Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Question

Stop singing and read on . . . . . .. . . . .
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Answer 1

1. Because people thought that the tune written by Mozart when he was a little boy was ideal for children's songs (it didn't hurt that no-one has to pay royalties for such an old tune, either!!) So people made up Twinkle Twinkle - and various other songs in different languages around the world! The alphabet song was apparently well-suited to the tune, and as the tune is free to use it was a sensible choice!
; )

2. They may not get the full effect 'literally' speaking - but at least they get to eat it while it's hot, instead of spending hours playing at making words while it cools down...!!!

Answer 2

You're right, I never really thought about that. I guess that it's because someone needed a tune to make teaching the alphabet easier, and decided that the Twinkle Twinkle tune had the right sound to it...or maybe it was the other way around and the Twinkle Twinke song came first. I don't know for sure, but it is an interesting question.

Answer 3

Apparently some have the idea that Mozart wrote this tune. Not so -- he USED it, as did other composers (including Haydn in his "Surprise Symphony" --probably a better known use of the theme). In fact, the first record of the tune in print would have been when Mozart was 6-years old, but the tune was doubtless older than that.** It appears to be French in origin, but we simply do not know who composed it.

(From the dates some confused people actually get the idea that Mozart made up the tune as a little boy... not so.)

"According to The Book of World Famous Music by James J. Fund, it first appeared without words as "Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman" ("Shall I tell you, Mother?") in Les Amusements d'une Heure et Demy by M. Bouin in Paris in 1761 [20 years before Mozart's use of the theme]"
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/malphabetsong.html

At any rate, just as several composers have used it, so have a variety of simple songs in various languages -- "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" (1806) and "The Alphabet Song" (1834) are just two examples.

Answer 4

Don't know why the tunes are the same. Yes, illiterate people get the full nutrition of alphabet soup.

Answer 5

So does Baa, Baa Black Sheep.

And I don't believe illiterate people eat Alphabet soup. With the exception being young children who aren't old enough to know better.

Answer 6

The [Alphabet] song was first copyrighted by Charles Bradlee, music publisher, in Boston, USA in 1835, with the title, "The A.B.C., a German air with variations for the flute with an easy accompaniment for the piano forte". The musical arrangement was attributed to Louis Le Maire (sometimes Lemaire), an 18th century composer. This was "Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1835, by C. Bradlee, in the clerk's office of the District Court of Massachusetts", according to the Newberry Library, which also says, "The theme is that used by Mozart for his piano variations, Ah, vous dirai-je, maman."

Mr. Bradlee no doubt thought that if the melody was good enough for Herr Mozart, it was good enough for him. Besides, it was a pretty good fit for the alphabet.

Answer 7

it might be like dat coz if u know d twinkle twinkle..u might b able 2 remember d alphabet song or vice versa..if u remember d alphabet song u might b able 2 remember twinkle twinkle..as d tunes r same

Answer 8

No idea why they sound alike. I can tell you this much though. The Alphabet song was written by Ira Gershwin because he couldn't remember the alphabet.

Answer 9

You mean as in spelling words with the soup um maybe not.

Answer 10

They ripped it off from the guy who wrote Baa Baa Black Sheep