Bugs Bunny, Song Memory, and a Rainy Night in Rio

August 2, 2012

For some reason beyond my understanding, the song that Bugs Bunny first sings in the episode Long-Haired Hare got stuck in my head, a few days ago. And after kind of humming it quietly to myself, I came upon a sudden realization: I could look it up on the Internet!

I’ve never known the name of the song, and I’m not sure why it took me all this time to actually look the thing up. It’s been a bit of a mystery to me, and it’s silly to realize that I could have easily looked this up 5+ years ago.

If you don’t remember the episode, it’s the one where Bugs lives near opera singer Giovanni Jones. Bugs kicks back and sings a few tunes, and the sound drifts down to interrupt the opera singer as he’s practicing. In a later scene, in an act of revenge, Bugs dons a full tuxedo and impersonates a famous conductor… and puts Jones through a rigorous singing exercise (bringing the house down).

Ring a bell? Remember the episode, but not the song? Well… cue the magic of the Internet. Though not my favorite, this episode is still a classic:

So… in case you were wondering, the song is called “A Rainy Night in Rio,” and was created by Arthur Schwartz and Leo Robin (lyrics) for the 1946 musical “The Time, the Place and the Girl.”

And if, like me, you’re curious to hear that first song in full… well, here’s Bobby Goldsboro performing the tune with one of the Lennon Sisters: