Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead Lyrics – A Joyful Song From The Wizard of Oz

OYWM – The song Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead comes from the classic 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz. It’s sung by the Munchkins when Dorothy’s house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her. Let’s take a closer look at the meaning and history behind this delightful tune!

Lyrics

Once there was a wicked witch in the lovely land of Oz
And a wickeder, wickeder, wickeder witch there never, never was
She filled the folks in Munchkin land with terror and with dread
‘Till one fine day from Kansas way a cyclone caught a house
That brought the wicked, wicked witch her doom
As she was flying on her broom
For the house fell on her head and the coroner pronounced her dead
And thru the town the joyous news was spread
Ding-dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead
Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up, the wicked witch is dead!
She’s gone where the goblins go below, below, below, yo ho
Let’s open up and sing, and ring the bells out
Ding-dong! the merry-o sing it high, sing it low
Let them know the wicked witch is dead
Ding-dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead
Wake up, you sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up, the wicked witch is dead!
She’s gone where the goblins go below, below, below, yo ho
Let’s open up and sing, and ring the bells out
Ding-dong! the merry-o sing it high, sing it low
Let them know the wicked witch is dead

The Story Behind The Song

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is swept away to the magical Land of Oz by a tornado. Her house crash-lands on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, accidentally killing her. When Dorothy emerges from the wreckage, she is greeted by the Munchkins, little people whom the witch had enslaved.

Seeing their oppressor’s demise, the Munchkins break into joyful songs and dance to celebrate their newfound freedom. The lyrics express their elation that “the Witch is dead!” This moment marks Dorothy’s first discovery that she is no longer in Kansas.

“Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” captures the delightful tone of this scene. The song became one of the most memorable from the film’s fantastic soundtrack.

The Lyrics

Here are the full lyrics to “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead”:

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!
Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.
Wake up – sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She’s gone where the goblins go,
Below – below – below. Yo-ho, let’s open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong’ the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know The Wicked Witch is dead!

The repetitive chorus is simple and catchy, easy for the Munchkins to sing and dance to. The lyrics express pure joy and relief at the death of the witch.

There are fun wordplay elements too, like “ding dong”, “sing it high, sing it low”, and the nonsense syllables “Yo-ho” and “merry-oh”. The song feels like a children’s nursery rhyme.

The bouncing melodies and silly lyrics create a feeling of celebration and triumph. For the Munchkins, it’s the happiest moment of their lives!

Hidden Political Meaning

While on the surface “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” is a silly song, some suggest it had hidden political meaning when first written.

The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939, at a tense time when fascism was on the rise globally. Some film historians believe the story is an allegory about populism in America. In this theory:

• The Wicked Witch represents corrupt leaders abusing their power
• The Munchkins are the oppressed common people
• Killing the witch represents overthrowing tyranny

So lyrics like “let them know the Wicked Witch is dead” take on a revolutionary zeal. The song becomes an anthem about defeating evil rulers and restoring freedom.

This theory about hidden political meaning is debated, but makes the song more complex!

The Song’s Legacy

While originally written for a film, “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” took on a life beyond The Wizard of Oz.

It remains one of the most iconic songs from Hollywood’s Golden Age of musicals. Other fun facts about its legacy:

• It reached the top 40 on music charts multiple times after being featured in other films or shows
• It was performed and referenced many times on TV, including shows like Glee and The Muppet Show
• Political protesters have sung it at rallies after unpopular leaders died, like Thatcher
• A rock version by Elphaba was recorded for the musical Wicked
• Parody versions have been made about everything from sports team losses to technology fails

Clearly this short song made a big cultural impact! The celebration of the witch’s death captured in the lyrics and music touches a universal human emotion.

Breakdown of the Lyrics

Let’s take a closer look at the full lyrics section by section:

Chorus:

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.

• Repetitive, with a catchy melody
• Call and response structure builds energy
• Establishes the core message – the witch is dead!

Verse 1:

Wake up – sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed. Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead.

• Upbeat, with lots of action words (“wake up”, “rub”, “get”)
• Conversational, like the Munchkins are addressing the listener
• Reinforces the news – get up and celebrate, the witch is dead!

Verse 2:

She’s gone where the goblins go, Below – below – below.

• Whimsical lyrics about the witch going “below”
• Repeating the word “below” gives a sense of falling action
• Paints a picture of the witch going down to the underworld

Verse 3:

Yo-ho, let’s open up and sing and ring the bells out. Ding Dong’ the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.

• More playful, nonsense words (“yo-ho”, “merry-oh”)
• Joyful action words like “sing”, “ring”, “open up”
• Encourages celebrating by singing high and low

Conclusion:

Let them know The Wicked Witch is dead!

• Ties back to initial message
• Ends the song by firmly stating the witch is dead

Looking at each section, we see how the lyrics work together to create an exciting narrative about the witch’s defeat. The writers used many creative techniques to make it fun to sing along!

Why The Song Resonates

This simple tune from a classic movie has stayed popular for over 80 years. Let’s discuss a few reasons why people still love to sing about the witch meeting her doom:

• Instantly recognizable: From the first line, most people know the song
• Easy to parody: New lyrics can be made about any defeated “villain”
• Cathartic message: Seeing bad people lose gives us satisfaction
• Energetic and upbeat: Has an infectious, celebratory vibe
• Timeless appeal: Both kids and adults enjoy the silly lyrics

The story in the lyrics is simple but profound. We all know what it’s like to feel relief when misfortune hits deserving oppressors. “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” bottles that raw emotion in musical form!

Conclusion

In the iconic film The Wizard of Oz, the Munchkins’ cheerful song “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” captures their joy at being freed from tyranny. With its catchy melody, amusing lyrics, and cathartic message, it’s no wonder the tune became a classic.

Sung after the Wicked Witch of the East gets flattened, the song expresses a satisfying feeling of triumph. While silly on the surface, some find deeper political meaning in the lyrics about defeating evil rulers.

Eight decades later, this delightful ditty remains popular in pop culture. By celebrating justice over wickedness in such a fun way, “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” touches on universal human emotions. That’s why we’ll keep singing it for years to come!

So the next time you’re feeling oppressed, just remember the solution: drop a house on the villain! That will give you plenty of reason to dance and shout along to the Munchkins’ infectious victory song.