King Tut - SNL

Steve Martin performs his funky musical parody "King Tut," which satirizes the popularity of the King Tut exhibit. Aired 05/22/78

#SNL

[NickNayls]

i love how steve martin has been 55 for 5000 years.

[Aspasia]

Only Steve Martin could have pulled this off… his body movements and facial expressions… PRICELESS… LMAO

[MRC]

This skit became so huge, a record of this song hit the top 40. Can't remember how high it got, but I do know it was in the top ten on the charts. When it came on the radio, you could count on at least one person trying to dance like Steve Martin did. The laugh kept coming for months after the skit came out. I am old enough to admit watching the first airing and my sibling and I were on the floor crying tears and trying to catch a breath while watching it.

[davidnissim]

"He gave his life... for tourism!"

That line always gets me

[fae-sunl]

#Euphoric Prob offensive. Prob delete later.

[MbM-xzzf]

the deadpan parody just KILLS. and those women, they are absolutely perfect, literally satire in MOTION. they are so into it!! and total respect for all the musicians

[retiredyeti]

I saw the original performance, and have seen clips many times over the decades = it never gets old!

[UltimateGenosyko]

The costumes are actually really pretty for being a satire piece

[rcbeamer]

April 22, 1978. Perhaps the greatest SNL ever.

[TimothyBruneau]

"buried with a donkey, he's my favorite honky", "buried in his jammies" and "got a condo made of stone-ah". Classic lines. Still funny 45 years later.

[sarahscheel]

We learned about King Tut in 6th grade, and my teacher promised us that if we listened well and did well on our test, she would dress up and perform this for us. We did not let her down, and she surely dressed up, played this in the background and PERFORMED. I’m 26 now and this is one of my favorite memories!

[Loopzxx]

I think we are both here for the same reason

[CondiBeans]

Tut coming out the coffin playing the Saxaphone is hysterical.

[seanno]

“I’d like to talk seriously just for a moment” while wearing that outfit. Classic Steve Martin style

[allenmitchell]

I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I can remember the words to this song.

[davidwright]

Brilliant! 'Born in Arizona; moved to Babyloinia'! 'Had a condo made of stone-a'! Wit, humor, charm, high production values. The marks of a true classic.

[johnmaki]

I was 23 years old then! I am 67 yrs. now, and my ribs still HURT from laughing!

[NotMe-fxlt]

"He gave his life for tourism." Pretty much encapsulates how nutty popular King Tut was at the time. T-shirts and people driving hundreds of miles to see the exhibit.

[larandrew]

I remember seeing this on SNL as a kid. And the guy in the sarcophagus playing the sax, for any interested, was "Blue" Lou Marini of the SNL and Blues Brothers Band. Hell of a sax man!!!!

[rld]

My son performed this in 2nd or 3rd grade grammar school for a talent show. It was so funny. He had a toy stand up microphone, and he ended up copying Stephen Tyler by putting it through his legs, which was over the top funny, but the rest of the performance was his cover of Steve Martin's hysterical song. I'll never forget it. He was the hit of the show. He had two friends dress up and they were the chorus. The song and Steve Martin are national treasures.