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1%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
2
3->''"This particularly rapid unintelligible patter\
4Isn't generally heard, and if it is it doesn't matter!"''
5-->-- '''Creator/GilbertAndSullivan''', "My Eyes Are Fully Open," ''Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}''
6
7A common feature of TheMusical is the Patter Song, a light and rapid melody sung by a MotorMouth character – less commonly, more than one. This will often take the form of a LongList, resulting in a ListSong. Very commonly the song will involve [[TongueTwister tongue-twisters]] that test the singer's ability to pronounce the lyrics clearly, and occasionally the ability is tested even further by raising the tempo of the song little by little until it goes at a frighteningly fast pace. A semi-patter song is a [[DownplayedTrope toned down version]] that has a patter song feel, but where the words are more important than the rapid delivery.
8
9Creator/GilbertAndSullivan are inextricably associated with this form, which they [[OlderThanTheyThink did not invent]] but are [[TropeCodifier credited with perfecting]].
10
11The MajorGeneralSong, which parodies and/or homages a Creator/GilbertAndSullivan song, is a common example. A more modern one is [[WeDidntStartTheBillyJoelParodies We Didn't Start the Fire]].
12
13If the lyrics aren't enunciated precisely, leaving only a few key phrases clearly audible, this will overlap with SomethingSomethingLeonardBernstein.
14
15Compare MelodicRap, a style of singing in which hip-hop rhythms and vocabulary are sung, often to minimalistic melodies. Some artists like Music/BoneThugsNHarmony and Music/{{Eminem}} have made patter songs that attempt to fuse rapping with the music-hall tradition.
16----
17
18[[folder:Self-Demonstrating Version]]
19You will find that as a rule in ev'ry [[TheMusical Broadway presentation]]\
20(Or perhaps the London West End, if that should be the location),\
21That at some point in the drama, all the action turns to stasis―\
22(Because, after all, how many shows make plotting their main basis?)\
23And a {{Motormouth}} or three will more or less expressly chatter\
24In a light and rapid melody--more technic'ly, a [[TitleDrop patter]].\
25Since a LongList is a structure that no writer can resist long,\
26You will ofttimes find the Patter overlapping with the ListSong.\
27Though it uses terms so ''[[GratuitousFrench recherchés]]'', the singers' tongues are twisted,\
28Each author still will use the trope, as here on this page, ''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle this]]'' [[SelfDemonstratingArticle did]]--\
29But because to try explaining what the trope entails quite tramples\
30On our Tropers' little patience, let us on to the examples:\
31[[/folder]]
32
33----
34!!Examples:
35
36[[foldercontrol]]
37
38[[folder:Advertising]]
39* The UsefulNotes/McDonalds "Menu Song" jingle, which featured patrons singing the restaurant's entire menu to the tune of the obscure 70s hit "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)." This was eventually turned into a contest to see if any real-life customers could recite the entire list on the spot for a free drink.
40** There was a second contest involving the song, this time with free records given out both at [=McDonald's=], and with local newspapers, one of which would be a winner. Another variation was to press the song on records of varying stability, and only the one that wouldn't warp at the end would be the winner.
41** It's a single verse, but it counts: "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!"
42[[/folder]]
43
44[[folder:Audio Adaptation]]
45* In the ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audio adventure "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho043DoctorWhoAndThePirates Doctor Who and the Pirates]]", the Sixth Doctor sings "I Am the Very Model of a Gallifreyan Buccaneer". Listen to it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00T_ft5RCdc here]].
46[[/folder]]
47
48[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
49%% * This was one of Creator/DannyKaye's signatures.
50%% ** Remarkably averted in ''Film/ASongIsBorn''. (Kaye's songwriter wife refused to write any songs for the film as they were estranged at the time.)
51* "The Interrogation Song" by Sam the Eagle, Jean-Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) and Franchise/TheMuppets, from ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted''.
52-->'''Jean-Pierre:''' You know, I think they did it.\
53'''Sam:''' No they didn't!\
54'''Jean-Pierre:''' Yes they did, and we can pin it.\
55'''Sam:''' If they did, how did they do it?\
56'''Jean-Pierre:''' If they didn't, how did they didn't?\
57'''Sam:''' If they didn't then it's easy,\
58'Cause they simply didn't do it!\
59'''Jean-Pierre:''' If they did it, then I knew it,\
60But we’ve nothing that can prove it!
61* Henry Higgins' rants in ''Film/MyFairLady''.
62[[/folder]]
63
64[[folder:Literature]]
65* Creator/IsaacAsimov:
66** "Literature/TheAuthorsOrdeal": This song acts as an {{Homage}} to [[Creator/GilbertAndSullivan Sir William Schwenck Gilbert]]'s "When You're Lying Awake" (also known as "the (Lord Chancellor's) Nightmare Song"), written for ''{{Theatre/Iolanthe}}''. The poem has a number of phrases that evoke a TongueTwister sense by including rhymes within the lines, and the penultimate line is at least three times as long as any other line.
67** "Literature/TheFoundationOfSFSuccess": This song acts as an {{Homage}} to [[Creator/GilbertAndSullivan Sir William Schwenck Gilbert]]'s "If you're anxious for to shine" from ''{{Theatre/Patience}}''. The poem has a number of phrases that evoke a TongueTwister sense by including rhymes within the lines.
68[[/folder]]
69
70[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
71* The theme song to ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' is a patter song performed by Music/BarenakedLadies.
72* ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'' had one klezmer patter song sung by the main character's mother called [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jOVk1ViQCw "Where's the Bathroom?"]]
73** Also from season one, "Cold Showers Lead to Crack", a ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' homage in which Rebecca tries to convince a bunch of apartment residents to join a class action suit about cold showers by claiming the cold water will [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext make them heroin addicts]].
74* [[{{Pun}} Neo of Sporin]] had one in ''Series/{{Galavant}}'', called "Time Is Of The Essence," in which he sings a fast-pace song about how little time they have to [[spoiler: try to revive Gal after he'd been stabbed by Sid's sword]]. He actually spends a full minute talking about how urgent the situation is without taking any action, even making self-aware jokes such as "there's not much time in rhyming now".
75* ''Series/OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding'' sees Charles perform "Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It," a very difficult patter song about murderous babies. Charles helpfully defines the term for his girlfriend as "a speed-singing information dump they always give to the guy who can't sing, it's basically a rap."
76* In the MusicalEpisode of ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', Dr. Cox's traditional long, funny rant becomes a song.
77[[/folder]]
78
79[[folder:Music]]
80* "Unbelievable" by Music/DiamondRio. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in Music/CledusTJudd's parody: "That Diamond Rio song had way too many syllables!"
81%% * "One Week" by Music/BarenakedLadies.
82%% * "I've Just Seen a Face" by Music/TheBeatles.
83%% * "Une Valse à Mille Temps" by Music/JacquesBrel.
84%% ** Similarly, in its English rewrite, "Carousel."
85* "A Wolf at the Door" by Music/{{Radiohead}} is unusually dark in tone for a patter song, but no less rapid-fire (though it has longer-than-usual spaces between the pattery verses). However, the choruses are slightly slower.
86%% * "88 Lines about 44 Women" by The Nails.
87* "Johnny Tulloch", by The Rankin Family, featuring rapid fire lists of people piled in a wagon for a dance in Glencoe, and a story about the dance. Towards the end of the song, there's even scat singing from the women in the group while the male singer lists the names of those in the wagon.
88%% * "It's The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by Music/{{REM}}. The TropeNamer for SomethingSomethingLeonardBernstein.
89* "Chemo Limo" by Music/ReginaSpektor contains rapid-fire sections in which the narrator rails against her diagnosis and decides to spend the money she would've spent on treatments to take her kids on a limo ride.
90* "Hardware Store" by Music/WeirdAlYankovic, which is also partially a ListSong when Al starts rattling off things the hardware store in question sells.
91** It's one song Al refuses to perform live because he doesn't think he can do it again.
92** "Your Horoscope for Today" isn't fast enough for the whole song to count, but the bridge does, when he says all this in about twenty seconds ''and in one breath'':
93--->Now you may find it inconceivable or at the\
94Very least a bit unlikely that the relative position\
95Of the planets and the stars could have some special deep significance\
96Or meaning that exclusively applies to only you\
97But let me give you my assurance that these forecasts and predictions\
98Are all based on solid scientific documented evidence\
99So you would have to be some kind of moron not to realize\
100That every single one of them is absolutely true\
101''Where was I?''
102** He also does this in the theme song for [[Series/TheWeirdAlShow his short-lived TV show]]. The first verse is even a run-on sentence!
103* Steve Goodie's ''Franchise/HarryPotter''-themed parody [[http://www.thefump.com/fump.php?id=1191 "Dumbledore"]] is likewise an example.
104* "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Music/BobDylan.
105* "Soho (Needless to Say)" by Music/AlStewart
106* Pretty much ''everything'' Vio-Lence ever recorded.
107* Virginia-based [[http://carbonleaf.com/ Carbon Leaf]] revived a traditional song from the U.K. (opinions vary as to whether it's Scottish or Irish) called "Mary Mac". Their official recorded version may be heard [[http://youtu.be/FmEbbJ0c5xw here]]. Be sure to check out a few of their live versions, as well. Note that any tropers who wish to upload their own versions should try to increase the tempo at every verse *and* every repetition of the chorus, to show off just wwhow good they are.
108* Music/TimMinchin's "Pope Song" has shades of this:
109* Matisyahu - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsFpUW48Tnc King Without A Crown]]
110* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnzrGr78Mws Goin' Down]]" by Music/TheMonkees is a fast-paced, upbeat song... about a guy having second thoughts after trying to drown himself.
111* Kirby Krackle's "Who Watches the Watcher," which is used as the theme song of Marvel's online news show "The Watcher," features a major section that rattles off a list of Marvel characters who watch the Watcher.
112* Music/ChameleonCircuit's Big Bang 2, which summarizes the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode named "The Big Bang."
113* The song "I've Been Everywhere" was originally written by Geoff Mack and popularized by Lucky Starr (both Australian) and featured a rapid-fire list of Australian cities the author had visited. It was later famously rewritten by Hank Snow to feature cities from the USA and recorded in that form by many, many other artists including Lynn Anderson, Asleep At The Wheel, and Music/JohnnyCash.
114* Many of Music/JimmyDurante's songs were these, due to his idosyncratic singing style. Three prime examples are "Inka-dinka-doo", "Chibodee-chobodee-chibodee" and "Durante, The Patron of the Arts."
115* Music/BarbraStreisand's "Minute Waltz" and "Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking," which is also a {{List Song}} of said supermarket's more notable merchandise.
116* Rolf Harris' "Court of King Caractacus."
117* A Heavy Metal example: "Shenanigans" by S.O.D.
118* Music/JudasPriest's "Freewheel Burning" where Rob Halford sings these words in under 20 seconds, and still manages to end it with several long notes:
119--> Look before you leap has never been the way we keep\
120Our road is free
121--> Charging to the top and never give in never stops the
122--> Way to be
123--> Hold on to the lead with all your will and concede
124--> You'll find there's life with victory on high
125* Music/ToddRundgren has his own examples with "Song of the Viking" and "An Elpee's Worth of Toons", both of them Music/GilbertAndSullivan pastiches. And he also covered Gilbert and Sullivan's "Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song", which is itself an example.
126* "Stuart" by Music/TheDeadMilkmen
127* "Popular" by Nada Surf, the verses for which a spoken-word readings from a cheesy teen dating advice book.
128* Music/TomWaits has "Pasties and a G-String", a very tipsy sounding patter song about strippers from ''Music/SmallChange''.
129* Music/TomLehrer, a huge fan of both Creator/GilbertAndSullivan and Creator/DannyKaye, not to mention a certified scientific and mathematical genius, wrote several songs like this.
130** In "The Elements", he rhymed all the chemical element names from the Periodic Table (at least, all the ones that were known at the time; several more have been discovered since [[note]] Lehrer knew this was going to happen -- the last words of the song are "These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard, and there may be many others but they haven't been discahvered".[[/note]]) and set them to the tune of the MajorGeneralSong.
131** "New Math".
132** His rendition of "Clementine" on ''Music/AnEveningWastedWithTomLehrer'' includes a final verse InTheStyleOf Gilbert and Sullivan. While he calls it a "rousing finale", the song is actually a patter song.
133* Against Me!'s "You Look Like I Need a Drink" is a punk example. It starts off as a mid-tempo song before delving into extremely fast patter for the remainder.
134* "Rosetta Stoned" by Music/{{Tool}}.
135* The 1974 novelty song "Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)," where each verse [[ListSong lists]] various musical personalities, pop songs and record labels from the 1950s to the then-present in rapid succession. The tune and concept was later lifted for a UsefulNotes/{{McDonalds}} jingle, where patrons would sing the restaurant's entire menu.
136* "Salty Dog" from Music/FloggingMolly's first album, ''Swagger''
137* Pretty much any dancehall reggae song is this, especially to those who are unfamiliar with, or otherwise don't regularly follow reggae music.
138* Much of Music/BoneThugsNHarmony's music consists of these.
139* Music/GeorgeJones and his 1973 hit "Nothing Ever Hurt Me Half As Bad As Losing You," which had such rapid-fire lyrics he reportedly had to read them off a sheet of notebook paper when recording the song. Even though the song was a top 10 hit on the country chart, he rarely if ever performed the song in concert.
140* Jakurai's specialty in ''Music/HypnosisMic'' is a semi-patter style which is more "spoken" than "sung". When he has a solo, it normally involves some manner of poetic lyrics.
141* Music/{{Eminem}} did a few of these, as the result of his SubvertedKidsShow vibe combining with his ultra-technical lyrics.
142** "Bully", his DissTrack to his [[GreenEyedMonster jealous magazine editor nemesis]] Benzino and Music/FiftyCent's ArchEnemy Ja Rule (who Eminem had been swept up into beefing with via signing 50 to his label). He humorously describes [[TheVillainSucksSong the ways in which his enemies are emotional wrecks]] to the tune of a [[IronicNurseryRhyme folk song]].
143** Eminem's hook for "Patiently Waiting" has him singing intricate words to a rapid melody.
144** "Gatman and Robbin'" is GangstaRap lyrics sung rapidly to a SuspiciouslySimilarSong to the famous EpicRiff from ''Series/Batman1966''.
145** "I'll Hurt You", likewise, has Eminem singing gangsta death threats over a [[GenreMotif/{{Classical}} tense, cinematic cello riff]].
146** A rare-ish example from his later career is Music/{{Pink}}'s "Revenge", in which Slim rapidly describes the humiliations of his dysfunctional relationship over a humorous, bouncy melody (that shares more than a few similarities to "My Name Is").
147[[/folder]]
148
149[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
150* Convincing John's self-titled song on ''Series/FraggleRock'' is a patter song, as he fast-talks his fellow Fraggles into believing his InsaneTrollLogic.
151* ''Series/SpittingImage'' used the Gilbert and Sullivan song "My Eyes Are Fully Open" to parody Neil Kinnock's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1rJW2P2rFY reputation for talking really fast, without talking much about anything at all.]]
152[[/folder]]
153
154[[folder:Radio]]
155* The summer 2015 finale of ''Radio/TheNowShow'' had "It's a Long-Term Economic Plan (But Not For You)", in which Jake Yapp and Harry the Piano cast George Osborne as Harold Hill ("Friends, we got trouble, right here in Blighty...")
156[[/folder]]
157
158[[folder:Theatre]]
159* The TropeCodifier are the comic operas of Creator/GilbertAndSullivan, every one of which has at least one patter-song (most often these were originally written for the actor George Grossmith). Specific examples:
160** Perhaps the most prominent example is "I am the very model of a [[ModernMajorGeneral modern major-general]]" from ''Theatre/ThePiratesOfPenzance''. [[MajorGeneralSong Many patter songs since then are inspired by this.]]
161** "How Beautifully Blue the Sky", also from ''The Pirates of Penzance'', has the entire women's chorus singing patter in 2/4 time while the romantic leads sing a duet in 3/4 time--at the same time.
162** "When You're Lying Awake" (often called "The Nightmare Song") from ''Theatre/{{Iolanthe}}''
163** "My Name is John Wellington Wells" from ''Theatre/TheSorcerer''.
164** Most of "Rising Early In The Morning," the last two lines of the verses of "In Enterprise Of Martial Kind," and the chorus of "From The Sunny Spanish Shore", all are patter moments from ''Theatre/TheGondoliers''.
165** In the trio, "My Eyes Are Fully Open" from ''Theatre/{{Ruddigore}}'', [[note]] Later used in the revival version of ''The Pirates of Penzance'', and then as "The Speed Test" in ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' [[/note]] which is the fastest of the G&S patter songs, Gilbert and Sullivan [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] their own notoriety for patter songs (and the difficulty in understanding them when sung). As the song says,
166-->''"This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter / Isn't generally heard, and if it is it doesn't matter!"''
167** "As Someday It May Happen" from ''Theatre/TheMikado'' lists people who would not be missed if they were to be executed. Modern productions of ''The Mikado'' invariably rewrite this one to incorporate topical and local events, especially as the original lyrics explicitly invite the performer (or producer) to add their own lines:
168-->''"And Tsk-tsk-tsk and What's-his-name and also You-know-who, the task of filling up the blanks I rather leave to you, but it really doesn't matter whom you put upon the list, 'cause they'd none of them be missed, they'd none of them be missed."''
169** The final verse of "I Am So Proud" from ''The Mikado''. The trio begins with each character singing their part in sequence, then in counterpoint, and totally skips that format at the end with the trio singing a brief patter.
170** ''Theatre/{{Patience}}'' has a true patter song in "If You Want a Receipt"[[note]]notable for being perhaps the only patter solo in the series that is not sung by the comic lead[[/note]] and a semi-patter song in "If You're Anxious for to Shine".
171** ''Theatre/HMSPinafore'' has "When I Was a Lad," which has the last two lines in each verse and chorus sung at patter-like paces.
172* Offenbach is the example of the light operetta in France's Second Empire, and, just like Gilbert and Sullivan, left numerous patter songs in his work:
173** One of the most well-known is probably the aria of the Brazilian [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvezcTjWHBc Je suis Brésilien, j'ai de l'or]] in ''La Vie Parisienne'', where a Brazilian arriving to Paris explains in great detail and length why and how he came to France by stealing money in his country and more than eager to be stolen from here.
174** ''Les bavards'' (The Chatterboxes) featured a large number of patter songs - as we can expect from such chattering people. It includes a wife claiming (in a verbious manner) how she can stop talking whenever she wants and how she hates chatterboxes (while illustrating every flaw she criticizes); a young man listing to an old merchant the various reasons someone might need money; [[https://youtu.be/0g2mX_QxBLA?si=K0mAtTjN6tD_Y9yn&t=295 the same young man, complimenting at top speed the meal he has been invited to]]; and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzZHO7qhTeQ four merchants explaining their grievances to a judge]]. ''They just never stop chattering''.
175** ''Theatre/OrpheusInTheUnderworld'' has several patter songs.
176*** The god Mercury introduces himself in a joyous and hopping patter song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzJG-X1GLfY Et hop! Et hop! Place à Mercury!]].
177*** There is a patter chorus, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvNzg_HLzTI Aux armes, déesses et demi-dieux!]], where the gods are calling for a revolution against the "tyrannic" rule of Jupiter (and it happened during the Second Empire, the heir of various Revolutions in those troubled French times). A rare example of patter song sang with a chorus.
178*** The gods are mocking Jupiter in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmsCw0KXNgo list song of his metamorphoses to seduce mortals]], implying that he finds himself too ugly to appear as such.
179-->''"Que prouvent ces métamorphoses?"''
180-->''"C'est que tu te trouves si laid"''
181-->''"Que pour te faire aimer, tu n'oses"''
182-->''"Te montrer tel que l'on t'a fait..."''
183** In ''La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein'', the new general of the possible UrExample {{Ruritania}} in western literature, singing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=NZ3pvw3WMME his last victory]] by making the enemy army drink until they pass out.
184** In ''La Belle Hélène'', parodying the rapture of Helen (and the beginning of the Trojan War), the kings of Greece introduce themselves in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER9fi5x_qrE patter-style song with light tongue-twisters]]. The same melody is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79-9qywm3AE used]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoIZCtH-yQY twice]], even quicker, to expulse the king Menelas from Greece and then, after, to encourage Helen to flee with an oracle (in fact Paris in disguise).
185** Helen also has a patter song that manages to be touching, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlkbvYkt-gs Là, vrai, je ne suis pas coupable]], where Helen is demonstrating that, indeed, all of this is absolutely not her fault.
186** In ''Theatre/LeVoyageDansLaLune'', the three main characters (the prince Caprice, the king Vlan and the scientist Microscope) sing how [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBA5qzYcxJA travelling by ejecting yourself with a cannon is a much more effective way of travelling than by train]].
187** ''Les deux aveugles'', where two false blind beggars try to attract charity by singing their own song. While Giraffier sings a languid serenade in minor [[{{Scales}} key]], Patachon sings a very joyous song on a much quicker tempo, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSBiRY-aLQ8 until the two melodies blend together and they start yelling at each other]].
188** In ''Barbe-Bleue'', Blue-Beard sing how sad and tragic it is to loose all his wives... while following quickly on how he will find a new one that will not last long as he presumes, ending each strophes by reciting [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASh5BQD7ltU Je suis Barbe-Barbe-Barbe-Barbe-Barbe-Barbe-Bleue]] at top speed.
189** ''Le Château à Toto'' has Catherine and Pitou fighting themselves in a song that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzywPOx1Jaw degenerates to a tongue-twisting, repeating patter song]].
190* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz45Vtjfbpk "Clarice Cara Mia Sposa"]] by Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart.
191** ''Theatre/DonGiovanni'' has "Fin ch'han dal vino calda la testa", sung by Don Giovanni organizing a party.
192* Website/TheOtherWiki has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_patter_songs its own list]]...
193* "All Hail The Brain" from ''Theatre/{{Thirteen}}'' is a fast pace patter song in which Evan details his plan to get tickets to see an R-rated movie.
194* "Pulled" from ''Theatre/TheAddamsFamily'' has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nto6SrF1FPA#t=2m15s bridge]] which is a brief, fast-paced ListSong.
195* In ''Theatre/AlbertHerring'', the Mayor delivers his speech chanting out words at a very fast clip, slowing down only for coloratura cadences, after each of which he takes a big breath.
196* ''Barnum'' gives us the "Museum Song".
197-->Quite a lotta
198-->Roman terra cotta
199-->Livin' lava from the flanks of Etna
200-->Statuary
201-->Ride a dromedary
202-->See the Temple tumble and the Red Sea part.
203
204-->[=McNamara=]'s band
205-->The fattest lady in the land
206-->A pickled prehistoric hand
207-->A strand of Pocahontas' hair
208-->Crow and Sioux
209-->Who're going to
210-->Be showing you
211-->Some rowing through
212-->A model of the rapids on the Delaware.
213* A song that Jim Steinman wrote for the unproduced Franchise/{{Batman}} musical was a patter song. Written for ComicBook/TheJoker, it was entitled "Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?" (Steinman likes long titles) and it goes a little something like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J06bcmbXdZo this]]...
214* "The Plan" from ''Theatre/TheBrainFromPlanetX'' counts as this.
215* "Strike That, Reverse It" in ''Theatre/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory'' has fun with this trope: A RunningGag within it has Willy Wonka singing so quickly that he keeps accidentally switching words around at the end of verses (InternalHomage to the [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory 1971 film adaptation of this story]]), and in the final stretch he promises "The next time I'll rehearse it". As he presses the guardians of the Golden Ticket finders to sign a contract before proceeding with the tour, his summary of its contents is ''so'' fast -- and filled with both GratuitousLatin '''and''' Gratuitous French -- that Mr. Salt complains "This tempo is preposterous!"
216-->'''Wonka:''' ''Our schedule has no room for intros, languid and rubato./ Accelerate right to the verse, [[LampshadeHanging and play it molto presto and staccato!]]''
217* The Quartet from ''Theatre/{{Chess}}'' has some of this.
218* "Both Sides of the Coin" from ''Theatre/{{Drood}}''.
219* Thomas Aquinas's part in ''Theatre/{{Godspell}}'''s "Tower of Babble". "God is apprehended by imagination, intuition...."
220** Also from ''Godspell'', Judas/David's verse in "All for the Best".
221* "Guns and Ships" of ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' holds the distinction of being the fastest song in one of the fastest shows in Broadway history, courtesy of Lafayette. There's a section where '''nineteen''' words are sung in roughly three seconds. And all in an over-the-top French accent. Angelica's main song ("Satisfied") also counts--Lin himself can't pull off her rap sections, and she's got fewer opportunities to sneak a breath in than Lafayette does.
222* "Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians)" lyrics by Creator/IraGershwin and music by Music/KurtWeill, first performed by Creator/DannyKaye in ''Theatre/LadyInTheDark''.
223* "Now (It's Just the Gas)" from ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors''.
224* "Rock Island" from ''Theatre/TheMusicMan'' is a rare example involving many people. It's more of a proto-rap than a conventional song, and it lost its musical accompaniment when the pianist was unavailable. The authors performed it ''a cappella'', and it worked so well that they [[ThrowItIn kept it that way]]. And of course, "Ya Got Trouble" from the same score is one of the most well-known American patter songs.
225* ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812'' has the beginning of "Preparations", which instead of typical comedy, uses the format to sound vaguely ominous.
226* "Contini Submits" and Necrophorus' part in "Folies Bergeres" from ''Theatre/{{Nine|Musical}}''.
227* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' has "Notes" in the first act, which consists of an increasing number of people all singing angrily at each other until the Phantom shuts them up.
228* The verses of "War Is a Science" from ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}''.
229** Made more evident in the revival, in which the verses get EVEN FASTER.
230* The ending of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTuFP0SFLQY The King of Broadway]]" in ''Theatre/TheProducers'' certainly qualifies.
231** So does Leo's part in "We Can Do It".
232* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_he-mCN2WY "Tonight at Eight"]] from ''She Loves Me''.
233* "The Red Phone Rag" in ''[[Film/DrStrangelove Strangelove]]: The Musical''.
234* Professor Abronsius' "Wahrheit" in ''Theatre/TanzDerVampire''.
235* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYnciR0_qos Es que estoy tan ocupada]]" ("I'm just so busy") from the Cibrian-Mahler musical ''30 Days'', where Juana's self-centered mother answers her pre-suicide call by listing all the inane stuff she does.
236* Mr. Graydon's dictation test/interview of Mille in ''Film/ThoroughlyModernMillie'' ("The Speed Test") gradually becomes this as they move through the verses. The tune uses "My Eyes Are Fully Open" from Ruddigore.[[note]]And opens with those words.[[/note]] In this case, the music starts off as PAINSTAKINGLY SLOW, and then little by little turns RIDICULOUSLY [[MotorMouth FAST]].
237* Most of "The Brain" from ''Theatre/YoungFrankenstein'' ("His Medulla Oblongata / tells his brain stem that it's gotta / send an impulse full of data / which creates a lot of pain"… etc).
238* Music/StephenSondheim loves this:
239** "Everybody Says Don't" from ''Theatre/AnyoneCanWhistle'' doesn't keep a consistently fast pace, but has more than enough sixteenth notes to challenge singers.
240** "Another Hundred People" and Amy's part of "Getting Married Today" from ''[[Theatre/CompanySondheim Company]]''. The latter is such a fast patter that the printed notes are never sung.
241** "Buddy's Blues" from ''Theatre/{{Follies}}''.
242** "Now" from ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic''.
243** The British Ambassador's part in "Please Hello" from ''Theatre/PacificOvertures''. Sondhiem wrote each Ambassador's part (American, British, Dutch, Russian, and French) in a musical style that reflects their nationality. The British Ambassador's bit is an homage to Gilbert and Sullivan
244** ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' has some of this in "The Contest," and more in "The Worst Pies In London."
245** "Franklin Shepard, Inc." from ''Theatre/MerrilyWeRollAlong'' has elements of this.
246** ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' has an ensemble version of this in "Your Fault", but other bits in the score are similar, such as the Witch and Stepsister's bit in "Ever After".
247** Arguably "The Ballad of Czolgosz" from ''Theatre/{{Assassins}}''.
248** Sondheim's demo recordings of "Pretty Little Picture" and "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" from ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' are decidedly faster than the original cast performed them, though they're still {{List Song}}s with a lot of bits that are tricky to enunciate in tempo. "Free" is another mouthful.
249* The song "Ready, Set, Not Yet" from ''Theatre/{{Beetlejuice}}'' has both Adam and Barbara launching into their own little spoken patter bits when discussing others' disdain for their boring hobbies and unwillingness to start a family:
250-->'''Adam:''' Folks say, "Adam,\
251Why do you polish a crib when you don't have a kid\
252And even if you did have a kid\
253This crib is too precious for placing a baby inside it\
254So it simply exists to remind you\
255Your sense of perfection is just a reflection\
256That you are not mentally prepared to make room for a KID, Adam!"
257-->'''Barbara:''' Folks say, "Barbara,\
258Why can't you see that ceramics\
259Is simply a manifestation of motherly panic\
260By making a baby that's breakable\
261Aren't you creating a way of translating the terror\
262Of making maternal mistakes into clay,\
263Hiding away so you don't have to face being a bad MOM, Barbara!"
264[[/folder]]
265
266[[folder:Video Games]]
267* The credits theme from ''VideoGame/TheJackboxPartyPack 6'''s game ''Dictionarium'' is a hilarious Creator/MontyPython-esque number performed by the game's host, The Keeper.
268-->''The game that you are playing, well, it causes much hilarium\
269You make up silly words and phrases, ending in hysterium\
270You have to answer quickly, no, you really mustn't tarry-um!\
271And anybody can compete, a Tom, a Dick, a Harry-um!\
272So gather in the living room, pull up a stool or chair-ium\
273With lots of foods or beverages, like milk or juice or barium,\
274Then start to make your crazy words and don't forget to vary 'em,\
275And that is how you win at Dictionarium!''
276* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', [[MotorMouth Mordin Solus]] once states that [[ActorAllusion he used to sing Gilbert & Sullivan]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umN7YOsmGl4 always did the Patter Songs]]. It should come as no surprise, seeing as Mordin talks about five times as fast as everyone else anyway.
277--->I am the very model of a scientist salarian\
278I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian\
279I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology)\
280because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology)\
281My xenoscience studies range from urban to agrarian\
282I am the very model of a scientist salarian!
283** He also did ''The Pirates of Penzance'' in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' with a Krogan theme. And if that wasn't enough, he did a song about molecular biology to the tune of ''John Brown's Body'' as well.
284[[/folder]]
285
286[[folder:Webcomics]]
287* ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'''s 400th strip special song, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR5DaYuDWYs The History of Nintendo]]", has this in the verses.
288[[/folder]]
289
290[[folder:Web Original]]
291* While the theme from ''WebAnimation/CampCamp'' certainly counts, the final part of the second verse is very notable.
292--> '''David:''' We've got archery, hiking\
293search and rescue, biking\
294horseback, training that'll save you from a heart attack\
295scuba diving, miming\
296keeping up with rhyming\
297football, limbo\
298science, stunting\
299pre-calc, spaceships\
300treasure hunting\
301bomb defusal, no refusal\
302fantasies, circus trapeze\
303and fights and ghosts\
304and paints and snakes\
305and knives and chess\
306and dance and weights\
307it's Camp Camp!
308* "Brand New Day" in ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has the titular villain quietly sing the verses in a very speedy manner. The whole cast and crew were amazed that Creator/NeilPatrickHarris actually managed to sing it.
309* The bridge from "On Your Knees" on the ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'' season 9 soundtrack can count as this.
310-->Oklahoma beat down\
311Pennsylvania dead and drown\
312Minnesota castigate\
313Massachusetts flagellate\
314Bitch slap Tennesee\
315DC dead see?\
316Utah is a fucking mess\
317Oregon in great duress\
318Maryland is on her knees \
319Louisiana? Bitch….please.\
320Mississippi worst day ever\
321North Dakota not much better\
322Missouri in a stranglehold\
323Montana's corpse is getting cold\
324Bleeding time for old Kentucky\
325Indiana not so lucky\
326Vermont could use a four leaf clover\
327New Jersey it is almost over\
328Pick up Delaware and slam her\
329Call the meds for Alabama\
330Michigan has been destroyed\
331Ditto that for Illinois\
332New Hampshire should have brought a friend\
333West Virginia's at her end
334%% * Most of Mettaton's numbers, mainly "Metal Crusher" and parts of "Death by Glamour" in ''WebVideo/UndertaleTheMusical''.
335[[/folder]]
336
337[[folder:Western Animation]]
338* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'', the famous segment "Yakko's World" is a big list of every country in the world (roughly), sung very quickly to a slightly modified version of "The Mexican Hat Dance". This is then spoofed with "All the Words in the English Language", set to the same tune, where Yakko rattles off a whole bunch of words beginning with "A" before cutting to the next cartoon. They cut back later with him partway through "L", starting to slow down, and finally again with him at the tail end of the "Z"s, even slower still and ready to pass out.
339%% * "Summer Sunshine", which opens ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInAMermaidTale'' is one of these.
340%% * There's a Creator/CartoonNetwork promo listing all the aliens in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' in song form.
341* The ExpositoryThemeTune for ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'' also qualifies as a patter song, with rapid-fire verses that explain the premise of the show.
342--> ''Out on the road or back in town\
343All kinds a' critters putting [=CatDog=] down\
344Gotta rise above it, gotta try to get along\
345Gotta walk together, gotta sing this song''
346* "The Fundamental Principle of the Thing" in ''Donald and the Wheel'' is an explanation of how gears work worded in a convoluted, formal, and ''rapid'' manner. It assumes ViewersAreGeniuses, though in a tongue-in-cheek way. Donald is noticeably confused the whole time.
347--> '''Spirit of Invention:''' Count the teeth along these two gears\
348You would know this if you knew gears\
349How the larger has exactly twice the teeth.\
350Twice the number, incidentally,\
351If you spin it even gently,\
352You'll observe the smaller turning twice the speed.
353* Referenced in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "[[Recap/FamilyGuyS10E16KillerQueen Killer Queen]]" when Peter is playing characters in ''West Side Story'' and ''The Pirates of Penzance'', who both have patter songs and he mumbles through the lyrics.
354* ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'': Portions of [[Recap/HazbinHotelS1E0ThatsEntertainment the pilot]]'s musical number "Inside of Every Demon is a Rainbow", notably those where Charlie lists out various kinds of sinners/sins, are sung rapid-fire.
355%% * ''WesternAnimation/{{Histeria}}'' summed up all 37 of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's plays this way in "That Is the Story That's Told by the Bard".
356* "Biskit Family Business" in the ''WesternAnimation/LittlestPetShop2012'' episode "[[Recap/LittlestPetShop2012S3E21ANightAtThePawza A Night at the Pawza]]" is about the [[{{Fiction 500}} corporate head]] Fisher Biskit teaching his daughters (through song) how he runs his business. That he explains it in such a complicated way suggests he has a thorough, intimate knowledge on the subject.
357%% * Bunsen's song about [[BlatantLies how to grow a rubber chicken tree]] in the ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies2018'' episode "Bunsen Knows All".
358* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
359** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E15TheSuperSpeedyCiderSqueezy6000 The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000]]", the Flim-Flam Brothers get a patter song that's heavily based on the previously mentioned "Trouble" from ''Theatre/TheMusicMan''.
360** Discord gets one in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E11ThreesACrowd Three's a Crowd]]" titled "Glass of Water", where [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin he asks for a glass of water]]. [[LongList Along with many, many,]] ''[[LongList many]]'' [[LongList other zany things]].
361** Pinkie Pie's "Smile Song", as originally written by Amy Keating-Rogers, was going to have a patter section, but it was deleted from Daniel Ingram's final version.
362* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
363** "I Really Don't Hate Christmas" from ''Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation'' is a song in which Dr. Doofenshmirtz sings about how much it bugs him that he can't work up more than "[[OdeToApathy an intense, burning indifference]]" towards a holiday he, as an evil genius, feels obliged to hate, while [[ListSong rattling off a number of holidays and other things]] that he unambiguously hates.
364-->''You see, Valentine's is torture, and my birthday is a mess\
365New Year's is a lot of noise, and Arbor Day's a pest\
366Halloween's a horror, but I guess I must confess\
367That I really don't hate Christmas!''
368** In "Where's Pinky?", a motor-mouthed tour guide at the city hall sings about "The History of the Tri-State Area" to a tour group.
369-->''A lot of people know that the Tri-State Area used to be a Bi-State Area with an adjacent area over there\
370What people don't know is that originally it was three distinct single-state areas, but people don't care!\
371The founders of the area were independent thinkers, completely unaffected by bureaucratic hurdles\
372And that's why the Capitol Building was moved here from Sri Lanka on the backs of seven giant sea turtles!''
373* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' has a few, including "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E20TwoDozenAndOneGreyhounds See My Vest]]" (in which Mr. Burns shows off all the garments he's made from real animal skins and fur), and "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E12HomerTheGreat We Do]]", in which the Stonecutters list the ''many'' conspiracies in which they are involved, including covering up life on Mars, robbing cavefish of their sight, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking maintaining]] Creator/SteveGuttenberg's career.
374* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch", a fast-paced song Cartman initially sings in "[[Recap/SouthParkS1E9MrHankeyTheChristmasPoo Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo]]", largely consists of calling Kyle's uptight mother Sheila a bitch over and over. In ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', the song gets even faster and dubbed in various different languages.
375%% * ''WesternAnimation/TazMania'': Francis X. Bushlad gets brief one (set to the tune of "Modern Major General") extolling the virtues of his lemonade in "Francis Takes a Stand".
376* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xslBV_a4x-U That's How We'll Get Her]]" from the ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder''-episode "My Fair Hatey" is a song by Sylvia and Commander Peepers in which they plot a way to defeat [[BigBad Lord Dominator]].
377-->'''Peepers:''' ''I've done extensive research on our good friend Dominator\
378You see, her whole fleet's powered by volcanic excavator\
379So I'll apply frostonium to this pyroregulator\
380and completely discombobulate her army's power center!''
381[[/folder]]
382
383----
384->And now that you have finished proofing, adding tropes, or lurking,
385->We suggest you hit Control-Q, and ''just get the hell to'' '''''working!'''''

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