The tune was written for an impromptu scene in
Hatari! in which Dallas (
Elsa Martinelli) led three baby elephants to a waterhole to bathe. The catchy simplicity has made it one of Mancini's most popular works, appearing on many compilation albums.
Hal David composed lyrics for it, which were not used for the film but appear in the printed sheet music.
Pat Boone used the lyrics in his recording released by
Dot Records in 1965. Mancini's version was not released as a single.
Brass instruments (including repeated blasts from the
tuba) and
woodwind elements are combined to convey a large and plodding elephant toddler that is filled with the exuberance of youth. Mancini uses a
calliope introduction to suggest the sound of a circus. A cheeky melody is then played over this on a clarinet, and the song concludes with the calliope playing the old four-note phrase known as
"Good Evening, Friends". The overall style is as that of
boogie-woogie, as Mancini explained: The cheerful tone, like that of Mancini's "
The Pink Panther Theme", presents a stark contrast to more melancholy Mancini standards such as "
Moon River". Due to its "goofy" sound, it is often used in a humorous context. As the
AllMusic album review states, "if
Hatari! is memorable for anything, it's for the incredibly goofy 'Baby Elephant Walk,' which has gone on to be musical shorthand for kookiness of any stripe. Get this tune in your head and it sticks." ==Chart history==