The Skunk Song

Cab Calloway and his band perform the title track in this sound, while Cab sings with 'the Cabaliers'.

Soundies were short films, about three minutes in length. The were meant to be played on a machine called a Mills Panoram, a video jukebox that was typically to be found in bars, lounges, and similar venues. You put a dime in and got a performance from the ten on the machine. The movies would be changed weekly, and from 1940 through 1946, Mills and other companies produced more than two thousand soundies.

Calloway was a regular performer in the soundies, his high-energy performances fitting write in with the visual portion of the soundies, and his big-band sound adding some class and a good time.

This was another Soundie I watched on YouTube. In this one, Cab Calloway and The Cabaliers are singing about how The Big Bad Wolf only talks about his Disney money, Felix the Cat is fat and rich, and Mickey the Mouse is riding in his motor car, while the skunk moans about how "nobody loves me" on account of him just being a "dirty old skunk". That's basically it on what the song's about. Quite entertaining, nonetheless, with Calloway making his gestures and faces during his part of the song. This was another of these "music videos" of the time that played on Panorams (film jukeboxes) at restaurants, bars, and train or bus stations. So on that note, The Skunk Song is worth a look.