The Philosophy of Modern Song: Mack the Knife. Prepare for a shock.

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Tony Attwood

 

By Tony Attwood

This series of articles takes the songs that Bob Dylan discussed in his post-Nobel Prize book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song” and looks at those songs individually as songs, rather than reviewing Bob’s comments upon them.  And, just in case you have not had a chance to listen to the songs in question, at least one recording of each song is included in the article.

I have found this interesting, as although many of the songs I do know well, as is the case here, many others are new to me, and I am hoping that the inclusion of a recording in each case can be helpful if you are considering what Bob found interesting in each song he chose.

As for this one, if you have never heard the original version of Mack the Knife, you are going to be in for a shock.  Indeed, such a shock that you might want to stop the recording below after a while.  But let me give you a bit of help.

This extract is from the original movie that featured the song, and includes the 40 seconds build-up before the song starts – so if you only want the music, skim forward to that point.  Although I do hope you don’t because you’ll miss what I think is some rather important atmospheric background.

Second, this is the actual original from the movie Die Dreigroschenoper “The Threepenny Opera”.   The music is by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, composed in 1928.  It is in German, but if that is not your language, do follow the subtitles.  And it is, indeed, a song about a criminal with a knife.

However, the song was picked up by Louis Armstrong using translated lyrics in 1955 by which time all thought of the original storyline seems to have been long since forgotten.

But to go back to its origins, as sometimes can happen with works of art – in all forms of art – the song was added at the last moment to the Threepenny Opera, apparently because the actor playing Macheath felt his character wasn’t introduced properly and needed a song.  So a song, not sung by Macheath but instead introducing Macheath, was created to be sung by way of introduction.

It was, in fact, sung by the character Police Chief Brown, and accompanied by a barrel organ.   But apparently, on the first night of the show, the barrel organ failed, and the pit orchestra (actually a jazz band, and thus used to improvising) provided their own accompaniment for the vocalist.

Later, having written the song very quickly for the show, Brecht then reconsidered the music on learning that there was to be a film made of the show, and so in 1931 expanded the piece with additional lyrics.   

American audiences first heard the expanded song in 1933 with newly translated lyrics by Gifford Cochran and Jerrold Krimsky.   Sadly, the production was not a success and closed after two weeks.   However, the show was later revived with a new English translation in 1954, and after that, The Threepenny Opera was performed off Broadway for six years, with the opening lyrics becoming increasingly famous in their own right:

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear,
And he shows them pearly white
Just a jack-knife has Macheath, dear
And he keeps it out of sight

There are some who are in darkness
And the others are in light
And you see the ones in brightness
Those in darkness drop from sight.

But it was Bobby Darin who brought it to wider fame in 1959, and this version was a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic and won numerous awards.

Of course, there have been very many new versions of the song ever since, with many seeking to match the music to the lyrics.   I won’t overload you with a number of these, but here is one that rather struck me.  I think here the music and lyrics and now, at last, matched.

Previously in this series

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