Baby Elephant Walk
"Baby Elephant Walk" is a song composed in 1961 by Henry Mancini for the 1962 film "Hatari!" Lyrics by Hal David were not used in the film version. The instrumental earned Mancini a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement in . Background. The tune was written for an impromptu scene in "Hatari!" in which 'Dallas' (Elsa Martinelli) led three baby elephants to a waterhole to bathe. The catchy simplicity has made it one of Mancini's most popular works, appearing on many compilation albums. Although not used for the film, Hal David composed lyrics to Mancini's tune , which appear in the printed sheet music and were later recorded by Pat Boone, released by Dot Records in 1965. Mancini's version was not released as a single. Brass instruments (including repeated blasts from the tuba) and woodwind elements are combined to convey a large and plodding elephant toddler that is filled with the exuberance of youth. Mancini uses a calliope introduction to suggest the sound of a circus. A cheeky melody is then played over this on a clarinet, and the song concludes with the calliope playing the old four-note phrase known as ""Good Evening, Friends"." The  overall style is as that of boogie-woogie, as Mancini explained: The cheerful tone, like that of Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme", presents a stark contrast to more melancholy Mancini standards such as "Moon River". Due to its "goofy" sound, it is often used in a humorous context. As the allmusic.com album review states, "if "Hatari!" is memorable for anything, it's for the incredibly goofy 'Baby Elephant Walk,' which has gone on to be musical shorthand for kookiness of any stripe. Get this tune in your head and it sticks." Chart history. "Baby Elephant Walk" performed by Lawrence  Welk and His Orchestra peaked at #48 on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 in the summer of 1962 as well as #10 on the Easy Listening chart. Cover versions. The song was recorded by a number of performers in the 1960s, including: