Pancakes are not just delectable breakfast treats: For one French composer, they were the inspiration for a song.
In 1883, Charles Lecocq’s “The Pancake Song” was published by Balmer & Weber Publishers in St. Louis, Missouri. Lecocq, whose most famous work is the opera La Fille de Madame Angot, transformed the aroma and excitement that comes from making pancakes into an easy-to-remember ditty.
“Take some eggs and crack and beat them
just as quickly as you can,
But before you dish and eat them.
Taking care they do not burn while you turn,
Then when brown enough they’ve got,
Serve them hot, serve them hot, HOT HOT HOT.
There’s another trifling matter
I should note, If I were you.
Take some flour to make your batter,
You at once may dish the lot—serve it hot,
Yes at once you dish the lot,
Serve it hot, serve them hot, HOT HOT HOT.”
“The Pancake Song” is part of the 19th Century American Sheet Music Collection, which is available online through Wilson Library’s Music Library.
There is not a recording of “The Pancake Song” available online, but a google search reveals that Lecocq was not the only person inspired by pancakes.
In 2006 James Provan wrote and produced a video containing his original song, “Pancakes!” The video has received over 3 million hits and was featured by Good Morning America and The New York Times.
If these two songs make you hungry for pancakes, try this recipe.
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