Hang with me for a sec…
Chances are, if you have kids, know kids, or, at the very least, watched syndicated episodes of Yes, Dear on TBS, you probably know who The Wiggles are. A troupe of Aussie songsters, dating back to the early 90s, educating and entertaining toddler-sized minds.
Yeah, they’re a massively successful, well-branded kids’ act. We happened upon them when our oldest (Milo, now nearing 5) was a tiny tot—and he got hooked real bad. At first, they were an annoyance, as most pre-K children’s entertainment is (cough, cough, Caillou). But after a while, their brightly colored ‘skivvies’ and catchy tunes grew on us.
We stuck with them through their change-up—swapping out 3 of the 4 members for fresh, young-ish blood, and even—gasp—a girl (please note that this did not ruin any childhoods—in fact, it made them better). And, if we’re laying all of our cards on the table, we even saw them in concert… and liked it.
So, when the Wiggles—Anthony, Emma, Lachy, and Simon—released their Halloween CD/DVD, entitled Wiggly Halloween, in August of 2013, we were stoked.
And how much fun can Halloween-lite kiddie tunes really be? Answer: A LOT.
It’s not just about costumes, sweet treats, and pumpkins. The Wiggles surprisingly instill seasonal (albeit generic) favorites into their content, including: skeletons, vampires, zombies, ghosts, werewolves, witches, and even a riff on Frankenstein’s Monster.
If you’ve read this far, please allow me to further my case for The Wiggles. Below is the track list for their CD – with a couple non-Halloween songs omitted. So, let’s chat.
- Pumpkin Face. A basic ditty about pumpkin carvings—with an Elvis twist.
- Do the Skeleton Scat! Bouncy and boppy (is that a word? Seems fitting), with pep-filled dancing, piano playing, and—you guessed it—a scat bit.
- Little Vampires. A group of small children dressed as vamps demanding their blood, ahem, their cranberry juice.
- Three Little Pumpkins. This one is all about cutesy and counting, with pumpkin costumes to boot.
- The Sound of Halloween. The anthem of the CD. While Simon’s singing style isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, the song still screams Halloween season. So, it rules.
- The Full Moon Melody. Not really a spooky jam, as more of a love letter to Emma (written by her fellow Wiggle and now-husband, Lachy).
- Hey, Billy Bat! Sung by our lady Wiggle and features our senior Wiggle’s (Anthony) daughter as Billy Bat. Cute, with lots of alliteration.
- A Friendly Little Spider. I’ll wager this is the least interesting track. It’s about a faux spider (aka a toddler) and looks like it was shot on an iPhone. In essence, it’s just adorable filler.
- Mumbles the Monster. One of my favorites, featuring Mumbles (the Frankenstein’s Monster riff), who’s too large, can’t talk very well, and wants to be a TV reporter. This is putting Simon Wiggle to good use. I mean, the man is a tank.
- Zombie Feet. The Wiggles .. as zombies .. with tired feet. Need I say more? Probably, but I won’t.
- Furry Wolfman. Short little number featuring an incredibly nimble werewolf. And a lot of howling.
- Trick or Treat. This is my kid’s favorite song. Honestly, I think it’s just because they list candy. “Bubble gum, licorice, lollipops…”
- I Like Scary Nights. Another Emma jam. Includes skeleton onesies and dancing with canes and top hats. It’s A-Okay, my friends.
- Howling Wolf. Yeah, this track list includes not one, but TWO songs about werewolves. And this one is a little bit cooler than its predecessor.
- Scary Ghost! Adorable, light track. This is my 2-year-old’s favorite song.
- Who Killed Cock Robin? The most bizarre song on this list. I mean, just look at the title. According to light Wikipedia research, it’s actually an old nursery rhyme. Oh, and it’s also a “murder archetype.” So, thanks, Wiggles, for singing about murder.
- Witchy-Woo, Ooh, Ooh, Ooh! And here we conclude with the best song on the list. It’s a little girl-rock punky, has witches (and sandwiches), and ridiculous lyrics. Plus, the video for it features a little subtle improv dancing by the men.
Our little ones aren’t quite yet ready for Night of the Demons or Halloween III, so this spreads the Halloween cheer for now. And honestly, as we’re all nostalgic for our own childhood holiday memories, I’m sure Wiggly Halloween will still be in rotation when our kids are teenagers, or twenty-somethings. And then we can double-feature it with Trick ‘R Treat.
You can listen to the whole album on YouTube, but sadly, you’re missing out on the visuals. Do yourself a favor: if you have wee ones, just go ahead and pick up the DVD.