Sing a Song Along with the Chipmunks (and Dave Seville)

This second album of the Chipmunks is another one of those taped albums that has survived my childhood, though only barely. It’s been played so many million times (including several turns through my brother’s official Home Alone 2 Talkboy to see what they boys sound like slowed down) that the Chipmunks’ side of the tape snaps and crackles more than the Rice Krispies jingles that follow it. Time to go out and find a real copy of this album. I’ve never seen it sold in stores, but I’ve never specifically looked for it either. It’s not the most exciting selection of songs the Chipmunks have ever done, but as in so many other cases, the album that introduced me to these unconventional artists is my favorite.

Sing Again With the Chipmunks - This song is just an upbeat introduction to the album, encouraging listeners to engage themselves in the performance and have a grand old time. Dave plays master of ceremonies, leading into the boys’ number, which is nicely accompanied by a saxophone. “Come on and sing again, have a fling again, sing a song along with the Chipmunks. We’ll have lots of fun with the songs you know. Join right in, be part of the show.”

Coming ‘Round the Mountain - One of several very simple traditional songs that appear on this album, probably because, as the previous song indicates, they want the listeners to sing along to a bunch of old familiar favorites. This track features a mysterious-sounding drumbeat, eventually another saxophone, and the increasing volume of the boys as the song progresses. They start out solo and whispering and wind up singing together at the top of their lungs. By the end of the song, they’re really into it and they add their own dramatic touch to the conclusion before fading out in the same style as the beginning. “Look there, comin’ ‘round the mountain. Look out, she’s my gal. Look, she made it round the mountain. Doggone her, she missed the stage.”

Home on the Range - Not a whole lot you can do with this song, or so you would think. But the Chipmunks do. In fact, they manage to make this simple little western ditty one of the most entertaining tracks on the album. How? Why, the irrepressible Alvin, of course. He’s got the lead vocals on the second line, but he just can’t seem to get the key word right. During a break in the singing, Dave lectures Alvin on the difference between an “antelope” (“a little deer”) and a “cantaloupe” (“something you eat”), attempting to impress upon Alvin the fact that the former is the correct word to use. Alvin, however, isn’t inclined to pay a whole lot of attention, and he decides he’s had it with the scolding. He doesn’t care what’s roaming around on the range, he’s in the mood for some munchies. As a distressed Dave asks the boys where they’re headed, Simon patiently explains, a la Tim Taylor after a nice conversation with Wilson, “We’re gonna get us a cantaloupe. That’s a dear little somethin’ to eat.”

I Wish I Had a Horse - This is a great song too, an upbeat western tune with which I could always identify. Hoofbeats punctuate this fanciful ditty in which the boys dream of owning their own horse, something I did myself many times! Alvin hams it up at one point by dramatically reciting the lyrics William Shatner-style. Other than that, pretty straightforward. “I wish I had a horse, a sweet and gentle horse. He’d sleep right by my side. We’d be buddies till the very end ‘cause everybody knows a horse is man’s best friend.”

Swanee River - When Dave proposes “something Southern,” the boys think he’s talking about food. But when he clarifies that he means singing something Southern, they decide that would be just fine too. The intermission includes, for no apparent reason, the “Why did the chicken cross the street?” joke. Not a whole lot to this song. “Oh, the world is sad and weary everywhere I roam. Oh, Mama, how my heart grows weary far from the old folks at home.”

When Johnny Comes Marching Home - This drum-heavy march is also pretty straightforward, other than including an order from Dave for the boys to march. There’s an instrumental intermission but no dialogue to fill it. Not too many extra touches here. “The boys will cheer and the men will shout, the ladies’ maids will all turn out, and we’ll all be gay when Johnny comes marchin’ home.”

Sing a Goofy Song - One of my favorite tracks, this is mostly Dave’s show, with the Chipmunks filling in with “ree-di-do”s and “ooh-ooh-ooh”s. This chipper song encourages the listeners to sing a goofy tune in order to make life more fun. After the intermission, which includes Alvin once again not copying instructions from Dave properly, the Chipmunks sing, and after this verse, Dave takes a moment to say what a success the song was. Trouble is, it’s not over yet, and now he’s jinxed it. The song trails out on him arguing with the boys that his part of the song was just as well done as theirs. “Even if you’re on the job, now is the time to start. If your boss will not let you sing it out, you can sing it in your heart.”

Swing Low Sweet Chariot - The Chipmunks tackle this gospel song nicely, with a little help from that sax again and some rhythmic clapping. This intermission doesn’t have any talking either, but it’s a pretty enjoyable song in spite of the lack of comedy. I guess they needed a break after the excessive goofiness of the last song! “I looked over Jordan and what did I see (comin’ for to carry me home)? A band of angels comin’ after me (comin’ for to carry me home).”

Witch Doctor - This, along with The Chipmunk Song (which is not on this album), is the Chipmunks’ signature tune. This song actually preceded the Chipmunks; the voices were there, but they did not yet have personalities. Here, the Chipmunks recall that recording history and beg to do the song themselves. Dave still gets the main vocals, with the boys restricted to the “ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang” until the last verse. A very fun song, especially for car trips, and very distinctly a Chipmunks song. “You’ve been keepin’ love from me just like you were a miser, and I’ll admit I wasn’t very smart. So I went out and found myself a guy who’s so much wiser, and he told me the way to win your heart.”

Working on the Railroad - Another old traditional song, it begins with the boys and Dave swinging their hammers on the tracks, with Dave always winding up on the receiving end of someone’s hammer. This little shtick is repeated at the end of the song, but beyond that it’s a very straight reading of the song with few embellishments. “I’ve been workin’ on the railroad all the livelong day, I’ve been workin’ on the railroad just to pass the time away.”

Row Your Boat - After an instrumental introduction with the tune Sailing, Sailing, the boys launch into this rowing song. They also sing lyrics that seem to be verses to the song, but I’ve never heard them outside this context so perhaps they were added for this version. “It’s a joy, lot of fun. If you get a little luck you’ve got the sun to guide you. Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream…”

Alvin’s Orchestra - A great way to close out the album. This is a hilarious song that is Alvin at his best (or worst?). He’s singing a simple little song about how much fun it is to go for a ride through the countryside, and he’s decided to employ a 50-piece orchestra to help him in the effort. The ludicrously unnecessary orchestra infuriates Dave, who stews throughout the song about the money this is costing him. “Children wavin’ you a big ‘hello,’ and he’s still worryin’ about the dough!” Unfortunately for Dave, every time he tries to protest, Alvin cues the orchestra. “I absolutely cannot understand a single word you’re saying,” Alvin announces, irking him further. Poor Dave!

A great album, played to the breaking point by my family. The more traditional songs mostly allow opportunities for easy sing-alongs, while the more unusual tunes give the Chipmunks a chance to let their comedy shine. This is Alvin and company at their best.