It's really no surprise that a certain nest of lefties should celebrate in song the death of a working-class woman and by choosing "Ding dong, the Witch is Dead", it does make them a bunch of munchkins. Analogically speaking.
It's also a reminder of just how striking the Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg song is. The tune is nursery rhyme simple, based around the three notes of the simple triad. In the key of C major these notes are C, E and G. Each phrase begins and ends on one of these notes, like so:
"Ding (G) dong, the Witch is Dead (E)
Which (E) old witch? (C)
The wick(E)ed witch (C)
Ding (G) dong, the wicked witch is dead (G)"
This (and the repeated phrasing) is what gives it a childlike feel.
At the same time it's an exultant death chant. That's pretty striking for a family musical. Frankly it makes the sophisticated re-interpretation of Wicked look like a sentimental chocolate box for girlies (which it mostly is).
Whenever I hear someone talk about how "grown-up" the current culture is in comparison to the "innocent" entertainments of the past, I'll think if this song. Say what you like, those munchkins were hard-nosed little mothers.
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