While I’m certainly not its intended audience, that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the multiple-award-winning animated children’s series Bluey. My first direct contact with the series was, unsurprisingly, through Joff Bush and company’s fantastic music, but I have since then also watched several episodes and enjoyed them thoroughly.
In fact, I have bassist and videographer extraordinaire Adam Neely to thank for my interest in Bluey. Three years ago, in one of his Q&A videos, he explained the irregular time signature in the Bluey theme song and how it relates to the introduction of the four main characters in the song. While leading with the technical (and actual) explanation, that it switches between 4/4 and 5/4, Neely goes on to give examples of how others have explained it, including for children and non-musicians.
Discovering the theme song made me seek out and listen to the rest of the music back in 2023. I love the childlike whimsy and innocent, completely unironic emotion that I perceive in the music. I don’t feel like it is trying to play on my emotions or pander to some kind of sentimentality. Maybe I’m just that gullible and a big softie, but I kind of doubt that the series would have become such a massive, long-lasting success if it really was that hollow.
Just the other day, the fourth album of music from Bluey was released: “Up Here”, featuring orchestral arrangements of music from throughout the series’ three seasons, including a brand new version of the main theme. As it is used in the episodes, the theme is less than 30 seconds long. The first Bluey album from 2021 opened with an extended version subtitled “Instrument Parade” where various instruments each get their turn to play a short solo: melodica (I think), violin, trumpet, guitar, and saxophone.
The new orchestral version, arranged by Joseph Twist, applies the same idea as in “Instrumental Parade” but to different sections of the orchestra. Twist also adds another layer by including quotes and allusions to various famous melodies from traditional and classical music. This is not new to Bluey’s music; it appears to have been a feature since its first season, but it is certainly most prominent on this album.
In fact, the second track “Sleepytime” – which is taken from the eponymous episode from the second season – is based on Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” from “The Planets”. It, like most of the album’s tracks, includes short voice clips to give some narrative context. The episode, which won two international awards, tells how Bluey’s little sister Bingo wants to “do a big girl sleep” and “wake up in my own bed” – not an insignificant thing for a four-year-old. Inspired by her mother’s bedtime story about the planets in our solar system (sic!), Bingo dreams about exploring space with her stuffed bunny – and sleepwalks between different beds as she travels between planets in her dreams.
I was already an unabashed fan of Holst’s wonderful orchestral suite, and I think the series’ composers used both the spirited, vivacious first theme and the noble and warm second theme of the Holst’s work to magnificent effect in the soundtrack. The simple but beautiful little story is filled with brilliant symbolism and some absolutely hilarious gags (including a couple aimed squarely at adults).
Watching the episode had me in tears for most of it, and listening to the music on the soundtrack brings back those emotions in full force. Quoting Holst’s suite is an inspired choice for the music to the episode, as an easter egg-style reference to its interplanetary theme, and in my opinion it fits really well, too, as they used it in the story. Even though I can clearly tell how the music is used (in expert fashion) to amplify the emotion of the story, I still don’t think it is done cheaply or in a dishonest way. In fact, the open-hearted sincerity that the series as well as its music exudes feels like such a necessary counterweight – antidote, even – to the corrosive, pervasive ironic nihilism of our time.
A short excerpt from the episode is available to watch on the official Bluey website. I believe Disney+ carries the general worldwide distribution rights. If you’re in Sweden, you can also watch a dubbed version of the episode for free on the public service streaming site SVT Play, until April 30th. The new soundtrack album is available to stream from all the usual platforms.
If you hadn’t guessed by now, I wholeheartedly recommend you go check it all out. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though: if you are a big sop like me, make sure to bring tissues.