About “The Streets of Cairo”
“The Streets of Cairo” is a hidden song by Zebrahead from their album Playmate Of The Year.
It is the first of four hidden songs on the album.
The song is a short snippet of the popular song “The Streets of Cairo” which utilizes the popular “Arabian riff.” Also known as “the Oriental riff” or “Aladdin’s theme,” “the Arabigan riff” is a short musical phrase often used in Western media to evoke a stereotyped representation of Middle Eastern or Asian cultures. This melody is usually a simple, repetitive sequence of notes played in a minor key, giving it an exotic or mysterious feel. It typically features a distinct, four-note sequence, often involving rapid shifts between adjacent notes.
“The Streets of Cairo” is known by many names, including “Kradoutja,” “Hootchy Kootchy Dance,” “Hoolah Hoolah,” “The Dance Of The Midway,” “Coochi Coochi Polka,”Danse Du Ventre,” Kutchi Kutchi,” “Kutchy Kutchy,” “Koochie Koochie Dance,” and “The Poor Little Country Maid” among others. Versions of the song had been sung as a children’s rhyme for many years, but this version gained worldwide popularity when entertainer Sol Bloom sang it at the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition to accompany a belly dancer and never claimed claim copyright. A print dated from 1857 and in French mentions the song as an Algerian or Arabic traditional tune named “Kradoutja” which dates back to at least the 17th century.
Versions of the song usually start with some variation of the lines, “There’s a hole in the wall / There’s a place in France / Where the naked ladies dance” (alternatively “Where the women wear no pants.”).
About Playmate Of The Year
Playmate of the Year is the third studio album by American punk rock band Zebrahead, released in 2000. Known for its energetic fusion of punk rock, rap, and pop-punk, the album showcases the band’s signature style of blending aggressive guitar riffs with catchy, melodic hooks. Standout tracks like “Playmate of the Year” and “Now or Never” highlight their playful yet rebellious attitude.
The album’s title track, “Playmate of the Year,” became a fan favorite and earned notable airplay on alternative rock radio, contributing to Zebrahead’s growing popularity in the early 2000s. The album explores themes like youthful exuberance, relationships, and having fun, often wrapped in humorous, tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
Playmate of the Year helped solidify Zebrahead’s reputation within the pop-punk scene, bridging the gap between rap-rock and skate punk, and contributing to their long-standing presence in the punk rock genre.
How to find “Place In France”
On CD: Play through the song “Wasted”
Listen to “Place In France”
“Place In France” was submitted to HiddenSongs.com by EAM. Can you add something? Please let us know!
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