"The Candy Man" (or alternately, "The Candy Man Can") is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the film and does not appear in the original book or the 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was sung by Aubrey Woods, who played Bill the candy store owner in the original film.

Cover versions and other uses

"The Candy Man" was most famously covered by Sammy Davis Jr.. His version of "The Candy Man" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 10, 1972. It also spent two weeks atop the adult contemporary chart. The track featured vocals by the Mike Curb Congregation, who had earlier released their own unsuccessful version of the song. Davis was interested in playing the character of Bill in the original film. Although producers balked at the idea (and although he originally disliked the song), Davis eventually worked the song into his shows and it is now recognized as one of his signature songs.

"The Candy Man" has been featured in a number of radio, films and TV shows.

• M&M Mars used the song as a jingle for M&M's chocolate candies.
• Malcolm in the Middle, in the episode "New Neighbors", as the song that Commandant Spangler somewhat uncharacteristically teaches to the military academy choir.
• Scrubs, in the episode "My Dream Job", during a day-dream sequence where JD imagines his dream job: being the "Chocolate King" and having an office where everything (including Turk, as his secretary) is made of chocolate.
• The 1996 Ren & Stimpy episode "Sammy and Me" featured a parody of "The Candy Man" entitled "The Mantis Man", sung by a praying mantis version of Sammy Davis Jr. named Sammy Mantis (voiced by Tommy Davidson).
• In the 2005 film Madagascar, when Alex the lion is shot with a tranquilizer dart, he has a psychedelic experience with the Sammy Davis Jr. version playing throughout (it is sped up the second time he's tranquilized).
• Michelle Pfeiffer's character sings the song in an audition as a lounge singer in the film The Fabulous Baker Boys
• The Simpsons have parodied the song in the episode "Trash of the Titans" as "The Garbage Man Can", which briefly features U2. In Simpsons Comics #53, Homer also featured a mental parody showing Homer as Willy Wonka and Bart and Lisa as Oompa-loompas.

Homer: "Who can take some vodka, sprinkle it with ice, pour it down your gullet 'till the world seems really nice? The brandyman. The brandyman can if you're over 21...''

Lisa and Bart:"...or just sixteen in Amsterdam!

• Danny Baker used the song extensively as a theme during his breakfast show for BBC London 94.9 and rewarding people for greeting him as candy man, during his time on the show he amassed a large number of existing versions of the song and commissioned guests such as Ray Gelato to produce new versions.
• Gilmore Girls, Season Five, after Rory and Dean have sex.
• On Father's Day in 2007, an El Paso, Texas radio station (KHEY) played a parody called "Daddy-Man", whose chorus was: "The Daddy-Man can, 'cause he don't give a dang when he embarrasses you."
• In an episode of My Name Is Earl (season 1, episode 24), Randy Hickey finds a coin in a drain, which is accompanied by an instrumental rendition of the Candy Man.
• On Krayzie Bone's 1999 album Thug Mentality 1999, he uses the melody and meter of "Candy Man" for the intro to the song "Dummy Man".

"Who can take some bread crumbs, mix it up with soap, create a 20 rock to make the fiends think it's dope, the Dummy Man can"

• On February 13, 2008, during the Rush Limbaugh show as a mocking theme song for Democratic Party Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama.
• Cibo Matto covered the song on their album Viva! La Woman.
• Craig David uses the melody of "Candy Man" for the chorus of his song "Booty Man".

References

• The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996