# The SCUMM BAR music theme isn't original!
**URL:** https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934
**Category:** Adventure/Lucasfilm Games
**Created:** [September 10, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934 "2019-09-10T15:42:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ZakPhoenixMcKracken](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/ZakPhoenixMcKracken)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/1 "2019-09-10T15:42:03Z")
Monkey Island 1.
SCUMM bar.
Every one knows that theme song.
Well… it’s taken 100% from a popular song.
Listen:
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### Author:  [@Gffp](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Gffp)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/2 "2019-09-10T15:45:59Z")
Sorprendente! 😃
I always appreciated it a lot!
Being an existing and historical tune totally makes sense since it’s the music played in the bar rather than just a “background” music.
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### Author:  [@ZakPhoenixMcKracken](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/ZakPhoenixMcKracken)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/3 "2019-09-10T15:52:11Z")
In the “Spegni il computer e vai a dormire” group, someone did some research, and found that it’s a song of the 1800:
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### Author:  [@Gffp](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Gffp)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/4 "2019-09-10T16:05:58Z")
If I understand correctly, it is basically a declaration of love to ale beer 😁
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### Author:  [@dangerouslee](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/dangerouslee)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/7 "2019-09-10T19:02:51Z")
After some further and deeper research, I redact my last statements, it seems it may be true news, I have since found other sheet music for an alternative version of Oh Good Ale, and it seems that it is more similar to SCUMM BAR, when both sheet music is compared.
So the plot thickens, and it may be borrowed from a modal version of the tune.
You can listen to it here sung by British man Ernest Butcher on a 1916 vinyl
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### Author:  [@dangerouslee](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/dangerouslee)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/8 "2019-09-10T19:10:21Z")
I have also contacted the fiddle player from “The Virginia Company” and he can confirm that the music was sourced from the original 18th century piece
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### Author:  [@Sushi](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Sushi)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/9 "2019-09-10T19:35:38Z")
SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND FINALLY UNCOVERED! MICHAEL LAND SUED, TRIALED AND KEELHAULED BY 19th CENTURY BUCKANEERS!
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### Author:  [@Gffp](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Gffp)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/10 "2019-09-10T20:06:34Z")
> [@](#):
>
> All of our music is researched from original primary 17th and 18th century sources.
No mistery then. Aaaw. 🙂 I’m so relieved my aural skills didn’t fail in the end 😋. And with the latest statement, we could be facing even a music from the real golden age of piracy (maybe).
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### Author:  [@bloodnose](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/bloodnose)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2019, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/11 "2019-09-12T04:48:05Z")
“Would I be correct in saying that you guys borrowed the music from the game?”
lol super cheeky
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### Author:  [@Sushi](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Sushi)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2019, 5:49am UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/12 "2019-09-12T05:49:45Z")
“ it was sung by the clown, Joseph Grimaldi, about the end of the 19th century.”
:ransome: or the grand-grand-son of one of these jokers?
[Source](https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:O_good_ale_thou_art_my_darling)
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### Author:  [@BigRedButton](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/BigRedButton)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/13 "2019-09-12T17:11:06Z")
That’s interesting! Though the song is from the right era, so it makes sense to play it in the Scumm Bar.
As we know, it’s not the only song that Land borrowed, seeing the bones song in MI 2 (apparently inspired by Dry Bones by the Delta Rhythm Boys).
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### Author:  [@LogicDeLuxe](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/LogicDeLuxe)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2019, 8:22am UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/14 "2019-09-13T08:22:26Z")
> [@ZakPhoenixMcKracken](#):
>
> Well… it’s taken 100% from a popular song.
The Amiga version that is. The PC version added those few extra notes at the end.
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### Author:  [@dangerouslee](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/dangerouslee)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/15 "2019-09-13T14:28:26Z")
> [@bloodnose](#):
>
> “Would I be correct in saying that you guys borrowed the music from the game?”
A little, but he had to be put in his place if he was the stealer. =)
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### Author:  [@VillaVelasco89](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/VillaVelasco89)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/16 "2019-09-20T13:55:47Z")
Ron Gilbert realising the song he wants to use for the SCUMM Bar is pre-copyright:
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### Author:  [@bongobrain](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/bongobrain)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/17 "2019-09-21T00:38:09Z")
shucks this is really cool.
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### Author:  [@Sushi](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Sushi)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/18 "2019-09-21T12:14:25Z")
I also like the fact that this music has a much longer history. It lends a certain authenticity to the game that we might have all picked up on subconsciously.
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### Author:  [@Someone](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Someone)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/19 "2019-09-23T14:33:37Z")
And why not? 😉 For example The Dig is using some classical music …
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### Author:  [@Frenzie](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/Frenzie)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/20 "2019-09-23T18:53:16Z")
I’m selling these fine sheet music sheets…
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### Author:  [@nihilquest](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/nihilquest)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/21 "2019-12-02T14:18:59Z")
Michael Land is credited for “original music” as far as I remember, so I think this acknowledges that there’s some “borrowed” (not written for the game) music as well.
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### Author:  [@yrface](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/u/yrface)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://forums.thimbleweedpark.com/t/the-scumm-bar-music-theme-isnt-original/3934/22 "2019-12-11T12:39:56Z")
> [@nihilquest](#):
>
> this acknowledges that there’s some “borrowed”
Some of the themes might be “borrowed” but it may or may not have been intentional. There’s so much music floating around in a composer’s subconscious that a melody or two can seep in without realizing it’s from something else.
It’s hard to write something that is 100% original.
I guess the secret is to write music that can be reminiscent of other songs, but not a direct rip off.
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