By Emily Chan
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is a must-see for the spooky season. The Halloween special features Linus as he awaits the coming of the Great Pumpkin, a spirit he believes will come on Halloween night to give gifts to all of the children in town. The funny and endearing moments from the film are accompanied by music composed by Vince Guaraldi.
Note that each song will be rated on how easy it is to dance to, its creativity and the feelings it evokes.
1. The Great Pumpkin Waltz
Did you know that a synonym for perfection is the song “The Great Pumpkin Waltz”? If you didn’t, you do now. It beautifully blends piano, bass, drums, flute and the occasional guitar into a symphony that’s symbolic of the autumnal season. This piece of music can be played anywhere and I mean anywhere. You can play it as calming background music for your studies, to romanticize your walk to school or to bust a move on the dance floor. The possibilities are endless with this absolute banger of a song.
2. The Red Baron / Military Drum March
If this song could be defined with any style of dance, it would be that of an inflatable tube man. In fact, the only way you can truly do justice to this masterpiece of a song is to dance with your arms moving erratically like you are entering a fight.
This piece begins with a very cheerful tone, one significant of flying a kite or frolicking through a field. However, as the song progresses, it quickly switches to the demanding beat of drums one would hear during a military march. It is this duality within the song itself that earns it its spot amongst the top three.
3. Linus and Lucy
Not only does this piece have a solid beat, but it also proves to be a solid introduction to the movie itself. Furthermore, with the mix of flute and piano within it, I have 100% certainty that one can dance to this song. It’s very upbeat and feels like you’re skipping school with your feet smacking the ground with every hop. This is the perfect example of a tune that makes everything feel like it’s going to be okay!
4. Snoopy and The Leaf/Frieda (With the Naturally Curly Hair)
Beginning with a flute solo, the entrance of this song is nothing short of fantastic. It then moves to a short flowy section of piano and poses as the perfect segway to the next song “The Great Pumpkin Waltz”. This piece is reminiscent of a kid trying to jump as high as they can to grab a leaf and doing a victory shimmy after achieving their goal.
5. Charlie Brown Theme
When you listen to the first portion of this piece, it sounds like a duck on its daily waddle. Next, a more solemn and pitiful tune begins to play in the middle and is concluded by the same unique beat it began with. This is the type of song that embodies words like “swanky” and “awkward”.
Accompanied by what seems to be the sound of trumpets, this piece embraces the type of dance moves that a dad would pull out at a family function. Therefore, Charlie Brown’s theme song does a great job of expressing the character Charlie Brown as a “loveable loser”.
6. Graveyard Theme
While you listen to the Graveyard Theme, it feels like you’ve just stepped into a Pink Panther episode. It’s quite mysterious which is fitting for the theme song of a graveyard. It is short, concise and a great match for anyone looking for a spookier listen.
7. It’s a long way to Tipperary/There’s a long, long trail a-winding/Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag/Roses of Picardy
There are very few words one is able to utter about such a song. Unfortunately, with its even beat and predictable nature, it simply pales in comparison to the other songs. In fact, it’s the equivalent of Charlie Brown receiving rocks instead of candy when he goes trick or treating. But hey, at least it gets the award for the longest song name!
8. Breathless – 2nd Reprise
Much like waiting at the DMV for your driver’s permit, this song numbs your brain. Although it works well with the movie itself, hearing this reprise late at night will surely drain you of some much-needed energy. Luckily for you, this song is short. However, when thinking about the greatest songs of Charlie Brown’s history, a song that induces relief once it has concluded fails to make the list.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, take this ranking with a grain of salt! There truly isn’t a bad song in this soundtrack and each piece does a great job of adding to the scenes of the movie. Music is all about interpretation so I urge you to give this soundtrack a listen!
