Behind the Violent Origins and Chart-Topping Success of “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin

The song “Mack the Knife” dates back to 1928, when it was written for a German play. It was first known as “Theme from The Threepenny Opera” or “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer,” which is German for “The Murder Ballad of Mackie Messer.” Kurt Weill supplied the music with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht. The main character is a murderer and rapist. The translation to English watered down some of the harsh realities of the original German version. Let’s look behind the meaning of “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin.

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear

And it shows them pearly white

Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe

And he keeps it, ah, out of sight

You know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows start to spread

Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe

So there’s never, never a trace of red

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh

Lies a body just oozin’ life, eek

And someone’s sneakin’ ’round the corner

Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

Other Versions

The Dick Hyman Trio, Richard Hayman & Jan August, Les Paul & Mary Ford, and Lawrence Welk all appeared on the Billboard charts in 1956 with instrumental versions of the song. Louis Armstrong recorded both an instrumental version and one with lyrics. The vocal version peaked at No. 20. Billy Vaughn recorded the song later that same year. But it was singer/actor Bobby Darin who had the most success, with the song going all the way to the top spot in 1959. Ella Fitzgerald won a Grammy for her 1960 version. Many other artists have recorded the song, including Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Buffett, Nick Cave, Dave Van Ronk, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Brian Setzer, Marianne Faithful, Dr. John, The Psychedelic Furs, David Cassidy, Michael Bublé, Sonny Rollins, and Bill Haley.

There’s a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river, don’tcha know

Where a cement bag’s just a-drooppin’ on down

Oh, that cement is just, it’s there for the weight, dear

Five’ll get ya ten. Old Macky’s back in town

Now, did ya hear ’bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe

After drawin’ out all his hard-earned cash

And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor

Could it be our boy’s done somethin’ rash?

Now Jenny Diver, ho, ho, yeah, Sukey Tawdry

Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

Oh, the line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky’s back in town

Modulations

Darin began including “Mack the Knife” in his nightclub show and went on to record it on an album of standards. Darin’s arrangement was similar to Armstrong’s except for the key changes. The version on Darin’s That’s All includes no less than four modulations. 

Sinatra called Darin’s recording the definitive version. “Bobby Darin took the song by the scruff of the neck and turned it into the swing classic widely known today,” he said. “Unlike the Brecht-Weill original, which remains in the same key throughout, Darin’s version changes key, chromatically, no fewer than five times, ratcheting up the tension.”

Atco Records released Darin’s version as a single in August 1959, which went to No. 1. American Bandstand host Dick Clark warned Darin not to release the song; it was from an opera, he said, and would turn his rock ‘n’ roll fans off. Of course, he later had to admit he was wrong.

I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry

Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

Yes, that line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky’s back in town

Look out, old Macky’s back

The German Original

When the song debuted, it was presented at the beginning and end of The Threepenny Opera. With the literal translation, these German lyrics shed light on Mackie Messer’s harsher actions, including a knife in the chest and violation of a minor. Kurt Weill was married to Lotte Lenya, who played Jenny in the original production. As Armstrong gathered characters’ names to include in his version, he mistakenly used the actress’s name, forever immortalizing her.

Und der Haifisch, der hat Zähne

Und die trägt er im Gesicht

Und MacHeath, der hat ein Messer

Doch das Messer sieht man nicht

And the shark, he has teeth

And he wears them in his face

And MacHeath, he has a knife

But the knife you don’t see

An ‘nem schönen blauen Sonntag

Liegt ein toter Mann am Strand

Und ein Mensch geht um die Ecke,

Den man Mackie Messer nennt

On a beautiful blue Sunday

Lies a dead man on the Strand

And a man goes around the corner

Whom they call Mack the Knife

Und Schmul Meier bleibt verschwunden

Und so mancher reiche Mann

Und sein Geld hat Mackie Messer

Dem man nichts beweisen kann

And Schmul Meier is missing

And many a rich man

And his money has Mack the Knife,

On whom they can’t pin anything

Jenny Towler ward gefunden

Mit ‘nem Messer in der Brust

Und am Kai geht Mackie Messer,

Der von allem nichts gewußt

Jenny Towler was found

With a knife in her chest

And on the wharf walks Mack the Knife,

Who knows nothing about all this

Und die minderjährige Witwe

Deren Namen jeder weiß

Wachte auf und war geschändet

Mackie welches war dein Preis?

And the minor-aged widow,

Whose name everyone knows,

Woke up and was violated

Mack, what was your price?

Und die einen sind im Dunkeln

Und die anderen sind im Licht

Doch man sieht nur die im Lichte

Die im Dunklen sieht man nicht

And some are in the darkness

And the others in the light

But you only see those in the light

Those in the darkness you don’t see

Doch man sieht nur die im Lichte

Die im Dunklen sieht man nicht

But you only see those in the light

Those in the darkness you don’t see

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