Moritat (Mack The Knife) Lyrics
Bobby Darin
Lyrics
Oh, the shark, Babe,
Has such teeth, Dear,
And he shows those
Pearly whites.
Just a jack-knife
Has old Mack Heath, Babe,
And he keeps it outta sight.
You know, when that shark bites
With its teeth, Babe,
Scarlet billows start to spread.
Fancy gloves, oh,
Wears old Mack Heath, Babe,
So there's never -
Never a trace of red.
Now, on the sidewalk,
Ooh, sunny mornin', uh-huh,
Lies a body
Just oozin' life. Eek!
And someone's sneakin'
'Round the corner!
Could that someone
Be Mack the Knife?
Ah, there's a tugboat
Down by the river, don't you know,
Where a cement bag's
Just a-droopin' on down.
Oh, that cement is just...
It's there for the weight, Dear.
Five'll get you ten
Old Mackie's back in town!
Now'd you hear 'bout Louie Miller?
He disappeared, Babe,
After drawin' out
All his hard-earned cash.
And now Mack Heath spends
Just like a sailor.
Could it be our boy
Song & Lyrics Facts
Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife" (also known as "Moritat"), released in 1959, is a cover of a German song from 1928. It was written by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill for the play Die Dreigroschenoper and was originally titled "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer".
The song appears on Bobby Darin's album That's All, which was released in 1959. The single version of "Mack the Knife" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold over a million copies. This version was arranged by Richard Wess and featured Bobby Darin singing with a jazz band accompaniment featuring Hal Blaine on drums and Plas Johnson on saxophone. The lyrics tell the story of a criminal named Macheath who has been terrorizing the city.