Fugue for Tinhorns

"Fugue for Tinhorns" is a song written and composed by Frank Loesser and first performed by Stubby Kaye, Johnny Silver, and Douglas Deane in 1950.[1] The song was featured in the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls.

"Fugue for Tinhorns"
Song by Stubby Kaye, Johnny Silver, Douglas Deane
from the album Guys and Dolls (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Released1950
Recorded1950
Genreshow tunes
Length1:43
LabelDecca
Songwriter(s)Frank Loesser

Development

Twelve years before writing "Fugue for Tinhorns," Loesser was taken to a racetrack by Jule Styne, who said Loesser "was crazy about the racing form and the phrase 'can do' after a horse's name", which Styne said was Loesser's inspiration for the song.[2]

Loesser originally called the song "Three Cornered Tune," and it was to be sung in Guys and Dolls by the characters Sarah Brown, Nathan Detroit, and Sky Masterson. As the play took shape, the characters singing the song were changed to Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet, and Rusty Charlie, and the song was placed at the beginning of the show to establish context and tone.[3]

The song also mentions Equipoise (1928–1938), a real-life Thoroughbred racehorse and stakes race champion of his time. While the racehorse "Epitaph" mentioned in the song's lyrics is fictional, the American Quarter Horse stallion and racehorse Go Man Go (1953–1983) was a great-grandson of Equipoise.[4] Go Man Go was the World Champion Quarter Running Horse from 1955 to 1957, around the same time as the 1955 First Las Vegas and 1955 New York City Center revival productions of Guys and Dolls.

Notable recordings
Film
  • The song plays over the opening and closing credits of the 1989 film Let It Ride.

References
  1. Dietz, Dan (July 2, 2014). The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 39. ISBN 978-1442235052. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  2. Riis, Thomas L. (January 28, 2008). Frank Loesser. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN 978-0300110517. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  3. McLamore, Alyson (September 18, 2017). Musical Theater - An Appreciation. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1317191049. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  4. "Go Man Go". Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  5. "The Andrews Sisters – Fugue For Tinhorns / Now That I'm In Love". Discogs. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  6. "Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin – Fugue For Tinhorns". Discogs. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  7. "Herschel Bernardi – Show Stopper". Discogs. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  8. "Barry Manilow – Showstoppers". Discogs. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  9. "Fugue for Tinhorns". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  10. "Big Scoob AKA Johnny Famous – Can Du". Discogs. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  11. "Guys and Dolls (Film) Song List". Frank Loesser. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
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