About Popeye the Sailor Man#
Sammy Lerner wrote “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man” in 1933, and the sailor has whistled some version of it ever since. It was made for the Fleischer Studios cartoon shorts, then followed Popeye through decades of theatrical reels and later television reruns. The melody is short, bouncy, and built to be recognized in a second or two, which is a good part of why it has stuck around.
On the 6-hole ocarina it stays inside a single octave, from low C up to high C, so nothing forces an awkward stretch. The jump up to that top C is the one spot worth practicing slowly. The rest of the phrasing is forgiving, which makes this a friendly tune to learn early on.
Popeye the Sailor Man Ocarina Tab#
| E | G | G | G | F | E | G |
| G | A | F | A | C | A | G |
| G | A | F | A | C | B | |
| A | G | A | G | E | C | |
| E | G | G | G | A | B | C |