The Muppet Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Because I was a happy kid once.

When I was young, I once saw simple drawings of what emotions are like for humans. For kids, it was as simple as a four-leaf clover. Happy, sad, angry...well, okay. Maybe a three-leaf clover. But as you grow up, you live into and identify more emotions. As a teenager, that three-leaf clover blossoms into a zinnia of emotions...and often not as pretty. By adulthood, the hundreds of florets at the center of a sunflower could represent the emotions one can understand.

I listened to the Muppet Movie soundtrack during my three-leaf clover phase. Nothing beats this album in my book for sheer guilelessness, innocence, and unfettered emotion. Happiness, in other words. Mostly.

The Muppet Movie was one of those perfect movies that everyone could get into. As a kid, I loved watching the Muppets be foolish, crazy, happy, and fun. I guess I didn't question it, but in retrospect, I recognize that I didn't really care for the Muppet Show after the opening and the introduction went by. The show itself was actually geared for...well, definitely adults, and some teenagers. Not that it was adult-themed or risqué. The jokes just flew over my five-year-old head most of the time, even if I tried to laugh when the audience did too. But at least it looked fun. And the Muppet Movie was more of the same. If I didn't understand most of the jokes, I could at least see that everyone on screen was having fun, even if there was a mean plot to...kill Kermit? Or at least use him and his frog legs for some evil scheme? *gulp* Charles Durning was one of my first encounters with a bad guy who really, deep down, seemed vile. And Mel Brooks was not a comic genius when I watched this movie. He was a frightening German doctor hell-bent on doing something truly scary to poor Kermie (what in the world was an "electronic cerebrectomy"?) until Miss Piggy jumped in with her freaky huge eyes and her "karate" prowess to knock out him and his band of bad men. But aside from those aspects, the Muppet Movie was delightful, and once it came out on video, I watched it over and over again. 

But before then, I wound up with the album. It unfortunately cracked and got scratched, which made some of the songs skip, rendered them half the original length, and sent me into a puddle of unending giggles as I tried to sing and dance along to them. For the most part, the album was an overwhelming joy. Here, for me, are the highlights.

• The Rainbow Connection - DUH. If you don't like this song, you don't have a heart or soul. This earned its authors, Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher, a deserved Oscar nomination. Go ahead. Watch this video. It'll do you good.
• Movin' Right Along - Kermit and Fozzie hit the road to Hollywood hoping to make millions of people happy (spoiler alert: they make it), and this upbeat ditty brims with optimism and excitement as they begin their journey. Wanna see Big Bird have a cameo? Sure you do. Watch this too.
• I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along - Even as a kid who didn't know about cynical bar piano players who've seen it all commiserating with a fella whose lady just up and left him, I got this song. Well, the fun feel of it, at least. I'm glad I missed the misogynistic undertone...and that hasn't aged well. The funky, dated drum machines in the background added to the fun.
• I'm Going to Go Back There Someday - Here's the most wistful song on the whole album. Gonzo's halting voice brings tears to my eyes every time. I learned the lyrics long before I knew what the song was about...in fact, I'm still not entirely sure what they mean. But it doesn't stop me from loving it...even more than "The Rainbow Connection."
• Finale: The Magic Store - For a kid, this five-plus minute song did linger a bit. And without the presence of the movie visuals, it's hard to understand why this "Rainbow Connection" reprise is suddenly interrupted by an dark, intimidating instrumental section. But take inspiration from the lyrics and the music beneath them; they're simple and timeless. "Life's like a movie. Write your own ending. Keep believing. Keep pretending." Or...hey! Watch the video!

This album may not be to everyone's liking. But the movie, even if dated, still can amuse the inner kid in you, especially if you know and love the original Muppets...say, before Elmo's time. Check it out and have fun.