I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along!
Encyclopedia
"I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along" is sung at a bar in The Muppet Movie
by Kermit the Frog
and Rowlf the Dog
. Kermit is feeling blue over Miss Piggy
so he wanders into a bar and orders 'a grasshopper'. The pianist, Rowlf, commiserates with him by singing this song about the difficulty of living both with and without women. At the end of the song Rowlf notes that "It's not often you see a guy that green have the blues that bad."
It is a rare pairing of the two characters, because Jim Henson
operates both puppets, which makes such scenes impractical to perform frequently (which is also why Fozzie Bear
and Miss Piggy
rarely directly interacted on The Muppet Show
since they were both Frank Oz
's characters). In order to achieve the duet, the two tracks were recorded separately by Jim and then combined.
The film uses only the first verse of the song. The second verse was considered too mature for children by studio executives and was cut. The complete version can be heard on the film's soundtrack.
There are two versions of this song, one of Kermit and Rowlf singing and one as an instrumental. Both were written and arranged by Paul Williams
& Kenneth Ascher
.
The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Released in 1979, the film was produced by Henson Associates, Children's Television Workshop and ITC Entertainment....
by Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
and Rowlf the Dog
Rowlf the Dog
Rowlf the Dog is a Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. He was created by Jim Henson....
. Kermit is feeling blue over Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is a Muppet character who was primarily played by Frank Oz on The Muppet Show. In 2001, Eric Jacobson began performing the role, although Oz did not officially retire until 2002....
so he wanders into a bar and orders 'a grasshopper'. The pianist, Rowlf, commiserates with him by singing this song about the difficulty of living both with and without women. At the end of the song Rowlf notes that "It's not often you see a guy that green have the blues that bad."
It is a rare pairing of the two characters, because Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
operates both puppets, which makes such scenes impractical to perform frequently (which is also why Fozzie Bear
Fozzie Bear
Fozzie Bear is a Muppet, created by Jim Henson. He is an orange, particularly fuzzy bear who works as a stand-up comic and has a catchphrase, "Wocka Wocka Wocka". Shortly after telling the joke, he is usually the target of rotten tomatoes and ridicule, especially from hecklers Statler and Waldorf...
and Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is a Muppet character who was primarily played by Frank Oz on The Muppet Show. In 2001, Eric Jacobson began performing the role, although Oz did not officially retire until 2002....
rarely directly interacted on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
since they were both Frank Oz
Frank Oz
Frank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
's characters). In order to achieve the duet, the two tracks were recorded separately by Jim and then combined.
The film uses only the first verse of the song. The second verse was considered too mature for children by studio executives and was cut. The complete version can be heard on the film's soundtrack.
There are two versions of this song, one of Kermit and Rowlf singing and one as an instrumental. Both were written and arranged by Paul Williams
Paul Williams (songwriter)
Paul Hamilton Williams, Jr. is an Academy Award-winning American composer, musician, songwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song", Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World",...
& Kenneth Ascher
Kenneth Ascher
Kenneth "Kenny" Lee Ascher , is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who is active in jazz, rock, classical, and musical theater genres — in live venues, recording studios, and cinema production. He is widely known for co-writing, with Paul Williams, The Rainbow Connection...
.