Editorial: Top 10 Songs of Season One of Phineas
and Ferb
This editorial was originally written on October 12th, 2009. "Phineas
and Ferb" is the property of Walt Disney Television Animation.
Since premiering in February 2008, "Phineas and Ferb" has become one of
the most beloved cartoons on the air. Created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff
'Swampy' Marsh, the series has enchanted kids and adults alike with great
humor, delightful characters, and toe-tapping musical tunes. The last is
very important, since Disney just released the "Phineas and Ferb"
soundtrack CD a few weeks ago. It features all of the musical tracks you
hear in the episodes from the show's first season.
To celebrate, last month Disney asked viewers to visit their website and
vote for their favorite ten songs. The votes have been tabulated, and
tonight, Disney XD (as well as Disney Channel on Friday night) will
present the results in an episode entitled "Phineas and Ferb's Musical
Cliptastic Countdown." It will be hosted by the creators... or, rather,
the characters they voice, Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Dan) and Major Monogram
(Jeff). Although it will be interesting to see what made the list, I
decided to make my own. I mean, just like any other fan, I have my
favorites, and hopefully have a good idea of the songs that showed the
cast at their musical best.
So here is my Top 10, in countdown format, for your enjoyment:
10. I Love You Mom (Episode 111A, "Mom's Birthday")
Let's start the countdown with a very sweet number. This particular
episode starts off with Phineas and Ferb waking up to hear Candace
singing. She's in the midst of creating a song for their mom, Linda, as
it happens to be her birthday. But her idea seems to be less and less
impressive when the boys put together what amounts to be the best birthday
bash any mother could ever ask for... from a huge birthday card to a
fashion show, and everything in-between.
After several attempts to outdo her brothers fail, Candace gives up and
sits down next to mom just in time for them to start running a little
movie honoring their mom. But Candace is a little stunned when the film
ends by revealing the boys taped her composing the birthday song in her
room. The boys usher her up on-stage, where she gives a live performance
with the boys, Isabella, and the Fireside Girls providing back-up vocals.
"I Love You Mom" provides the right touch of warm and fuzzy, while
simultaneously showing that no matter if you give your mom (or dad or any
other close family member) a whole bunch of beautiful gifts or just one,
the important thing is that as long as it comes from the heart, she will
love it. It makes me want to write a song for my mother on her birthday.
If only I knew how to sing like Ashley Tisdale and/or play every
instrument known to man that starts with the letter 'B.' 9. E.V.I.L. B.O.Y.S. (Episode 108A, "Jerk de Soleil")
Just like "I Love You Mom," "E.V.I.L. B.O.Y.S." has Candace singing to her
mom about what Phineas and Ferb are doing. Only this time, in a more
demeaning and gruff way.
In this episode, the kids have plans to go to the local circus. But when
the circus has to cancel their scheduled performance due to a major act
having a severe allergic reaction and not being able to perform, Phineas
comes up with the idea to create their own circus. Candace catches wind
of the plan and calls her mom to try and bust them, but she blows her off
as she and her jazz band are about to start their set at the mall. She
heads outside to stop the boys personally when Jeremy stops her in order
to give her a basket full of wild parsnips. Unfortunately, he is unaware
of her allergic reaction to them, as she sneaks back off to her room to
take some medicine to ward off her symptoms.
But she's out of pills, and her skin gets all red and splotchy and her
voice takes on a deep pitch. Candace makes her way to the mall to tell
her mom what the boys are up to. But upon doing so, the blues-y beat the
band is calmly playing in the background incites Candace to break out in
song, detailing all of the 'evil' things her brothers are not only doing,
but are getting away with.
This song is another example of Ashley Tisdale showing off the depth of
her vocal talents. And I do mean depth, considering how deep her voice
has to get in order for her to pull of this song. Also, it's hysterical
that Linda and the band blow off Candace's ramblings as part of her
creative imagination. Together, this results in a soulful song of truth
that many will remember for the absurdity of Candace belting out a
blues-y tune with a paper bag over her head. 8. Gitchie Gitchie Goo (Episode 104B, "Flop Starz")
Most people looking to get into the music business hope that they have
several successful albums and are relevant for years and years to come.
But have you ever wondered what would happen if someone literally was
happy to settle for their '15 minutes of fame' and create just one hit
song.
That's what Phineas and Ferb hope to do in the episode "Flop Starz."
Inspired by the boys' mother, Linda, who once had a music career that
only produced one hit song, "I'm Lindana and I Wanna Have Fun," and by
the fact that the musical talent show, "The Next Super American Pop Teen
Idol Star" is in town holding auditions, the boys, Isabella, and the
Fireside Girls get to work trying to kick off a musical career. But
thinking staying in the business for a prolonged amount of time could
become dull, they strive to become one-hit wonders.
Following their mom's 'checklist' to achieving one-hit wonder status,
their efforts cultivate in the creation of their band, Phineas and the
Ferb-Tones (better known as PFT), as well as the song, "Gitchie Gitchie
Goo" rocketing them to the top of the charts after just one morning of
work. By coincidence, Candace, auditioning for "Idol Star," happens to
get to sing the song with them. But thinking they're ruining her
chance at super-stardom, she refuses to sing along. Her mind changes
later on, after failing to audition at all but seeing another
opportunity in front of her when PFT reappears for their reunion tour.
As Phineas explains during Candace's audition, the key to a hit song
is a catchy pop beat and words that fit it, but are ultimately
meaningless. But it helps that there's chemistry between Phineas and
Candace, as the siblings belt out the superficial tune to the delight of
the crowd. The song also shows that Candace should embrace the antics
of her brothers, as they can be beneficial to her personal goals. The
only problem is... the boys are never singing that song again.
7. Truck Drivin' Girl (Episode 113A, "It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World")
While in the last example, it was a coincidence that Phineas and Ferb
would end up helping Candace achieve a dream, in this case, the boys
approach her in order to help her reach a more commonly reachable goal
for someone her age.
After overhearing Candace freaking out on the phone to her best friend
Stacy on not being able to parallel park, the boys go out of their way
to help... by modifying the family car and changing it into a monster
truck. Doesn't seem to make sense at all, but the boys reason that if
she can parallel park in a monster truck, she can do it in anything.
So, with her dad, Lawrence, in the passenger's seat (as required by
anyone with a learner's permit) and a monster truck stadium built by the
boys, Candace goes about learning how to drive a monster truck. Before
she knows it, she's roped into a rally with professional monster truck
drivers. One that requires a tiebreaker to settle... that being parallel
parking the truck. And upon seeing that even her opponent, a pro, has
trouble with such an act, Candace gathers the courage to finally perform
the feat successfully.
Featuring a definitive southern twang, "Truck Drivin' Girl" is used to
show Candace's mental toughness and determination to show she can drive
as well as any professional. Plus, any song that gets Ferb to sing is
worth a few points in my book. The visuals provided by the crazy course
Candace drives through help up the fun factor as well. And I dare you
to remember the fun yet long-winded final line in the song. 6. Perry the Platypus (Episode 109, "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!")
Just because... every secret agent needs a theme song.
Practically every fan knows that while Phineas and Ferb are up to their
summertime adventures, Perry disappears. But where to? Well, the little
green platypus is actually a secret agent, whose sworn duty is to stop
evil from taking over the tri-state area. Which usually means a
confrontation with Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
Much like Perry himself, the song pretty much describes itself. Says
what Perry is and what he does, and that's it. It features catchy scats
and tight, action-packed visuals. It's even inspired a shoot-off thanks
to the episode when Perry switches bodies with Candace ("Does This
Duckbill Make Me Look Fat?").
The theme bips and bops throughout, easily convincing viewers to sing
along, women to swoon, and even bad guys get it stuck in their head.
Along with the theme song, it's the one piece of music that we hear in
every episode in some shape or form. And yet, I can't seem to find a
way to ever tire of hearing it. I mean, how can you not go without
singing 'Dooby dooby doo-ba' or 'Per-ry!' 5. Disco Miniature Golfing Queen (Episode 120A, "Put That Putter Away")
This song was one of the handful of Season One songs that were not among
the choices viewers could pick for to be on Disney's official countdown,
but this tribute to the most famous dance craze of the 1970s is too good
to leave off of my list. Besides, it's also the only one on my list that
has Stacy in it, as she deserves a place as much as anyone.
You obviously can't have "Disco Miniature Golfing Queen" without disco,
miniature golf, or someone to play the queen (Stacy). That all comes
about when, after hearing that Little Duffer's, the only miniature golf
course in the entire tri-state area, is closing due to lack of business,
Phineas and the gang decide to build one of their own. A massive
miniature golf course, of course. Normally, this is where Candace would
step in and bust them. But she is extremely sick, and so she sends Stacy
instead to do her job.
The problem is, Stacy gets seduced by the coolness, and despite several
attempts by Candace to put her best friend back on the right track, Stacy
just keeps getting more and more into the golfing game. But all games
eventually have to end, and Phineas leads Stacy to the final hole. It's
disco-inspired, as shown by the tie-dye flashing lights, funky clothes,
and, naturally, a disco ball. This gets Stacy to play along, changing
into appropriate clothing and shaking her hips to the beat as she plays
the final hole in one groovy shot.
Many songs in the show appeal to adults just as much to kids, but none
arguably more so than this one. A great visual and audio tribute to the
'70s, inspired by the best-known singing group of that era, ABBA. The
song, as well this episode, also shows that Stacy is happy to go along
with whatever's fun at the moment and not be hung up on whether it's
something that should get the creators in trouble. It's this that got
me to actually like Stacy, who would definitely be a great best friend
for anyone. 4. You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart (Episode 114, "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together!")
This song, in this case more surprisingly, was also left off of the
choices for the countdown. And that's a shame, given that this episode
holds the show record for most in one episode, five... all of them great
songs in one way or another.
Let's set the stage, shall we? It's Lawrence and Linda's wedding
anniversary. Unfortunately, someone (Dad) has forgotten that. As he
tries to fix it, Phineas, Ferb, and Candace find a better way to help him.
By, for one night only, reuniting the band whose concert their parents
shared their first kiss at. That band... Love Händel.
As you would expect, the siblings succeed in their quest, though not
without some hiccups along the way. As Linda returns home with Candace,
who had been keeping her away from home to buy the boys time, the band
starts playing "You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart." What follows is
a romantic ballad that gets Linda to forgive her husband for forgetting
their anniversary and also express a little shock for him going through
all this trouble to get to this point.
This song resonates 'happy ending' in heartbeat. Ask your parents...
they always remember when and where they had their first kiss. And
nothing rekindles love quite like reliving that moment. "Heart" manages
to do that, as well as unite the neighborhood in a ballad that gets them
swaying from side to side. With the help of Phineas, Ferb, Candace, and
countless others, for one magical moment, the world stopped to watch
Lawrence and Linda kiss for the first time again. And that's a moment
neither of them will surely ever forget. 3. S.I.M.P. (Squirrels in My Pants) (Episode 115B, "Comet Kermillian")
Sometimes, you want a song that you can sing along to at any spontaneous
moment. Other times, you want a recognizable beat that you can dance to.
You can get both with "Squirrels in My Pants," though probably not in a
way you'd expect.
To see how this song came about, we need to go back to earlier in the
episode, where Candace is out on a 'date' in the park with Jeremy. He
had invited her to a game of croquet. What Candace finds out when she
gets there is that their twosome is actually a threesome... the third
wheel in the form of Jeremy's 'evil' little sister, Suzy. Though she
seems innocent and sweet, to certain people, like Candace, she's mean
and dastardly towards. Candace already knows this firsthand given two
previous encounters with Suzy, but she still tries to ignore her just
because her mind is only on Jeremy.
But Suzy is very protective of her older brother, and will do anything
to get any girl away from him. Her most memorable attempt leads into
this song, as she obtains an acorn that she promptly croquet hammers
into the backside of Candace's jeans. Squirrels quickly chase after
the acorn... thus producing "Squirrels in My Pants!" As she screams
that phrase and dances about to try and get them out, a group of rapping
street performers sees this and improvises a song on the spot. The
comedic amalgamation of the two... well, just watch the video!
Just as in "Gitchie Gitchie Goo" and several other songs in the show,
the lyrics here are nonsensical, which fits in the spirit of the
visuals. The way Candace bounces around is liable to induce constant
fits of laughter, though you could definitely question the
appropriateness of it all due to show's target audience. Still, as the
funniest song the first season has to its name, you can't go wrong for
liking this break dancing ditty. Just as long as you promise not to try
to recreate the video by having someone put squirrels in your pants.
2. Ain't Got Rhythm (Episode 114, "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together!")
Although "You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart" was the final result of
Phineas and Ferb's quest to reunite Love Händel for their parents'
anniversary, to even get to that point, the boys had to convince each of
the band members to take part.
At the point of the episode prior to this song, the boys had already
succeeded in getting lead singer Danny and bass player Bobbi Fabulous on
board through song ("Danny's Story" and "You're Fabulous,"
respectively). Now, they were heading to the local library to track down
the band's drummer, Swampy. Currently employed as the librarian, he tells
the boys that, though he'd love to be part of the reunion, he can't as
he's apparently lost the ability to keep rhythm, thanks to accidentally
falling asleep in a metronome factory one day.
What he doesn't realize is that as he tells the boys this, he is keeping
rhythm by stamping the books in front of him, one at a time. Phineas
breaks into "Ain't Got Rhythm" to convince him that Swampy actually does,
still, have rhythm. Though he continues to deny it through the song even
as he keeps rhythm in various incarnations throughout, he eventually
catches on and is playing on his old drum set by song's end.
For a guy who thinks he doesn't have rhythm, he sure kept it pretty well
here. Stomp your feet, bang books on the table in front of you
binder-first, shake a writing instrument holder half-full of pencils and
pens, whatever. If any song in the first season makes you want to do an
action that helps keep time and is musically inspiring, it's this one.
It's a rare song that you can sing along to and pretend to play an
instrument along to without compromising the quality of either. If this
song doesn't make you get rhythm, well, then you're not really alive, are
you? 1. Busted (Episode 112B, "I Scream, You Scream")
The biggest reason that I've picked "Busted" as number one? That's
because this is the song that sold me on "Phineas and Ferb." Before this
episode, no song had managed to grab me and get me toe-tapping and
singing along.
In the episode featuring this song, we are introduced to Doofenshmirtz's
ex-wife, Charlene. Their daughter Vanessa, voiced by Olivia Olson, tries
to convince her mom that her dad is evil, but she doesn't believe her.
Sound familiar? That's right... Candace has the same problem convincing
her mom of all the stuff Phineas and Ferb do. About halfway through the
episode, as Phineas and Ferb try to build a giant ice cream maker to use
to create a giant sundae for Isabella, who had just gotten her tonsils
removed, while Dr. Doofenshmirtz is at work building a Space-Laser-inator
to launch into space in order to destroy a multitude of things he doesn't
like.
It's at this point that Candace and Vanessa find themselves in a duet.
The result is one rocking tune that shows off Ashley's and Olivia's
singing talents at their finest... particularly Olivia, who was virtually
a nobody (unless you had seen the movie "Love, Actually" prior to last
year).
Okay, I admit the animators did a heck of a great job with Candace and
Vanessa dancing... mesmerizingly good (maybe moreso than I may be
comfortable to admit). It's the combination of the visuals and audio
that make this the most harmonically and heavenly songs "Phineas and Ferb"
has done so far. And it's for that reason that I'm now a huge fan of the
show, and that I look forward to the songs just as much as the episodes
themselves.
And that's why "Busted" is at the top of my first season list.
- Freedom Fighter "Phineas and Ferb's Musical Cliptastic Countdown" premieres tonight
at 8 pm EST on Disney XD. Don't have Disney XD? Then you know what you
have to do today! Call your local cable or satellite provider and request
it be added to your TV!
Or, you could take the easy way out and watch the Disney Channel
premiere this Friday at 9 pm EST. Just sayin'.Back to the Review and Editorial Section Menu
Back to the Home Page