Big Idea Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Dance of the Cucumber is the third Silly Song with Larry. It was featured as the "Silly Song" in the fourth episode, Rack, Shack and Benny.

While wearing a striped poncho and an oversized sombrero, Larry performs a popular Argentine melody in its original Spanish while Bob, wearing a fedora, translates. Bob becomes frustrated, however, when Larry begins to taunt him because the tomato cannot dance and sing. This gets to the point in which Bob eventually snaps and chases Larry off the set. Larry, meanwhile, hopes Bob does not catch him. The song has a cameo from Junior's family, when Junior requests for a picture with the cucumber dressed in "authentic Argentinean garb" while his mother is being chased by a group of dwarfs.

Lyrics

Announcer: And now it's time for "Silly Songs with Larry," the part of the show where Larry comes out and sings a silly song. Larry will be performing the traditional Argentinian ballad, "The Dance of the Cucumber", in its original Spanish. Bob the Tomato will translate.

Larry:
Miren al pepino
Vean cómo se mueve
Como un león
Tras un ratón.
Bob:
"Watch the cucumber
See how he moves
Like a lion
Chasing a mouse"
Miren al pepino
Qué suaves movimientos
Es como mantequilla
En un chango pelón.
"Watch the cucumber
Oh, how smooth his motion
Like butter
On a ... bald monkey."
Miren al pepino
Los vegetales
Envidian a su amigo
Como él quieren bailar
"Watch the cucumber
All the vegetables
Envy their friend
Wishing to dance as he"
Pepino bailarin, pepino bailarin
Pepino bailarin, ¡baila, baila, ya!
"Dancing cucumber, dancing cucumber
Dancing cucumber, dance, dance, yeah!"
Miren al tomate.
¿No es triste?
Él no puede bailar.
¡Pobre tomate!
"Look at the tomato
Isn't it sad?
He can't dance
Poor... tomato!"
Él desearia poder bailar
Como el pepino.
Libre y suavemente
Pero él no puede danzar.
"He wishes he could dance
Like the cucumber
Free and smooth
But he can't..."

Bob: Okay, stop the music! What do you mean I can't dance? I can dance! What about Uncle Louie's polka party? Didn't you see me dancing at Uncle Louie's polka party?

Larry: No comprendo.

Bob: "No comprendo"? I'll show you "no comprendo"!

Junior: Mom! Dad! Look over here! Get a picture of me next to the cucumber in authentic Argentinian garb!

Dad: Okay, Junior, but we'd better hurry. I think the dwarves have your mother confused with someone else.

(Junior’s mom is chased by dwarves)

Dad: Say "Peas!"

Larry and Junior: Peas!

Larry:
Escuchen al pepino
Oigan su voz fuerte
Como un león
Listo a devorar
Bob:
"Listen to the cucumber
Hear his strong voice
Like a lion
About to eat"
Escuchen al pepino
Qué dulce es su canto
Que sopla su garganta parece un trinar
"Listen to the cucumber
How sweet his voice
The breath from his throat is like a chorus of little birdies"
Escuchen al pepino
los vegetales
envidian a su amigo
como él quieren cantar.
"Listen to the cucumber
All the vegetables
Envy their friend
Wishing to sing as he."
Pepino cantador, pepino cantador
Pepino cantador,¡canta, canta, ya!
"Singing cucumber, singing cucumber
Singing cucumber, sing, sing, yeah!"
Escuchen al tomate.
¿No es triste?
Él no puede cantar.
¡Pobre tomate!
"Listen to the tomato
Isn't it sad?
He can't sing
Poor tomato"
Él desearia poder cantar
Fuerte y ducle como el pepino.
Pero él no puede...
¡Ni siquiera dar un silbido!
"He wishes he could sing
Strong and sweet like the cucumber
But he can't...
Can't even... whistle."

Bob: Alright, that's it, señor! Come over here and let me sing you a song!

Larry: ¡Adios, amigos!

Announcer: This has been "Silly Songs With Larry". Tune in next time to hear Larry sing...

Larry: Bob is really angry. I hope he doesn't catch me. It's so hard to run with this sombrero on my head.

Releases

Audio

Video

Publications

  • VeggieTunes (1995)
  • VeggieTales Songbook (2001)
  • And now it's time for Silly Songs with Larry (2002)
  • VeggieTales Greatest Hits (2013)
  • 25 Favorite Silly Songs (2013)


Fun Facts

Trivia

  • Mike Nawrocki came up with the idea for this song while listening to a Spanish song called "Los Americanos" while his Spanish-speaking wife, Lisa, translated the lyrics for him. As an American, Mike found it funny how the song was essentially making fun of the lives of Americans, and having his wife translating it for him made it seem like she was insulting him. This inspired the similar teasing Larry does to Bob in the song.
    • However, the melody and instrumental arrangement is heavily based on the Argentinian folk song "Reminiscencias" by Julio Jaramillo.
  • It is revealed that Larry could English at the end, while it remains unclear if Bob can actually sing and dance.
  • The background used in the song was inspired by a mural hanging Mike Nawrocki's house at the time.
  • This Silly Song was animated entirely by Ron Smith.
  • In the original Latin Spanish dub of Rack, Shack and Benny, all singing parts (except for the ending) are left undubbed, being acknowledged by the announcer claiming Bob translates the song into English.
    • In the same dub, "Bob is really angry. I hope he doesn't catch me. It's so hard to run with this sombrero on my head" was dubbed, but the person who voiced Larry in that part is unknown.
    • Oddly enough, this change made it into the Indonesian and Cantonese dubs as well.
  • This is the first time when Mike and Lisa Asparagus appear on the countertop.
  • This song has been subsequently featured on the following video releases: Very Silly Songs!, The Ultimate Silly Song Countdown, Heroes of the Bible!: Stand Up, Stand Tall, Stand Strong!, Sing-Alongs: Dance of the Cucumber, Very Veggie Fun!, Happy Together!, and If I Sang A Silly Song.
  • This was featured in the classroom edition of The Story of Flibber-o-loo, the Os Amigos Vegetais episode "Madame Blueberry (Episódio de Estreia)", and the Very Veggie Silly Stories episodes, Helping Others and Building Others Up.

Goofs

  • In the original Latin Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese dubs of Rack, Shack and Benny, an alternate Silly Song title card was used and at the end, after the first time Larry runs with Bob chasing him to the left of the screen and just before they come up the second time onscreen, Bob is running to the right of the screen before he shows up chasing Larry once again. This animation error has been addressed by fans as both "Bob's clone" and "Bob's Soul Escaping."
  • The second Brazilian dub has Bob’s line "Dance, dance, yeah" untranslated.
  • On the DVD releases of Rack, Shack and Benny, near the end of the Silly Song, Larry's line "Adios, amigos!" is oddly missing from the 5.1 surround audio.
  • Despite the song being mentioned as an Argentinian Ballad, the pronunciation of Spanish is Neutral Latin American instead of Rioplatense like most speakers of Argentina use, especially true in Buenos Aires. Additionally, "chango" is a Mexican term for "monkey." However, in the Latin American Spanish dub, the Silly Song Announcer refers to the song simply as a Latin American ballad, rather than specifically from Argentina, making Larry’s Spanish speaking make a little more sense.
  • In one scene, Larry’s body clips through the brim of Bob's hat.

Inside Reference

  • On Junior's hat, an image of the coin from The Story of Flibber-o-loo is seen.
    • This image is oddly seen in only one shot, as all the other shots with him only show a solid color on his hat.
  • It would appear Larry's lion friends from Daniel and the Lion's Den taught him a thing or two about dancing and singing.

Real-World References

  • Junior and his parent vacation outfits, as well as their interaction with the dwarves, are allusions to the Disney Theme Parks. Junior's hat is directly based on the Mickey Mouse "ear hats" that can be found at all of the parks.

Gallery

DanceoftheCucumberTitleCard
VerySillySongsDanceOfTheCucumberTitleCard
TheUltimateSillySongCountdown37
SingAlong-DanceofTheCucumber1
DanceOfTheCucumber2011TitleCard
IfISangASillySong89


Music Video

Advertisement