The Monorail Song
| "The Monorail Song" | |
|---|---|
| SongbyConan O'BrienandAl Jean | |
| from the albumSongs in the Key of Springfield | |
| Released | January 14, 1993 |
| Genre | Showtune |
| Songwriter(s) | Conan O'Brien and Al Jean |
"The Monorail Song"is a song written for and performed byThe Simpsonscast,for thefourth-seasonepisode ofThe Simpsonsentitled "Marge vs. the Monorail",which originally aired on January 14, 1993.
Production
[edit]The song was written by then-show runnerAl JeanandConan O'Brien,[1]and was performed byPhil HartmanasLyle Lanley,along with other Simpsons characters.
Synopsis
[edit]The song sees a traveling salesman razzle dazzle the local town into spending their windfall of money on a monorail, with all criticism being washed aside through the charismatic performance.
The song begins with a repeated whispered chant of "monorail," asMiss Hoover,Apu Nahasapeemapetilon,Barney Gumble,Abraham Simpson,andChief Wiggumeach question his plan in turn, to which Lanley rebukes each with a rhyming phrase.
The crowd is swept into a frenzy, singing a chorus of "monorail." The only person continuing to dissent isMarge Simpson,who hoped to spend the money on fixing Main Street's potholes. Her sonBartpoints out that "the mob has spoken."
The chorus sings the word "monorail" four more times, andHomer Simpsonattempts to sing one more: "mono-D'oh!"
The song is based on "Ya Got Trouble"from the 1958 musicalThe Music Man,which also concerns a fast-talking salesman conning a small town, with the chorus repeating the word "trouble" under dialogue.[2]During the song, the residents of Springfield get "swept up in Lanley's patter".[2]
An exchange between Lisa and Lanley, highlighting how showmanship masks the truth.
Lisa: Why build a monorail in a small town with a centralized population around a town center?
Lanley: I could answer that question for you, but you and I would be the only ones here who would understand the answer. (leans in) And that includes your teacher!— The Simpsons, Marge vs. the Monorail,[3]
Critical reception and analysis
[edit]Bustledeemed it a "quintessential moment" ofThe Simpsons,when the whole town is caught up in a group number.[2]Like the musical on which it is based, Bustle argues the song teaches a "small lesson in infrastructure and the real reason cons work".[2]It felt the song acted as a "commentary on corruption in political infrastructure" that filled the viewer with "pure dumb joy".[2]The Washington Postdeemed it a "brilliant...sendup" ofThe Music Man.[1]Junkee felt it was "One of the show’s most overt tributes to musical theatre", and described it as the most "uniquely memorable" the Springfield "hive mind" ever got.[4]Paste Magazinedeemed it the "quintessential Springfield ensemble number", and noted how the song summarizes the town's general mob mentality while giving individual characters their moments, and showing that even the 'smart' people of Springfield can be duped.[5]Bustlefelt the song "highlight[s] the wonderful recipe of old fashioned small-town whimsy and modern cynicism and aggressive ignorance" that makes up Springfield.[6]
Legacy
[edit]The song commonly rates very highly on reviewers' rankings of the best Simpsons songs.[5][4][6]
In 1997 it was released as part of the Simpsons soundtrack albumSongs in the Key of Springfield.
Live performances and covers
[edit]In 2014, Conan O'Brien andHank Azariaperformed the song live at a Simpsons-themed performance at the Hollywood Bowl entitledThe Simpsons Take The Hollywood Bowl.[7]
References
[edit]- ^abAlf Clausen has created so many classic ‘Simpsons’ songs. Here are 12 of his most memorable. - The Washington Post
- ^abcde"I'm So Jealous You Get To See 'The Simpsons' Monorail Song For The First Time".Bustle.RetrievedJune 3,2019.
- ^"I'm So Jealous You Get To See 'The Simpsons' Monorail Song For The First Time".Bustle.January 23, 2019.RetrievedJune 3,2019.
- ^ab"We Ranked The Best Original Songs From 'The Simpsons'".Junkee.May 7, 2019.RetrievedJune 3,2019.
- ^ab"The 40 Best Songs in The Simpsons History".pastemagazine.com.RetrievedJune 3,2019.
- ^ab"The 20 Best 'Simpsons' Songs Ever".Bustle.December 17, 2014.RetrievedJune 3,2019.
- ^Bryan, Scott (August 4, 2014)."Conan O'Brien Will Perform" The Monorail Song "During A Live Simpsons Performance Next Month".BuzzFeed.RetrievedJune 3,2019.