Mah Na Mah Na



"Mahna Mahna", originally titled "Mah-Na Mah-Na," was written by Italian composer Piero Umiliani for an Italian documentary about life in Sweden, titled Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso (Sweden, Heaven and Hell). It is a nonsense song that achieved widespread fame when the Muppets performed it.

Classic Sketches
The most well-known Muppets' rendition of "Mahna Mahna" debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, performed by Mahna Mahna and his back-up singers, the Snowths. This version of the skit was restaged for episode 101 of The Muppet Show.

The earliest version of the skit was first performed on episode 0014 of Sesame Street by Bip Bippadotta, backed up by two Anything Muppet girls. Whereas the Snowths sing "doo doo doo doo doo" on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Muppet Show, the back-up singers on the Sesame Street version sing "pa tee pa tee pee". This version was also used during the closing credits of an episode of Play With Me Sesame, with the cast singing and dancing along as this clip played. It was also included in the broadcast version of The Street We Live On.

The air date for episode 0014 of Sesame Street was November 27, 1969, and the Ed Sullivan Show appearance was on live television three days later.

The song was also performed on This Is Tom Jones in 1971 by Mahna Mahna and the Snowths.

Ruth Buzzi, Johnny Carson and Goldie Hawn performed the song when they all turned into Muppets on Pure Goldie in 1971.

Modern Sketches
The "Mahna Mahna" sketch was parodied in "The Psychiatrist's Office" sketch on episode 107 of Muppets Tonight, in which the Snowths would appear and sing "doo doo doo doo doo" every time Kermit said that the word "phenomena." As the sketch continues, guest star Sandra Bullock begins performing the song, taking on some of the mannerisms of the Mahna Mahna character (i.e. trying to dominate the song with a manic scat until she's calmed down by others).

"Mahna Mahna" opened The Muppet Show Live at Muppetfest in 2001. Bill Barretta performed Mahna Mahna to a pre-recorded track of Jim Henson's vocals. New video footage of Mahna Mahna riding in a limo was also taped and shown on a video monitor at the event. Another live performance with Sweetums was staged in 2003 during a promotional appearance at Lincoln Center in New York.

Kermit performed the song with the Snowths for the 2002 Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon.

An advertisement featuring "Mahna Mahna" was filmed for a New Zealand cancer charity called CanTeen in 2005. In the ad, Mahna Mahna was both puppeteered and voiced by Bill Barretta, and the lyrics were changed from "Mahna Mahna" to "Bandanana" to promote CanTeen's "Bandanna Week".

The Muppet Show version

 * The Muppet Show (album) (1977)
 * Favorite Songs From Jim Henson's Muppets
 * Muppet Hits
 * Music, Mayhem and More! (2002)
 * Best of the Muppets (2005)

Sesame Street version

 * Jim Henson: A Sesame Street Celebration
 * Platinum Too
 * Songs from the Street

Others
Although the song has been recorded a number of times since its debut, most inclusions of the song on children's compilation albums are a result of the song's popularity stemming from its exposure via the Muppets.
 * Songs from Sesame Street
 * ''Muppet Vision 3D (instrumental)

Video Releases

 * The Muppet Show: Season One (2005)