I Can Can! (fast version)

Most of you have never heard Offenbach's "Can-Can" and thought, "Wow, I'd love to have my children singing that." And yet, we think you will find this a very neat experience. One nice thing is that this melody is pretty well-known, so learning it shouldn't be too difficult. And we have given the song simple, positive, repetitive lyrics. (What's more positive than saying "I can?") To top it off, we give your students the opportunity to play (optional) kazoos, percussion, and even Boomwhackers®.

The tune comes together like this – after the standard orchestral opening, the tune is played three times. Kids sing it the first time, play kazoos the second time, and the third time some play kazoos while others sing. Add a short punchy ending and you have a real crowd pleaser.

As you might expect, we give you recorded tracks with full orchestra. Actually, we give you two sets of recordings: one with a slower tempo to help your students learn, and then a faster tempo so your singers can really shine.

For historical context, you can tell your students that this song isn't really called "Can-Can." The original work is actually known as the "Infernal Galop" from Jacques Offenbach's opera bouffon Orpheus In The Underworld, first performed in 1858. Of course, over the years, this melody has been the most enduring part of the opera, often accompanying high-stepping dancers doing the can-can.