The song's lyrics contain no actual words, only iambic nonsense syllables resembling scat singing. At times, melodies from other songs are quoted. One quoted melody is the First Swedish Rhapsody of Hugo Alfvén. The Italian tune "Santa Lucia" is also quoted. In the movie soundtrack version, from which the record was edited, there is a quote of Army bugle call "Assembly", but this verse was omitted from the record which instead repeated the first three verses. The Muppets' version includes part of "Lullaby of Birdland" by George Shearing.