Seth MacFarlane Releases a Fresh Take on Classic Muppet Tunes

Seth MacFarlane, renowned for creating Family Guy and American Dad!, is also an accomplished vocalist. He has just released a new album featuring Muppet songs.

Transcript

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

I’ve always been a fan of The Muppets, and I also admire Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy and other series. Learning that this accomplished singer was putting out an album of Muppet music truly surprised and delighted me.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “MOVIN’ RIGHT ALONG”)

SETH MACFARLANE: (Singing) Moving right along in search of good times and good news, with good friends and…

DETROW: That tune originally appeared in The Muppet Movie, performed by Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear. MacFarlane describes these numbers as modern classics worthy of the Great American Songbook.

MACFARLANE: To my ear, these songs sit comfortably alongside the recordings of Sinatra, Crosby, and other vocalists from that era.

DETROW: The album is titled Seth MacFarlane Sings The Muppets and features several hits, including Kermit’s ballad “Bein’ Green.”

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BEIN’ GREEN”)

JIM HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog, singing) It’s not easy being green, having to spend each day the color of the leaves.

DETROW: It’s worth noting that another classic crooner also recorded a version.

MACFARLANE: Sinatra recorded a version of “Bein’ Green” in the 1970s, and it worked beautifully.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BEIN’ GREEN”)

FRANK SINATRA: (Singing) It’s not easy being green; it seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.

MACFARLANE: I can only imagine that, had Sinatra continued recording at that pace into the 1980s, he might have explored some of these other tunes as well.

DETROW: Yeah. And, of course, that version appears on this album. How did you approach the arrangement? It didn’t seem to me that you deviated much from the Sinatra‑style rendition of “Bein’ Green,” unlike some of the other tracks.

MACFARLANE: Yeah. I mean, that song is pretty sacrosanct—nobody really tampers with it much.

DETROW: (Laughter).

MACFARLANE: We opted for a slightly slower swing feel.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BEIN’ GREEN”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) But green is the color of spring, and green can be cool and friendly.

When he recorded it in the 1970s, the era is evident in the recording. We wanted to shift our stylistic approach toward a late‑1950s, early‑1960s vibe.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BEIN’ GREEN”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) When green is all there is to be.

DETROW: What’s your connection to The Muppets—just the films, The Muppet Show, and the like? Was that a significant part of your upbringing? I love both Family Guy and the Muppets, though I’m not sure how much they overlap. How do you view the Muppets overall?

MACFARLANE: I mean, the Muppets were everywhere during my childhood. That era marked a heyday for Muppet films, with Jim Henson still active, alongside songwriters like Joe Raposo and Paul Williams. It was an extraordinary concentration of talent working together throughout the decade. The artistry was undeniable on every level. While Henson’s craftsmanship alone would have been impressive, they didn’t stop there—they launched full‑blown musical productions and treated them with utmost seriousness. Consequently, I believe the first three movies, especially the first two, never receive the recognition they deserve—perhaps simply because they’re Muppet movies. They rank among the finest film musicals of that decade.

DETROW: I’d like to discuss one of the songs from The Muppet Movie that you covered—“I Hope That Something Better Comes Along.” I laughed when I heard it on the album; at first it sounded like a standard bar‑room piano piece, two guys feeling down at a piano.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE MUPPET MOVIE”)

FRANK OZ: (As Rowlf) Hey, can we get a grasshopper for the frog?

HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog) Oh, that’s Kermit—Kermit the Frog.

OZ: (As Rowlf) Oh. I’m Rowlf the dog. Pleased to meet you.

DETROW: That’s a perfect setting for the song.

MACFARLANE: No, it’s a saloon song—essentially “One for My Baby.” In fact, we open with a solo piano much like that chart.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I HOPE THAT SOMETHING BETTER COMES ALONG”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) You can’t live with them. You can’t live without them. There’s something…

But the original lyrics were so tightly tied to a frog and a dog at the piano that this was the only track we were allowed to adjust. I rewrote a few lines to give it a more traditional saloon feel, since singing about tadpoles would have sounded odd. I think it works well.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I HOPE THAT SOMETHING BETTER COMES ALONG”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) She made a monkey out of old King Kong. I hope that something better comes along.

DETROW: The other song I’d like to ask about is “Rainbow Connection,” which I consider the definitive Muppet melody.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RAINBOW CONNECTION”)

JIM HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog, singing) Rainbows are visions but only illusions. And rainbows have nothing to hide.

DETROW: Did you feel any intimidation when approaching that song?

MACFARLANE: No, not at all. The challenge was to make it sound fresh—something listeners haven’t heard before. Since many artists have covered it, this is one of the few tracks on the album that remains close to the original arrangement.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RAINBOW CONNECTION”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) Why are there so many songs about rainbows? And what lies on the other side?

It’s interesting, though. To me, those songs are just as great as “Rainbow Connection,” and it truly is one of the greatest songs ever. Yet they’re often the least exciting for me personally, precisely because they’ve been performed so many times and interpreted in countless ways—reinventing that wheel in 2026 isn’t realistic.

DETROW: Yeah.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RAINBOW CONNECTION”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) Someday we’ll find it—the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me.

But other songs—such as “Right Where I Belong,” “Together Again,” and “Happiness Hotel”—have, in my view, never been recorded as pop songs.

DETROW: Yeah.

MACFARLANE: That’s where the fun lies for me.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HAPPINESS HOTEL”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) Oh, there’s no fire in the fireplace. There’s no carpet on the floor. Don’t try to…

DETROW: Seth MacFarlane, known for Family Guy and Ted, thanks for chatting with us about your new album Seth MacFarlane Sings The Muppets.

MACFARLANE: Oh, thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HAPPINESS HOTEL”)

MACFARLANE: (Singing) And you need to rest a spell. Well, welcome home to the Happiness Hotel. If you’ve got luggage, keep it handy.

Source link