Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

"Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" is a song about the two titular mischievous cats, based on the poem of the same name by T S Eliot. It is performed as a lively dance number with acrobatics while Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer sing in duet, capped off with the duo's signature tandem cartwheels.

Context
After Bustopher Jones' introduction, a loud crashing sound rings throughout the Junkyard, sending the cats into a panic. Macavity is suspected to abound and so members of the tribe run offstage to hide. Suddenly, both Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer spring up, giggling, and begin singing about their lives, profession, and exploits as 'knockabout clowns, quick-change comedians,' etc. They describe their lavish residence and travels causing trouble throughout London, as well as within their own owner's family. They are eventually caught and confronted by the other cats, their bags of stolen goods discarded.

Throughout their song, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer dance and perform acrobatic feats. Their signature piece of choreography is a series of (usually seven) consecutive tandem cartwheels. In the original London production, they were chased around the theatre by the other cats at the end of their song.

History
There are three versions of the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer":


 * The original 1981 London version is a relatively languid-paced jazz number, a slowed down rendition of the slinky jazz number that had been presented at the Sydmonton Festival the previous year. This version is sung and danced by Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.


 * The 1982 Broadway production introduced the upbeat arrangement in which the song was sung in the third person by Mistoffelees. This version was danced by the actors who played Coricopat and Etcetera as puppets made out of junk that appeared from the trunk of the car set piece, brought to life to entertain Bustopher Jones. The ensemble joined in the dancing in the later portion of the song.


 * The third and most common version originated in the 1983 Vienna production. It is a reworking of the upbeat Broadway tune, but sung and danced by Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer themselves. This version was eventually incorporated into both the Broadway (mid 1987) and London (mid 1990s) productions.

The third version is used in most modern productions including the 1998 film. However, due to various reasons, principally filming overruns, a large chunk of the song was cut out in the 1998 film. The 2019 movie uses the original London version.

Music
The score for "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" has been rewritten over the years. In the original Broadway score, the number opens with Rum Tum Tugger introducing the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees. The song itself alternates between circus/vaudeville-style verses set to 4/4 time, and a wordy patter section set to a frantic asymmetrical 7/8 meter. The wildly different passages provide sharp contrast, with a very brief meter change to 2/4 during each transition. This version of the song has a tempo of 96 beats per minute ("easy ragtime") and is primarily composed in the D major key, switching to Eb major for the final verse and patter section (flitting to F major and Db major for four bars each).



In the modern score, a loud crash followed by Macavity's leitmotif precedes the number. The verses are similarly set to 4/4 time with a moderate tempo ("moderato"). However, rather than a meter change in the patter section, the song remains in common time but with the tempo sped up to 142 beats per minute. The transitional meter changes to 2/4 remain, with another very brief meter change to 6/4 at the end of the final patter section. This modern version follows the same key changes as the original Broadway score. The scene ends with a short reprise of the song.



Modern Version
 Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, we're a notorious couple of cats As knock-about clowns, quick-change comedians, tight-rope walkers and acrobats We have an extensive reputation. We make our home in Victoria Grove - This is merely our centre of operation, for we are incurably given to rove.

If the area window is found ajar, And the basement looks like a field of war, If a tile or two comes loose on the roof, Which presently ceased to be waterproof, If the drawers are pulled out from the bedroom chests, And you can't find one of your winter vests, Or after supper one of the girls Suddenly misses her Woolworth pearls:

Then the family will say: 'It's that horrible cat! Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer?' - and most of the time they leave it at that.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer have an unusual gift of the gab. We are highly efficient cat-burglars as well, and remarkably smart at the smash-and-grab. We make our home in Victoria Grove. We have no regular occupation. We are plausible fellows, who like to engage a friendly policeman in conversation.

When the family assembles for Sunday dinner, With their minds made up that they won't get thinner On Argentine joint, potatoes and greens, Then the cook would appear from behind the scenes And say in a voice that is broken with sorrow: 'I'm afraid you must wait and have dinner tomorrow! The joint has gone from the oven - like that!'

Then the family will say: 'It's that horrible cat! Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer?' - and most of the time they leave it at that.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer have a wonderful way of working together. And some of the time you would say it was luck, and some of the time you would say it was weather. We go through the house like a hurricane, and no sober person could take his oath Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer? or could you have sworn that it mightn't be both?

And when you hear a dining-room smash Or up from the pantry there comes a loud crash Or down from the library came a loud ping From a vase which was commonly said to be Ming -

Then the family will say: 'Now which was which cat? It was Mungojerrie AND Rumpleteazer!' - and there's nothing at all to be done about that!

And there's nothing at all to be done about that!

Original London Version
 Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, we're a notorious couple of cats As knock-about clowns, quick-change comedians, tight-rope walkers and acrobats We have an extensive reputation. We make our home in Victoria Grove - This is merely our centre of operation, for we are incurably given to rove.

We are very well known in Cornwall Gardens, in Launceston Place and in Kensington Square. We have really a little more reputation than a couple of cats can very well bear.

If the area window is found ajar, And the basement looks like a field of war, If a tile or two comes loose on the roof, Which presently fails to be waterproof, If the drawers are pulled out from the bedroom chests, And you can't find one of your winter vests, If after supper one of the girls Suddenly misses her Woolworth pearls:

The family will say: 'It's that horrible cat! Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer?' - and most of the time they leave it at that.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer have a very unusual gift of the gab. We are highly efficient cat-burglars as well, and remarkably smart at the smash-and-grab. We make our home in Victoria Grove. We have no regular occupation. We are plausible fellows, who like to engage a friendly policeman in conversation.

When the family assembles for Sunday dinner, With their minds made up that they won't get thinner On Argentine joint, potatoes and greens, And the cook would appear from behind the scenes And say in a voice that is broken with sorrow: 'I'm afraid you must wait and have dinner tomorrow! For the joint has gone from the oven - like that!'

The family will say: 'It's that horrible cat! Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer?' - and most of the time they leave it at that.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer have a wonderful way of working together. And some of the time you would say it was luck, and some of the time you would say it was weather. We go through the house like a hurricane, and no sober person could take his oath Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer? or could you have sworn that it mightn't be both?

And when you hear a dining-room smash Or up from the pantry there comes a loud crash Or down from the library there comes a loud ping From a vase which was commonly said to be Ming -

The family will say: 'Now which was which cat? It was Mungojerrie AND Rumpleteazer!' - and there's nothing at all to be done about that!

Original Broadway Version
 Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were a notorious couple of cats As knock-about clowns, quick-change comedians, tight-rope walkers and acrobats They had an extensive reputation. They made their home in Victoria Grove - That was merely their centre of operation, for they were incurably given to rove.

If the area window was found ajar, And the basement looked like a field of war, If a tile or two came loose on the roof, Which presently ceased to be waterproof, If the drawers were pulled out from the bedroom chests, And you couldn't find one of your winter vests, Or after supper one of the girls Suddenly missed her Woolworth pearls:

Then the family would say: 'It's that horrible cat! Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer?' - and most of the time they left it at that.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had an unusual gift of the gab. They were highly efficient cat-burglars as well, and remarkably smart at the smash-and-grab. They made their home in Victoria Grove. They had no regular occupation. They were plausible fellows, who liked to engage a friendly policeman in conversation.

When the family assembled for Sunday dinner, With their minds made up that they wouldn't get thinner On Argentine joint, potatoes and greens, Then the cook would appear from behind the scenes And say in a voice that was broken with sorrow: 'I'm afraid you must wait and have dinner tomorrow! The joint has gone from the oven - like that!'

Then the family would say: 'It's that horrible cat! Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer?' - and most of the time they left it at that.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had a wonderful way of working together. And some of the time you would say it was luck, and some of the time you would say it was weather. They'd go through the house like a hurricane, and no sober person could take his oath Was it Mungojerrie - or Rumpleteazer? or could you have sworn that it mightn't be both?

And when you heard a dining-room smash Or up from the pantry there came a loud crash Or down from the library came a loud ping From a vase which was commonly said to be Ming -

Then the family would say: 'Now which was which cat? It was Mungojerrie AND Rumpleteazer!' - and there's nothing at all to be done about that!

And there's nothing at all to be done about that!

International Versions

 * Chinese
 * Czech
 * Dutch
 * French
 * German
 * Hungarian
 * Japanese
 * Norwegian
 * Russian
 * Spanish

Audio
Original London Version
 * "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the 1981 London cast recording


 * "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the 2019 movie soundtrack

Original Broadway Version
 * "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the 1983 Broadway cast recording

Modern Version
 * "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" snippet (in German) from the 1983 Vienna cast recording