Van Lingle Mungo
Dave Frishberg, Steve Gilmore, Bill Goodwin
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VAN LINGLE MUNGO Words and music by Dave Frishberg Heenie Majeski, Johnny Gee Eddie Joost, Johnny Pesky, Thornton Lee Danny Gardella Van Lingle Mungo Whitey Kurowski, Max Lanier Eddie Waitkus and Johnny Vandermeer Bob Estalella Van Lingle Mungo Augie Bergamo, Sigmund Jakucki Big Johnny Mize and Barney McCosky Hal Trosky Augie Galan and Pinky May Stan Hack and Frenchy Bordagaray Phil Cavaretta, George McQuinn Howie Pollett and Early Wynn Art Passarella Van Lingle Mungo John Antonelli, Ferris Fain Frankie Crosetti, Johnny Sain Harry Brecheen and Lou Boudreau Frankie Gustine and Claude Passeau Eddie Basinski Ernie Lombardi Hughie Mulcahy Van Lingle...Van Lingle Mungo © 1969 (renewed) F Seven Music Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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10 facts about this song
Music Genre“Van Lingle Mungo” belongs to the Jazz genre. Dave Frishberg, the song's composer, is well-known in the world of Jazz for his lyrical content, wordplay, and storytelling.
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Song InspirationThe song is unique because its inspiration and lyrics are entirely constituted of names of baseball players from the 1930s and 1940s. The title itself, "Van Lingle Mungo", comes from a major league pitcher who played during this period.
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Composition HistoryFrishberg composed this song in 1969 after going through a Baseball Encyclopedia and making a list of interesting player names that rhythmically fit together.
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Lyric PeculiaritiesUnlike regular songs, “Van Lingle Mungo” doesn’t have a traditional story or a clear narrative in its lyrics. Its lyrics are made up of 40 baseball player names woven together in a melodic sequence.
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RecognitionThe song was listed as the 60th greatest song about sports by The Atlantic in 2012. It cited the song as a rare example of music about baseball, a traditionally more literary-focused sport.
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Player ResponseVan Lingle Mungo, the baseball player and namesake of the song, reportedly loved it. He cherished the song until his death in 1985 and was known to carry Dave Frishberg records wherever he went.
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Song StructureFunctionally, the song is built like a ballad, with every verse leading to a repetition of the title line "Van Lingle Mungo", giving the song a thematic consistency.
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Performance Frequency“Van Lingle Mungo” has become an infrequent yet cherished part of Frishberg's live shows due to its wit and novelty.
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Album FeatureThe song is included in Frishberg's second album titled "Oklahoma Toad" which released in 1970.
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Popular CultureThe song has appeared in multiple films and TV shows, most notably the 2001 romantic comedy film "Town & Country".
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Citation
Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:
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"Van Lingle Mungo Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/27320704/Dave+Frishberg/Van+Lingle+Mungo>.
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