and songwriter best known for his hit Jazz single "Till You Come to Me" as well as appearing on the CBS television network show ''Star Search'' in 2002–2003. He has released six studio ...

(2009) * "¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl)" by

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

(2009)

2010s

* "Space Girl" by The Imagined Village (2010) * " Take It Off" by

Kesha Kesha Rose Sebert (; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on America ...

(2010) * "Who's That? Broooown!" by Das Racist (2010) * "Grunt Tube" by

Blue Water White Death ''Blue Water, White Death'' is a 1971 American documentary about sharks which was directed by Peter Gimbel and James Lipscomb. It received favourable reviews and was described as a "well produced odyssey" and "exciting and often beautiful". It s ...

(2010) * "Spy (间谍)" by Silence Wong (汪苏泷) (2010) * "

Shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...

" by

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...

(2011) * "

Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates back to ...

" by Orange Caramel (2012) * "ÆØÅ (Size Matters)" by

Kollektivet ''The Commune'' ( da, Kollektivet) is a 2016 Danish drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. At Berlin, Trine Dyrholm won the Silver Bear for Best ...

(2012) * "I'm Not In Your Mind" by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (2014) * " Gloryhole" by

Steel Panther Steel Panther is an American comedic glam metal band from Los Angeles, California. They are known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated onstage pastiche of the stereotypical glam metal lifestyle. History Metal Sh ...

(2014) * "

Hypnotic Hypnotic (from Greek ''Hypnos'', sleep), or soporific drugs, commonly known as sleeping pills, are a class of (and umbrella term for) psychoactive drugs whose primary function is to induce sleep (or surgical anesthesiaWhen used in anesthesia ...

" by Zella Day (2015) * "Back On The Train" by

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

(7/22/2015, Bend OR) * " Music to Watch Boys To" by Lana Del Rey (2015) * "

Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...

" by Miike Snow (2015) * "Bay of Pigs" by Civil War (2015) * "

We Appreciate Power "We Appreciate Power" is a song by Canadian musician Grimes, featuring American musician Hana (American musician), Hana. It was released on November 29, 2018, billed as the lead single from her fifth studio album ''Miss Anthropocene'', however it i ...

" by

Grimes Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her early work has been described as extending from "lo-fi R&B" to futuristic dance-pop, and has in ...

(2018) * "Hide Out" (사라지는 꿈) by

Sultan of the Disco Sultan of the Disco () is a disco band from South Korea. History The band was formed in 2006, inspired by Soul music, soul and funk music from the golden age of disco represented as Chic (band), Chic, Kool and the Gang and Jackson 5, and was ...

(2018) * "I'm So Hot" by Momoland (2019)

2020s

* "Tantrum" by

Ashnikko Ashton Nicole Casey (born February 19, 1996), known professionally as Ashnikko ( ), is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. They rose to prominence with their 2019 single "Stupid" with (Yung) Baby Tate, which gained viral popularity on t ...

(2020) * " Mago" by GFriend (2020) * "Lovelife" by Benny Benassi feat. Jeremih (2020) * "Broke N****s" by

City Girls City Girls is an American hip hop duo consisting of Yung Miami (Caresha Romeka Brownlee; born February 1994) and JT (Jatavia Shakara Johnson; born December 1992). The duo originate from Miami, Florida, and garnered attention after making an un ...

feat. Yo Gotti (2020) * "Vermelho" by Gloria Groove (2022) * "Benny's Got A Gun" by BLK ODYSSY feat. Benny the Butcher and George Clinton (2022)

Cartoons

* Felix the Cat: ''Arabiantics'' (1928) *

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...

: ''

The Opry House ''The Opry House'' is a 1929 Mickey Mouse short animated film released by Celebrity Pictures, as part of the ''Mickey Mouse'' film series. It was the fifth Mickey Mouse short to be released, the second of that year. It cast Mickey as the owner of ...

'' (1929) *

: '' The Karnival Kid'' (1929) * Mickey Mouse: '' The Chain Gang'' (1930) * Mickey Mouse: '' Pioneer Days'' (1930) * Mickey Mouse: ''Mickey Steps Out'' (1931) * ''Circus Capers'' (1930) *

Betty Boop Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick.Pointer (2017) She originally appeared in the ''Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer ...

: ''

Boop-Oop-a-Doop ''Boop-Oop-a-Doop'' is an animated short film created by Fleischer Studios on January 16, 1932, as part of the Talkartoon series. Plot The film begins with a giant Betty Boop flag which flies over the big top. Betty works as a lion tamer and ...

'' (1932) * Flip the Frog: ''Circus'' (1932) * ''

Goofy Goat Antics ''Goofy Goat'' is a 1931 American animated short film produced by Ted Eshbaugh Studios. This film is said to be among the first color cartoons made, however only a black-and-white version survives, with its reissued name, ''Goofy Goat Antics''. ...

'' (1933) * Mickey Mouse: '' The Band Concert'' (1935) * Mickey Mouse: ''

Magician Mickey ''Magician Mickey'' is a 1937 Walt Disney Mickey Mouse cartoon, originally released to theaters on February 6, 1937. This was the 92nd Mickey Mouse short to be released, and the third for that year. Mickey puts on a magic show, but is interrupte ...

'' (1937) * Mickey Mouse: '' Clock Cleaners'' (1937) *

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...

: ''Self Control'' (1938) * Donald Duck: ''The Autograph Hound'' (1939) * '' Goofy and Wilbur'' (1939) * ''Goofy Groceries'' (1940) *

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 celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...

: '' Ali-Baba Bound'' (1940) * Bugs Bunny: ''

What's Cookin' Doc? ''What's Cookin' Doc?'' is a 1944 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett, and stars Bugs Bunny. The short was also written by Michael Sasanoff, and was animated by Robert McKimson, along with uncredited work b ...

'' (1944) * Private Snafu: ''Booby Traps'' (1944) * ''Aladdin's Lamp'' (1947) * Popeye "Nurse to Meet Ya" (1955) * Woody Woodpecker: ''Witch Crafty'' (1955) * Woody Woodpecker: ''Roamin' Roman'' (1963) * ''

Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

'' (1982) * '' The Simpsons'' episode "

Homer's Night Out "Homer's Night Out" is the tenth episode of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 25, 1990. It was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Rich Moore.Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' episode "Caterpillar Thriller" (2003, Japanese version only) * ''

JoJo's Circus ''JoJo's Circus'' is a stop-motion animated television series created by Jim Jinkins, David Ray Campbell, David Campbell, Lisa Jinkins, and Eric Weiner and produced by the Canada-based Cuppa Coffee Studios and Cartoon Pizza. The series was writte ...

'' – used as the melody of the "Snake Dance" song (2003) * '' The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius'' episode "Beach Party Mummy" (2003) * '' The Backyardigans'' episode "Secret Mission" (2004) * '' Dave the Barbarian'' episode "Floral Derangement" (2004) * '' The Simpsons'' episode "

Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is the twelfth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 15, 2004. The episode was wri ...

" (2004) * '' King of the Hill'' episode "SerPunt" (2007) * "Super Fast!!" episode '' Little Einsteins'' (2007) * '' Bob's Burgers'' episode " Uncle Teddy" (2014) * ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

'' episode " Switch the Flip" (2018) * '' Disenchantment'' (season 2) opening credits (2019) *'' Big Mouth'' Season 5, Episode 1 (2021) *''

Smiling Friends ''Smiling Friends'' is an adult animated television series created by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack for Cartoon Network's night-time programming block Adult Swim, which revolves around a small company dedicated to making people smile. The pilo ...

'' Season 1, Episode 3 (2022)

Computer games

From cartoons the song has been adapted to video games. It appears on following

computer and video games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...

: * '' Dark Tower'' (1981 electronic game, bazaar) * '' Venture'' (1981) * '' Oh Mummy'' (1984) * ''

Bombo Bombo may refer to: Music *Bombo (musical), ''Bombo'' (musical), a 1921 Broadway production starring Al Jolson *Bombo (song), "Bombo" (song), by Norwegian singer Adelén *Bombo criollo or just bombo, a family of Latin American drums *Bombo legüer ...

'' (1986) * ''

Rick Dangerous ''Rick Dangerous'' is a platform game developed by Core Design for the Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. The game was released in 1989 and published by MicroProse on the Firebird Software label ...

'' (1989, Level 2 – Egypt) * '' Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire'' (1990, Katta's Tail Inn) * '' Spot: The Video Game!'' (1990, when adding a piece to the right) * '' Pyramid'' and ''Pyramid II'' (1990, first level) * '' Lotus Turbo Challenge 1'' (1991, desert level) * '' Jill of the Jungle'' (1992) * '' The Lost Vikings'' (1992, Level 3 – Egypt) * '' Lemmings 2'' (1993, Egyptian tribe) * ''

Zool 2 ''Zool 2'' is a side-scrolling platform video game originally developed by The Warp Factory and published by Gremlin Graphics for the Amiga in November 1993. It is the sequel to the original ''Zool'', which was released earlier in 1992 on various ...

'' (1994, Tooting common level 3) * ''

Rampage Through Time ''Rampage Through Time'' is an 2000 action game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Midway Games. It is the fourth game in the ''Rampage'' series and a sequel to 1999's '' Rampage 2: Universal Tour''. In the game, seven previous Scu ...

'' (2000, Egyptian time zone) * ''

Kirby Mass Attack ''Kirby Mass Attack'' is a platform video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Part of the ''Kirby'' series, it was released worldwide in late 2011, and is the fourth and last ''Kirby'' game to be releas ...

'' (2011, "Desert Scorcher" and "Lifted Upward") * ''

Rayman Origins ''Rayman Origins'' is a 2011 platform video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It is the fourth main installment in the ''Rayman'' series and the first main installment since '' Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc'' (2003). The game was released for ...

'' (2011) Lums Notes Of Desert Of Dijridoos * '' Kirby and the Rainbow Curse'' (2015, "More Dig and Dash" (taken directly from the anime) and "Evade Dig and Dash") * '' Cuphead'' (2017, Pyramid Peril) * '' Red Dead Redemption 2'' (2018)

Television

* Andy Bernard sings a variation with a sitar in the " Moroccan Christmas" episode of season 5 of '' The Office''. * Tom Ellis as ' Lucifer' plays a part of 'The Streets of Cairo' on the piano in season 4 episode 5.

Film

* In Charles Lamont's 1932 short film ''

War Babies War children are those born to a native parent and a parent belonging to a foreign military force (usually an occupying force, but also military personnel stationed at military bases on foreign soil). Having a child by a member of a belligerent ...

'', the first film in the Baby Burlesks series, the song is briefly used while

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

's character Charmaine is dancing around in Buttermilk Pete's Cafe. * In

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

's ''

Sons of the Desert A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

'' (1933), it is heard briefly in a belly dancer scene at the beginning of the convention. * In '' The Great Ziegfeld'' (1936), which won the

Best Picture Oscar The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

in 1937, the song is heard as the backdrop to the "Little Egypt" attraction on the Midway of the World's Columbian Exposition run by Billings, a character portrayed by

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous soun ...

and loosely based on Sol Bloom. * It is heard in the beginning of

Patrice Leconte Patrice Leconte (; born 12 November 1947) is a French film director, actor, comic strip writer, and screenwriter. Life and career Leconte grew up in Tours, and began making little amateur films at 15. He went to Paris in 1967 and studied at Insti ...

's short film "Le laboratoire de l'angoisse" (1971). * In Emir Kusturica's 1993 movie '' Arizona Dream'', the tune is being played several times with accordion by Grace.

Children's culture

The tune is used for a 20th-century American children's song with – like many unpublished songs of child folk culture – countless variations as the song is passed from child to child over considerable lengths of time and geography, the one constant being that the versions are almost always smutty. One variation, for example, is: There's a place in France Where the ladies wear no pants But the men don't care 'cause they don't wear underwear. or a similar version: There's a place in France Where the naked ladies dance There's a hole in the wall Where the boys can see it all. Another World War II-era variation is as follows: When your mind goes blank And you're dying for a wank And Hitler's playing snooker with your balls In the German nick They hang you by your dick And put dirty pictures on the walls.

References

External links

"Streets of Cairo" sheet music
in the ''Levy Collection'', via Jscholarship * * {{authority control Traditional children's songs Stereotypes 1895 songs Songs written by James Thornton (songwriter) Riffs Songs about Asia

History

Travadja La Moukère

In popular culture

Music

1900s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Cartoons

Computer games

Television

Film

Children's culture

See also

References

External links