Classic Thomas Song Lookback (Featuring Charissa Hoffman) REUPLOAD

 

(NOTE: This is a project I made back in 2021 on DeviantArt. I decided to reupload it here for more exposure.)

If you know me, you’ll know I love Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. I have ever since I was two. And I’m not the only one. There are many people who enjoy the adventures of the little blue engine and his friends, mostly from seasons 1-7. And a lot of that is attributed to many aspects: The stories, the characters, the atmosphere, and what we’re spotlighting today, the music.

Music is one of the most important parts of Thomas. Mike O’Donnell and Junior Campbell made sure that the music in Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends wasn’t just something to listen to during episodes of the show, but stuff with actual substance that helped to advance the episodes being made.

The Unlucky Tug has already made an awesome video explaining the brilliance of Thomas’ score (Which you can view right here), but that video was focused more on the background music for episodes. In this journal, I wanted to talk about the separate Thomas and Friends songs, otherwise known as the music videos.

The music videos came into existence in 1992, when season 3 was being filmed, where they would make a new song, and set it to clips of episodes, along with some very special deleted scenes and specially shot footage, and from there, they would be featured in every season and on DVD/VHS releases. But today, we’re just gonna be looking at a collection of songs from the first seven seasons, AKA: The Classic Series. Because those are the songs of the show I grew up watching first.

Also, I’m not gonna be ranking these, because I enjoy all of them. Instead, I’m going to be going over each song in the order that they were released. Season by season.

But I didn’t just want to examine how these songs work as tributes to my favorite show ever; I also wanted to examine how they work as songs by themselves, so I decided to bring in a friend of mine who’s more musically experienced to help me out. Please welcome… Charissa Hoffman!!!

CH: Hello! My name is Charissa Hoffman. I am a music teacher and recent graduate from Berklee College of Music, where I studied and analyzed melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics. I don’t know a lot about Thomas, but I’m super excited to lend my ear to these songs and offer some comments about their musical function!

Thank you, Miss Charissa. I can guarantee you this is gonna be a fun experience. Now let’s jump right into it! I’m Noah, she’s Miss Charissa, and this is a lookback on the classic songs of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.

Thomas' Anthem

We’re starting off with the first-ever music video, released in 1991, as well as the only song released during season 3. And for the first song ever, it sure made its mark. An anthem, at least from what I’ve read online, is supposed to be a song that gives a positive, uplifting message about devotion to a certain topic, and this song truly delivers on that. Not only is it very positive and catchy, but it also gives some insight into the show. You learn who Thomas is, what he’s like, and even get an introduction to the other most important characters. Not to mention, the song itself is based on his theme song, so, in a way, it is kinda his anthem.

CH: This song starts off with sound effects of a train chugging along the tracks and a train whistle in the air. These sounds are incorporated into the song itself; the chugging becomes the rhythm of the song, and the train whistle is repeated in the choruses as a sound effect. The song is in Bb and its verse is in the major key. The chorus features a B major (or b2) chord, which borrows from the Phrygian mode, giving it a bit of a ‘topsy-turvy’ or maybe even uncertain feeling, which mirrors the playful antics of Thomas and his friends. Lyrically, the song introduces the character of Thomas, as well as several of his friends (such as Gordon, Henry, Edward, James, Toby, Annie, Clarabel, Percy, etc.) and other characters like the Fat Controller who play into the story. This helps set up the listener to recognize and appreciate characters as they’re introduced to them in the show.

I couldn’t agree more. This is the perfect song to introduce to people who have never seen Thomas before and want to know what it’s about. It will definitely inspire them to check it out for themselves. Thomas’ Anthem was the perfect way to start off this journal. So let’s move on to the music videos of season 4, starting with…

Let's Have A Race

One of the more memorable/iconic episodes of the show is the one where Thomas meets Bertie the Bus, and they have a great race. The episode itself was pretty exciting, and many kids were excited to see who would win. This song is based on that episode and captures its exciting energy very well. We get to see clips of both Thomas and Bertie racing, and some of the footage is even sped up, which helps elevate the excitement slightly. It also uses hints of Bertie’s theme, which was used in the actual episode.

CH: This song begins in the key of C with a brief intro verse, which includes a B7 (or VII7 chord), giving it a little bit of color before the song even begins. Lyrically, this intro verse discusses the merits of friendly rivalry. The main verses tell the story of the race; Bertie the bus challenges Thomas to a race, and both are very competitive! Though in the end, of course, Thomas wins. The choruses include a D7 (or V7/V chord), providing a brief modulation into the key of G on the lines “who can be the fastest/on your marks now, get set, go,” resolving again to C by the last note. On the final chorus, the song modulates a full half step up to C#, which makes it feel more triumphant and exciting. The rhythm is upbeat, matching the racing/speedy theme of the song.

Not to mention the fact that it illustrates how Thomas and Bertie aren’t enemies, they’re just great friends, who really enjoy racing each other, which also helps play into the song’s message about how winning isn’t what’s important in games, but having fun and taking part is. And fun is something you will definitely have when listening to this song. It’s fun, exciting, and pays homage to one of the greatest episodes in Thomas history.

Gone Fishing

From a distance, this may seem like a song about the episode “Thomas Goes Fishing”, where Thomas has to get water from a river on his branch line, but ends up accidentally getting fish put into him instead, but it’s not. It’s really more akin to The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars, in the fact that it’s just about the kind of days, where you don’t really wanna do anything, except your favorite pastimes, such as going fishing.

CH: “Gone Fishing” opens with an upbeat intro featuring piano, drums, and accordion, reminiscent of the Louisiana-born genre Zydeco. The verses offer a strong contrast, beginning on the sixth scale degree and utilizing a chromatic line cliché, with the bass walking down by half steps until it reaches the third scale degree, ending with a II-V turnaround back to the top, as the lyrics discuss the merits of kicking back and relaxing from time to time. The chorus brings us back to the original upbeat tempo and major key harmony, singing about how going fishing is the perfect way to spend a sunny day. The bridge is also upbeat and utilizes the V7/V chord, D7, to add a little spice before closing things out with one last upbeat chorus. It’s a playful song that features a lot of cool contrasting parts!

This is a song that doesn’t really focus on Thomas, his friends, or the island, but its catchiness and relatable message keep it from being too much of a distraction. Plus, the scenes with Thomas watching his crew fish are also really nice to see.

Toby

Of the seven central characters, Toby the Tram Engine is definitely among the most interesting. Mostly due to the fact that he's square-shaped with a bell, while the others are round-shaped with whistles, the fact that he can simultaneously act both young and old at the same time without it seeming jarring, his very catchy theme, and most of all, his backstory, which this song spends a good chunk of its time going over.

CH: “Toby” begins in the key of G with a fairly straightforward major key melody. Lyrically, the song begins to tell the story of Toby. It introduces him and his carriage, Henrietta, and tells the listener that he’s to be retired and his line closed. With this somber news, the song modulates directly to Eb, utilizing the G minor chord, a direct contrast to the initial key of G major. Lyrically, the chorus tells Toby that he is still beloved and valued, even if he’s a little older than some of the other engines. The second verse modulates directly back into the key of G and continues the story, with the news that on the very day Toby was supposed to stop work, the Fat Controller called him in to assist with an emergency, and he was reinstated as part of the family. The chorus again moves to the wistful B6 key of Eb, though this time the listener feels triumphant as the lyrics remind us that Toby is as important and beloved as ever.

Absolutely. Toby has been through a lot throughout the show, and the clips from the music video definitely help illustrate that. And while the later seasons of Thomas haven’t been using him to his full potential, we’ll always have the classic seasons and this song to help remind people that we do still care about Toby.

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

I’ve heard this phrase repeated in Dhar Mann videos so many times, it’s gotten rather annoying, mostly because said videos don’t illustrate the message in a way that’s believable or understandable to the real world. Thankfully, this song and the episode it’s based on are what helped me learn this lesson in the first place.

For those of you who don’t know, this song was based on the season 1 episode “Terence the Tractor”, or “Thomas, Terence and the Snow” if you live in the UK, in which Thomas meets Terence, a tractor who lives in a field on his branch line. Thomas doesn’t seem to care for Terence’s different wheel configuration and calls it ugly. Later on, Thomas gets stuck in the snow after breaking his snowplow, which results in Terence having to use his caterpillar treads to save Thomas, who now has an appreciation for Terence's abilities.

Now, the reason the book-judging lesson works here is because, at this point in the season, we know who Thomas is as a character. We expect this type of behavior from him. And even when he calls Terence’s caterpillars ugly, it’s not outright maliciousness; he’s just being a little insensitive to something he doesn’t understand. We never get a chance to know any of the Dhar Mann antagonists that well, and on their first interactions, they’re written in a way that’s so horrible, a talking steam engine feels more real than them.

Also, the rescue part of the episode doesn’t feel forced or contrived, because Thomas made bad decisions based on his personality and inexperience. And Terence lives on Thomas’ branch line, so it’s not too much of a stretch to believe he’d be available to pitch in. The way it’s presented is really good too. In Dhar Mann videos, the characters the antagonists beat down will suddenly have a twist reveal where, instead of being poor, weak, and regular, like they presented themselves as, they’re actually rich, successful, and popular. The problem with this is that it makes it look like the villains shouldn’t have judged a book by its cover because the other character is in a higher position and not because it’s the right thing to do, and they should have done it regardless of who they were and where they stood.

In the Thomas episode, even though Thomas comes to appreciate Terrence after he saves him from the snowdrift, it works because Terence doesn’t have any details tacked on to make him any more different than when he was first presented. He isn’t secretly the tractor of a millionaire or the head tractor of some successful tractor company; he’s still the same regular tractor we met in the beginning, who’s able to use his special abilities to help others out. It also helps that while the message is bluntly stated in DM videos multiple times, it isn’t stated even once in the episode, giving the audience a chance to come to figure this out for themselves. And even though it is stated in the song (Heck, it’s the name of the song) that gets a pass, because it’s not trying to teach through clever stories but rather engaging music.

… Oh, right! I forgot, this journal was about analyzing the music videos of Thomas, not the episodes. My bad. Miss Charissa, I think you can take it from here.

CH: This song begins in the key of C, but very quickly introduces the A7 (or V7/II) chord, which pivots us into a series of quirky dominant-function chords. The A7 moves into D7 (or V7/V), which moves into G7 (or V7), which moves into E7 (or V7/VI), which goes right back to D7, and then back to G7 before the chorus modulates into the key of Eb! This is pretty unusual outside of show-tune music and definitely uses a wide variety of chords and modulations, as the lyrics tell the story of Thomas passing a hasty judgment on Terence and coming to regret it. The last chorus undergoes a direct modulation into the key of E. This song certainly takes the cake for harmonic modulation!

Another thing I really think is nice is how the first thing the music video opens up with is a book titled “a book”, that actually turns out to be filled with clips from different episodes, which helps illustrate the message of not taking things at face value, very nicely. So you see, this is definitely a much better way to teach this lesson than watching a salesperson shame a poor person and instantly regret it.

The Island Song

When I was little, the one place I wished I could go to more than anywhere in the world was the Island of Sodor, not just for its railway and talking trains, but also for its beautiful landscapes, green valleys, clear skies, and breathtaking views, all things that are highlighted in this very beautiful song.

CH: This song is very nostalgic and sentimental, beginning with a wistful oboe line and by the end of it, swelling into a full orchestral backing. It begins in the key of D, singing about the merits of the Island of Sodor. Then, during the chorus, it modulates into the key of F (or D minor), telling the listeners to follow their dreams to the land where the dreams come true, which is Sodor. The piece modulates directly back into D for the second verse, then back into F/D minor for the second chorus. The piece then goes through an instrumental modulation and ends up resolving all the way up in Db, which results in a very triumphant ending!

It’s also worth noting that none of the engines or railway lines are mentioned in this song. Which is okay, because it doesn’t need to. For the music video, the railway becomes a backdrop, and we can see the rest of the island for its true beauty. They definitely chose the right clips to showcase.

There’s not really much else to be said about this one. This song pays excellent tribute to the setting of this show, and also reminds us that sometimes, the best travels are those we can only dream about.

He's A Really Useful Engine

I love Thomas. And I’m not talking about the show this time, I’m talking about the character. Even though I pretty much love all of the characters, Thomas is the one I always cling to the most, because he’s just so easily approachable and easy to get. And while the Thomas Anthem was more about the show, this song is about Thomas himself.

CH: This song begins with a very strong rhythm and cheerful orchestral backing, a march reminiscent of the work of John Philip Sousa and others. It begins with a snappy, quick-moving verse describing Thomas, and moves into a chorus with a bit slower melodic rhythm, and stress on the lyrics “one”, “adore,” and “engine.” The lyrics are a play on words; they describe Thomas as number one both as a team player and because his number is literally one. The only non-diatonic motion in this song occurs in the bridge, with a little chromatic motion on the Eb (IV) and F (V) chords, where the melody moves from G to Gb and back to G, and then A to Ab and back to A, before moving back into the final chorus, verse, and chorus.

The song also touches on the many traits that make Thomas who he is. His cheekiness, his eagerness, his willingness to help those in need. And the music video also helps illustrate Thomas’ great qualities, as it uses clips from Thomas’ greatest moments, like when he helped James after an accident, and his not-so-great moments, like when he tried to replicate his race with Bertie, but ended up crashing through a brick wall.

It’s no wonder this song was remade for both Thomas and the Magic Railroad and The Adventure Begins. It lets us know who Thomas is and why he’s so worth watching. You really couldn’t ask for more.

That's What Friends Are For

This song, along with the next one, were songs that didn’t have their own official music videos, instead only being released on the album “Thomas and the Best Kept Station Competition”. Why they never got ones until 2016, we’ll probably never know, but you can enjoy this fan-made version right above us. Anyway, since this show is called Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, a good portion of the show is dedicated to displaying and developing the relationships between Thomas and the other vehicles of Sodor, and this song is dedicated to the concept of camaraderie itself.

CH: This song is a slow, heartwarming ballad, talking about friendship and how true friends are always there for you. It is set in the key of C and the time signature of 6/8, with very minimal backing (only a piano and snare drum for most of the song, with a bit of harp and strings later on in the song). The snare drum plays a steady, grounding rhythm of “one two-and three four five six,” until the last chorus, when it drops out, and only the piano and harp accompany the sweet voices as they fade out.

The engines of Sodor were really a good fit for this song because even though they constantly mock each other, insult each other, and play jokes on each other, they really do care about each other. And you can see that through the clips that the video shows and the music that’s played throughout. I guarantee you’re gonna appreciate the friendships you have with the people in your life a little more after hearing this song.

Rules & Regulations

And here’s the other song that didn’t get an official music video until 2016. Since the Island of Sodor is a railroad, there are many rules and guidelines that the engines have to follow, but either because of curiosity or ego reasons, they don’t always follow these rules, which can result in things going wrong quite a bit. This song is dedicated to explaining how important rules really are.

CH: This song is in the key of F and begins with a catchy melody for the first line. That melody is then sequenced diatonically a whole tone higher, so that it sounds more minor than the first line. The pre-chorus tumbles in downward-moving melodic lines into the chorus. The chorus contains a harmonic walkdown, starting with F, then F/E, F/D, etc, which gives it a bit of a wistful, knowing feeling. The last line of the chorus contains a rhythm change turnaround, catapulting us back into the verse. The song ends triumphantly with a repeat of the chorus, bringing the song to a close.

The music video itself uses the right clips of Thomas and his friends not paying attention to, or straight up ignoring the rules that were stated to them, and it blowing up in their faces. Again, there’s not that much to say about this one. It’s catchy, it gets its good message across, and it’s nice to listen to. There’s no rule that you HAVE to listen to this song, but I’d definitely recommend that you do. That’s all of season 4, now we move on to season 5, and boy, does the quality go up on these next ones, starting with…

Night Train

Contrary to popular belief, work on the Island of Sodor does not just grind to a halt when it gets dark outside. There are many trains that still run at night and are important, the two biggest examples of this being Thomas and Percy’s mail train and Henry’s Flying Kipper, which are the ones that are the most highlighted in this song.

CH: “Night Train” is in the key of A, and the time signature of 6/8, with a steady “one-two-three-four-five-six” backing the melody all the way through, propelling the song forward. The verse talks about watching and listening for the Night Train, and the first melodic phrase ends with an unexpected F natural (#5/b6), which just so happens to mirror the melody of another famous train song, “Take the A Train” by Duke Ellington. The chorus modulates briefly to the key of F before modulating directly back into the key of A. This form repeats several times before closing with a tag of the chorus, concluding the song as the sun rises on the Island of Sodor.

Once again, the visuals are where the music video truly shines. The show has always been really good at portraying trains running at night, and they certainly chose the right scenes to showcase that. And when the sun eventually does come out, it feels like we’ve just walked out of an amazing experience that we don’t want to end.

Accidents Will Happen

One of the many reasons kids love Thomas and Friends is the many accidents and crashes Thomas and the other engines often get themselves into. Trainwrecks are amazing. They’re technically bad, but you just can’t look away from them. And this song right here is dedicated to all the times Thomas and the other engines have wrecked themselves, expressing that these things happen to us all the time.

CH: This song begins with a swinging intro in the key of Eb! The melody of the verse prominently features the B3 (Gb), giving it a bluesy/jazzy feel. The chorus moves into an upbeat, upward-ascending melody, with a show tune/cabaret feel, ending with an enthusiastic perfect cadence at the top of the octave. The vocal melismas on the verses are also reminiscent of swing tunes. The bridge section cuts all instruments except for percussion, bringing the vocals way down and swelling into a big chorus. The final chorus modulates into the key of E, with a brief callback to the percussion-only bridge and a IV minor in the tag for a show-stopping finish.

They included so many memorable crashes for this music video, James crashing into the tar wagons, Thomas falling down the mine, Gordon smashing through the Kirk Ronan wall, Henry crashing with Flying Kipper, the slate trucks hitting Peter Sam, and so many more. It helps that this was made during season 5, probably the most crash-riddled season of Thomas.

But what I think makes this song so great is the impact it had on the Thomas community. If you remember Thomas and Friends content in the early days of YouTube, you’ll remember that most videos were just people making their Thomas trains crash, while this song played in the background. You can definitely tell a lot of fun was had when these videos were made.

I think it goes without saying that this is definitely one of the greater songs in the Sodor catalogue. It’s exciting, action-packed, and great to listen to.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

Bill and Ben, the China Clay twins, are characters you think would get annoying really fast, but while they do have their annoying moments, they’re still very fun and funny additions to the crew, who know when they have to do the right thing, which is what this next song is devoted to.

CH: ​​Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining begins with a sung intro in the key of Ab. The verse modulates directly in the key of Bb, with a few little non-diatonic melodic flourishes, such as a Gb (bVI) at the end of the verse. The chorus features a harmonic walkdown, including an Ab major (bVII major chord) as a reference to the Ab intro, tying the whole song together. The verse/chorus form then repeats, concluding the story with a reminder that problems can always be solved if we face them.

This music video really does highlight the best moments of Bill and Ben, which don’t involve them playing tricks, of course. Them rescuing the workers in Heroes, them putting their fight aside to move a train in One Good Turn, and when they had to pull both a train of trucks and Derek the Teething Troubles diesel when he broke down in Double Teething Troubles. It helps that the song uses their theme as a base, which helps fans link it to the characters.

This is definitely a song you want to listen to, if you’re having a bad day or just need some motivation to remind you that silver linings do exist, you just have to look for them.

It's Great To Be An Engine

If you were to ask a kid what they wanted to be when they grew up, I don’t think “locomotive” would be high on that list. Luckily, we have this song to testify to why being a train is so cool.

CH: It’s Great to Be an Engine begins with an upbeat intro with a cheerful piano and consistent shaker for rhythm. The song is in the key of Eb, and the first melodic phrase of the verse features a Db (bVII), which makes it feel almost topsy-turvy and circusy. It also features a prominent IV major chord on the first ending, concluding with an I major to differentiate the cadence from the middle of the verse. On the chorus, the piano scales back a bit, playing more whole notes and small flourishes, offering a helpful variation from the upbeat verse. The song also features a spoken bridge, reminiscent of 60s-70s production like the work of Phil Spector or the bridge on “I Will Always Love You.” It concludes with the upbeat, topsy-turvy verse, sending the listener out on a cheerful note.

This is a song that really succeeds in conveying what it wants to convey. Watching Thomas and the other engines cheerfully puffing round the island, doing their jobs, is bound to get any little kid excited about them. I know I sure did when I first heard this song. It also does a great job of featuring most of the prominent engine characters featured in these five seasons.

Overall, this is a song that will definitely make kids everywhere go:

“Mommy, when I grow up, I wanna be a steam engine!”

“... Uh… That’s great, honey.”

The Snow Song

Growing up in Maryland, I got to experience quite a bit of snow. Now that my family and I live in California, while I love the endless summer feel, I do tend to miss it sometimes. Luckily, Mike and Junior help capture the memories I have of it, with this next song, which is about a snow day on the Island of Sodor.

CH: This song opens up with twinkly, dreamy piano and string lines, and an upbeat drum part reminiscent of sleigh bells to keep the rhythm moving. It is in the key of Eb and features a V7/IV (Eb7) moving to Ab in the verses, and some beautiful minor motion in the choruses (including II- and VI- chords). There is a brief musical interlude between the second and third choruses, during which the song modulates up a half step to E major, and closes with an atmospheric tag ending melodically on the fifth scale degree.

Thomas and his friends have had a lot of experiences with frozen water, some good, some bad, and they show you this without really telling you about it in the music video, and snow is something the modelling team is really able to master. Even the most die-hard summer fan will have to admit winter can be pretty cool after listening to this song.

Donald's Duck

I think most of us have a very close relationship with any pets we may have, and that’s what this song, based on a season 3 episode with the same name, is about. The episode in question is about Donald, one of the Scottish twins, getting tired of Duck’s constant talking and saying he quacks all the time, so to get back at him, Duck’s crew slips a small duckling (Dilly) into Donald’s tender, who spends the day with him, before relocating to a pond near the local station. The episode was kinda cute, but the duck and Donald’s relationship wasn’t really focused on at all, and that’s where this song comes in.

CH: This song is in the key of C and begins with a quick-paced narrative verse, mostly centered around C diatonic chords but featuring a quick V7/V (D7) to V (G7). In contrast, the melody in the chorus has a lot of sustained, wistful notes, with some diatonic natural minor chords to offset the perkiness of the verse. There’s a post-chorus to serve as a transition between the verse and chorus. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention! The song is peppered throughout with quacking sound effects to reference the subject matter, which is, of course, a little duck.

The song is told from Donald’s point of view and explains how he views Dilly, which is akin to how most pet owners view their animal companions. Someone cute and silly who makes your day better just by being there. Though some of the Sodor residents would beg to differ, as you see their reactions to Dilly quacking around in the music video, which are pretty comical.

Sir Topham Hatt

With a show featuring so many talking machines, it’s easy to forget about the small collection of human characters featured, like Sir Topham Hatt, AKA: The Fat Controller. Sir Topham Hatt is the man in charge of the island’s railways and the father-like figure to the aforementioned talking machines. And to highlight his importance, this next song was made.

CH: Sir Topham Hatt is in the key of Bb and draws from patriotic marching band music like the work of John Philip Sousa, popularized in the late 1800s/early 1900s, which fittingly matches the era in which Thomas is set. The verses are written in a whimsical spoken style, featuring clever rhymes (or non-rhymes) like “Topham Hatt/rather- round.” The bridge is the most upbeat, with the most instrumentation behind the lyrics, coming closest to one of those classic marches we know and love. The final chorus modulates up a half step to the key of B, ending triumphantly with a tag and an authentic cadence.

If I had any nitpicks, when it mentions the story of Thomas Comes to Breakfast, it kind of tells it the wrong way. Thomas didn’t decide to go to the house by himself; the only reason he was moving was that someone had meddled with his controls, and it wasn’t Sir Topham’s house that he crashed into, it was a stationmaster’s. But like I said, that’s just a nitpick.

I also realized how well this music fits STH. It’s very elegant and proper, the two things he is. You really get a sense for who Topham Hatt is and what his relationship with the engines of Sodor is like, along with the sense that he doesn’t play favorites. These are the things that make STH such a likable character, and that’s why this song works.

Come For The Ride

Thomas and his friends may look like regular trains who do regular train stuff, but rest assured, exciting things DO happen on Sodor, quite often, in fact. Don’t believe me? Check this next song out.

CH: “Come for the Ride” is an upbeat, drum-heavy song in the key of C. It draws heavily on blues and rock/R&B influences. It straddles that early line between blues and rock, featuring stride piano in the left hand and block chords in the right hand, but a heavy backbeat on the drums. The verses are spoken, with only a drum backing, and the chorus explodes into a raucous piano accompaniment and bluesy melody, with the heavy drum backing carrying throughout the song.  It mimics songs like “Rockin' Robin” and “Rock Around the Clock” in its form and style- even the most serious listener will have a toe tapping by the tag at the end!

Adding to that is the mostly sped-up footage used in the music video, as you see the engines speeding along their tracks, not to mention that there are clips that feature runaways and giant Indiana Jones-style boulders, so that helps, as well. When you put those together, with quick and fast-paced editing, you’ve got another song that’ll make you feel envious that you’re not a steam engine.

Harold The Helicopter

Harold the Rescue Helicopter is probably the most popular non-rail vehicle on the show, and for good reason: he can fly, he rescues people, and he just looks so cool. Not a day goes by that I see a helicopter in the sky and not think of him. So to honor his coolness, this song was made.

CH: Harold the Helicopter begins with a military-march-like drumbeat, in the key of Bb major (though there are moments that seem a lot like F mixolydian- the melodic lines don’t resolve straight to Bb, so it’s a bit hard to say where the tonic center is). However, at the end of the pre-chorus, it pivots on an F major chord unequivocally to the key of Db major. The melody here is higher with more long tones and accents of the fife and cymbals. After the second chorus, there is a brief instrumental break (something that feels like it’s out of a superhero action movie), and then the song modulates up a half step to D major for the final, triumphant chorus.

Throughout the song, you really get to see Harold’s heroism in action and why he’s necessary for the island. While the engines, mainly Percy, have displayed great annoyance about Harold, whenever he boasts about the things he can do, they don’t hate him, because he’s not just a great rescue helicopter, he’s also a really great friend, who will always make sure his engine chaps are okay.

The music video itself feels very grand and cinematic because it mostly takes place in the sky, where Harold works. You almost feel like you’re flying with him all over Sodor. And, you may not be able to look at helicopters the same way again afterward.

All in all, this is a high-flying song that pays tribute to a high-flying character.

Percy's Seaside Trip

Percy the Small Engine is one of my favorite characters. He’s cute, he’s funny, he’s very kind, he’s just an all-around likable guy. The beach is not one of my favorite places, but there are fun things to do, and it is beautiful to look at. When you put these two things together, you get a song that’s not the greatest, but still good, nonetheless.

CH: This one has a handful of interesting chords to keep it moving along. With a fairly straightforward upbeat pop melody, Percy’s Seaside Trip features an Eb7 (V7/IV) chord on the verses, a nice accent to offset the primarily diatonic harmonic motion. The chorus features a walk-up starting with an Eb chord, then Eb/E, then F minor to Bb. The bridge features a little subtle iii-VI-ii-V motion with a G minor and F minor chords featured prominently. The song ends with a final verse and repeated chorus; no modulation this time around, just as the train and its passengers arrive home, we stay in the home key to close things out.

I think it’s a little weird that they decided to use Percy for this song, since he’s not really a character that’s tied to beaches and stuff, sounds like something more up Duck or Oliver’s ally, or even Gordon, since he’s the most known for pulling passengers, but I supposed it was probably because he’s so popular among fans, and it is his theme that helps give it that special memorable sauce. Definitely one you’ll enjoy. Well, we’re done with season 5, now it’s time to move on to season 6, my favorite season.

James The Really Splendid Engine

After Thomas and Percy, James the Red Engine is the most popular character ever. And there are a lot of factors that contribute to this fact. His iconic red paint job, his enormous ego and outgoing personality, his name that rolls right off your tongue, just like that, the fact that he has some of the most memorable crashes in the show, and of course, his theme, which is used as the basis for this song.

CH: This song begins with a spoken-sung intro in the key of C, featuring a snazzy V7/V (D7) chord, but is otherwise fairly straightforward and diatonic. After this, however, the energy ramps up, with an exciting horn riff in G# modulating back into C, and an upbeat, big band/boogie-woogie piano-driven verse. The chorus is made up of an ascending melodic line centered around the C blues scale, as is typical of a boogie-woogie tune. It’s interesting that the song should draw from big band/boogie-woogie influences because the original creators of this style of music actually drew from industrialization as an influence. Musicians like Duke Ellington and James P. Johnson tried to use train-like rhythms and percussion in their music. So it’s fitting to write this style of song ABOUT a train! The form repeats again with the upbeat verse and chorus, ending on a flourish of a cadence, horns and all.

Wow, I did not know that. But anyway, this is also good at telling you everything you need to know about James. Who he is, what he does, and how others view him. The music video also captures some of his best shots in the show, along with some shots we’ve never seen of him before. Along with some of his most memorable faces.

This song is grand, big, flashy, and incredibly fun to listen to, and as the guy at the very end says: That’s James!

Little Engines

Sometimes, and by sometimes, I mean most of the time, the big engines of Sodor, like Gordon, Henry, James, and Spencer, like to think that they’re better than the smaller engines of Sodor, like Thomas, Percy, Toby, Duck, and the Skarloey Railway engines, because they’re so big. And because of this, the great things these slightly smaller metal beasts are able to accomplish often get overlooked, which is why this great song was created.

CH: “Little Engines'' starts with a nostalgic, wistful intro in the key of A, reminiscent of 50s ballads like “Time After Time.” It segues through a verse into an upbeat, cheerful chorus, accented by drum beats, clarinet, oboe, and train whistle, occasionally ending a melodic phrase on a 3rd or 5th to provide motion/suspension without fully departing from the key. This is particularly satisfying during the A/E, A/F, A/F# walk-up on the last line of the chorus. The final chorus ends triumphantly with a nod to the relative minor and a tag.

This song’s overall message is that it doesn’t matter how small you are; there are still things you can do, and it’s how well you do them that counts. And you can see that in the clips they chose to show. Mike O’Donnell uploaded a remake of this song to his YouTube channel, and that one is also really great, too. The only issue I have is with the music video part, because even though this is a season 6 song, the only season 6 footage they ever use is a deleted scene of Stepney and Oliver crossing the viaduct. That’s pretty weird.

Sidenote, I’d like to use this part to inform you of who I think qualifies as a little engine and who doesn’t. To me, a little engine is any engine that is the same size or smaller than Thomas. And to help illustrate this, I made this chart.

Any questions? No? Okay, let’s move on then.

Down By The Docks

Aside from Tidmouth Sheds and Knapford Station, Brendam Docks is the most well-known Sodor location. It’s also the busiest, with engines and people rushing to and fro to get their jobs done. And so, this song was made to capture the same sort of action that goes down there every day.

CH: Down By the Docks begins with a melody in sequence, starting on Bb and moving up to C minor, eventually ascending to F and featuring a mini-modulation with an E natural. The melody is somewhat reminiscent of traditional songs from the early 1900s, especially the rhythmic hits on the lyric “dockside” in the chorus. The motion of the melody is very tonal rather than modal, and the ascending chorus is somewhat reminiscent of the melody in “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The song ends triumphantly after the final chorus.

The song’s verses focus on the three things you’re most likely to see at the docks: Salty the Dockyard Diesel, Cranky the enormous cargo crane, and the many ships that come in and out of the harbor. Also, many of the shots that feature all of the engines working are unedited, giving us a broader scope of how big and busy this place really is.

The only nitpick I have with the video is that the beginning and especially the ending shots of Thomas puffing along Arlesburgh go on for a little too long and sorta feel like padding. But other than that, Down By The Docks is a really great and catchy song that confirms that down by the dockside, truly is where we want to be.

Winter Wonderland

Now, we come to the one other winter-themed song in this lineup, but whereas the Snow Song was about the magic, beauty, and greatness of the snow itself, this song not only puts more focus on Thomas and his friends, but also on Christmas and the many things we do during said holiday.

CH: “Winter Wonderland” begins with a wistful melody in C, first descending in sequence, then ascending to end on the tonic an octave up. The next verse features a neat melodic sequence starting with a pedal between the tonic/dominant in C, then moving up to the same pedal but in the key of E. The song then moves back to the original verse, but now in the key of E. It then modulates back down to the key of C, ending the song with a tag on the tonic an octave up. Lots of melodic and harmonic motion overall, with a jingle-bell rhythm throughout to help ground the song.

Sodor is definitely big on Christmas, and it shows throughout the music video, with each of the main characters who debuted in the first season getting a mention, while others still make cameos throughout.

Boo! Boo! Choo Choo!

We now shift holidays from Christmas to Halloween, as we move on to this spooky song that I first heard on my Thomas and the Jet Engine DVD, which attempts to scare us, but also to help us to not be afraid when things get spooky. Thomas is definitely no stranger to scaring its audience, so it’s safe to say they knew exactly which clips from which episodes to use (Thomas, Percy and the Dragon, Percy and Haunted Mine, Duncan Gets Spooked, Haunted Henry, etc.) That owl in particular will definitely be sending chills up some kids' throats.

CH: “Boo Boo Choo Choo!” Is the perfect Thomas song for the Halloween season! With lots of staccato instrumentation behind spoken verses and spooky sound effects (such as owls hooting), the listener gets an uneasy feeling, interspersed between comforting sung lines in the key of Eb. Some sung lines reference the relative minor key of C, quickly resolving to Eb on the choruses, with a fun rhythmic displacement on the “don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, don’t be, don’t be afraid of the dark” line, reminiscent of some early jazz/ragtime rhythmic breaks. The final chorus features a pretty harmony line on the first couple of lines, and a triumphant tag to end things off.

Dennis Duck made a video talking about the weirdness of this song, which can be viewed here. (Skip to 22:30) But to sum it up, this is definitely a song that will make you feel scared and relieved at the same time.

Never, Never, Never Give Up

The engines of Sodor are no strangers to trials and tribulations, so for this song about perseverance, this music video decides to highlight times engines 1-10 each got into some sort of scrape in the series.

CH: “Never, Never, Never Give Up” begins with a jaunty, upbeat melody in the key of F. The chorus begins with an encouragement to “never give up,” followed by a line harmonized by G minor, which gives the melody a minor feeling, resolving back to a major-harmony line, reminding the listener, “Don’t stop trying.” Some other objects of note are the low-voiced echo on the verses (low vocals are a bit unusual on the Thomas soundtrack) and the high-ascending melody on the bridge. The final chorus modulates up a half step to the key of F#, ending with a triumphant, shouted tag.

The only problem I have with this song is something related to the music video, and it’s Edward’s part. The only clip they show of him is him taking Thomas back to the shed after an accident he had. That’s not really Edward getting challenged or making his own mistake. If you wanted to keep with the theme of the song, why not have Edward’s clip be him helping Gordon up the hill in Edward Helps Out or helping Gordon and Duck up the hill in Edward The Very Useful Engine, or him rescuing a speeding James in Old Iron, or if you REALLY wanted go all the way with this, why not show his struggle in Edward’s Exploit, since that features the bravest thing Edward has ever done before. Any one of those clips would be a better fit than the one they actually used.

But other than that, this is a really great song with a really great message and one you should definitely check out, if you haven’t already. Now we move on to the last classic season, with the last bunch of songs we’re gonna talk about, season 7.

Five New Engines In The Shed

Season 7 was definitely a new season for Thomas and Friends. Not only were there bigger sets and grander scopes, but there was also a plethora of new characters who debuted this season, as well. So, as you might have already guessed from the title, this song is dedicated to introducing five of those new characters.

CH: This song opens with a quick-descending series of 16th notes (G-F#-E-D) on strings, accompanied by a reed or wind instrument. This airy, dreamy opening gives the feeling of a new day or sunrise, which refers to the lyrical content of the first verse, talking about a new, exciting day. The verse begins in G, then modulates up to Bb, then Eb. After the dreamy intro, we move into an upbeat, march-inspired chorus in the key of C#. Wow- three modulations already! But that’s not all. After we move through the verse and chorus again, the song modulates AGAIN, up a half step to the key of D. The song ends with a triumphant finale, cadencing back to the tonic (which is now D major).

BUT, there’s one glaring issue with this song that only well-knowledged Thomas fans, like myself, will notice when looking back on this song: Two of the five engines are not new. Emily the Emerald Stirling Single, Arthur the LMS Ivatt Tank Engine, and Murdoch the BR 9F Goods Engine were all introduced this season, but Salty the Dockyard Diesel and Harvey the Crane Engine? They’ve been here since season 6. Once you notice that, you’ll never not notice it. I didn’t even question this while watching my New Friends For Thomas DVD, which featured this song, when I was little, but now, listening to others point this out, it’s all I can think about. James A Williams brought up the good point that this song would make more sense if, instead of Salty and Harvey, it featured Spencer the Silver Streamlined Engine and Fergus the Railway Traction Engine, two characters who WERE introduced in season 7.

Aside from that, the song is actually pretty catchy, and three out of five isn’t so bad. This is a song that was made to introduce new characters, and it did that job very well.

The Red Balloon

This is a song that features something that was introduced in the previous season, but doesn’t really act like it's anything new. For those who don’t know, there was an episode in season 6 called James and the Red Balloon, where Thomas brings a huge red hot air balloon to the airfield, which is made to give people a bird’s eye view tours of the island. James is not too keen on this idea, since he and the other engines are usually the ones who take people around the island, and they start to worry that the balloon will steal their passengers away. But after Sir Topham Hatt states the people would need trains to get to and from the airfield, James is very relieved, and even starts to grow an affinity for this new mode of transportation. This song is a tribute to the red hot air balloon and the many things people can see inside it.

CH: “The Red Balloon” begins with a sentimental string intro, continuing into a sung verse in the key of F#. The verse continues the sentimental, wistful theme of the intro, singing about the splendors the Island of Sodor has to offer. The chorus abruptly modulates to the key of D major, incorporating some woodwinds (such as oboe). The second verse modulates directly back into F#, and the second chorus returns directly to D major. The song ends with a repeat of the chorus, finishing in the key of D.

The beautiful music combined with the breathtaking shots of Sodor really help elevate this song into being something grander than it may seem, and even mentions how much James enjoys its company near the end. I’m not entirely sure what led the team to want to make a song about a balloon, but I’m certainly glad they did.

There Once Was An Engine Who Ran Away

Now we have another song which is loosely based on an episode of the show: Episode 18 of season 7, Fergus Breaks The Rules, in which, after being told what to do by Fergus, Diesel tricks him into thinking Sir Topham Hatt wants him to work at the Smelters Yard instead of the Cement Works. Fergus begrudgingly obliges and is immediately scared off by Arry and Bert, so he decides to hide in a cold, dark siding. This song adapts that premise and turns it into a story about an engine thinking he’s not wanted anymore and everyone proving him wrong by going out of their way to find him.

CH: “There Once Was An Engine Who Ran Away” begins in an upbeat, big band/boogie-woogie style, reminiscent of songs like “Let it Snow” or “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy.” It remains fairly diatonic to the key of F, featuring lots of “blue notes” in the harmony through the use of dominant 7 and diminished chords. Halfway through, the song modulates up a half step to the key of F#. There’s an interesting bridge section that repeats both before and after the modulation, moving chromatically up before returning to the tonic. All in all, this is a fun, upbeat song narrating the story of the engine that ran away and had to be rescued by Thomas.

I couldn’t agree more. Fergus’ theme was already catchy enough on its own, but here, they just go the extra mile, and it pays off. That, along with Mike O’Donnell joining the children in singing, turns it into an earworm that will most likely never leave your head.

Troublesome Trucks

Now, as we’ve previously mentioned, the engines of Sodor are very accident-prone. Sometimes, these accidents are caused by their own egos; other times, they’re caused by outside forces they can’t control, but a good majority of the time, the accidents of Sodor are caused by these guys.

The Troublesome Trucks are the means of getting goods across the island and the most chaotic beings ever put to rails. They love nothing more than to send whoever’s pulling them off the rails, which is why they’re so remembered. My good friend JJHatter even argued that they might actually be insane. 

So it makes sense that they would have a song that is just as chaotic and insane as they are.

CH: This song begins in the key of G with a sing-song intro featuring some interesting harmonic motion, including a IV to IV- to I to V7/II to II- to V7. The verse comes in with a very upbeat ragtime/early swing-style melody featuring fun chord choices like V7/V into V7, and a I-Io7-V7/II-V7/I progression at the end of the verse. The song then modulates to the key of F for the second verse, before returning to the key of G for the chorus. The final verse modulates back into F before ending triumphantly on the chorus in G.

Not to mention, all throughout the song, you can hear the trucks’ mad laughter, which really helps give you a visual picture as to how crazy these rolling crates are. If I could make one nitpick, it’s that some of the accidents featured (Like Thomas’s crash in “Bye, George!” and Oliver’s crash in “Snow Engine”) weren’t really caused by the trucks, but rather those aforementioned outside forces. But other than that, the music video hits the point right across the head that these demons love destruction and mayhem. That’s probably the reason it was brought back in 2015, for The Adventure Begins.

Salty

Looking back on these songs, I noticed how popular Salty was with the last few songs on the list. First, he had his own verse in Down By The Docks; he was one of the five focus characters in Five New Engines In The Shed, and now here he is with his very own song. It makes sense. Salty is a really fun and interesting character, and his pirate-like nature has definitely bled into his song, as you’ll observe.

CH: This song begins in the key of D, with the brass/woodwinds pedaling between A and B. As the song progresses, the harmony builds on this pedal, with swelling strings, harp, and added vocals. The song quickly modulates into the key of Bb, ending with a sweet cadence of IVmaj7, V7/II, V7/V, V, to I. The song then returns to the verse in D, before modulating back into a pre-chorus and chorus in Bb. The chorus then repeats, finishing with a tag of the last line, ending on the high-octave Bb.

This song highlights all the things that make Salty who he is: His love of storytelling, his unique way of dealing with the Troublesome Trucks, and his genuinely friendly disposition. Not really much else to say except this song that will make us want to always follow Salty.

The Whistle Song

Well, we made it to the very last song on our list, and how fitting that it’s centered around one of the most important and most musical parts of a steam engine: The whistle.

CH: “The Whistle Song” opens with a cacophony of train whistles, before segueing into upbeat sixteenth-note string section backing, giving the song a feeling of motion. The melody begins in the key of Db with a few non-diatonic moments, such as a V7/V-V-I cadence halfway through the chorus. The song then returns to the verse, which has a wistful, sing-song quality in spite of the fast-moving strings. When it moves to the chorus, it has almost a polka quality to it, with an oompah in the bass/tuba and a two feel. The song then moves to a minor-quality bridge, ending triumphantly on the V7, before moving back to the upbeat chorus. The final chorus modulates up a whole step to the key of Eb major, ending with an extended final line and a high-octave Eb note.

I think the music video almost manages to feature every steam engine that has been introduced so far. The song itself just focuses on the first six, while also giving Toby his own part, since he has a bell. The use of characters helps give the song a grander feel, which is perfect for the last song of the classic series. It’s also very educational, telling the audience what whistles are and why they’re so important.

With all this in mind, I guess it is true what they say: There’s nothing like going out with a bang. Or in this case, whistle.

And that’s it! All 31 original songs by Mike O’Donnell and Junior Campbell. And I gotta tell you, even though I still listen to these songs frequently, it was still great to go through them all and figure out what makes each of them special and awesome. While I’d probably listen to some more than others, I really can’t find it in my heart to call any of them bad, cause they were all made when Thomas and his friends were in their prime. And knowing what musical features each song had makes me realize just how much MOD and JC knew what they were doing. What did you think about this experience, Miss Charissa?

CH: Before this project, I had not spent a lot of time listening to the music of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. I was impressed by the range of compositions- the music draws inspiration from everything from blues to boogie-woogie to marches to cantatas. I was also impressed by the amount of modulation and non-diatonic motion- the songs are interesting and engaging, exposing the listener to a wide variety of musical devices. This is incredibly important for musical development, so kudos to the composers for broadening the minds of listeners, young and old! If I had to pick a favorite, I think it would have to be "Accidents Will Happen" because it draws on so many swing elements, and swing is my favorite genre of music.

And did this music make you want to start watching Thomas episodes?

CH: I was definitely intrigued- especially in wondering about the context of the songs. A lot of them feel like they are starting in the middle of a story- I was curious about what came before and after the song.

Well, as someone who’s watched the show in all of its entirety, I can definitely confirm it will blow your mind. But seriously, while I do like all of the songs of the show to some extent. (Heck, I even like some of the All Engines Go music) I think these songs we just went over will always be my favorite, not just because they’re so unlike any other songs I’ve ever heard before, but because they showcase so much of what makes Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends such a great show.

Well, that’s all the time we have for today. I just want to give a big thank you to Miss Charissa for agreeing to do this and teaching me things about music I never would’ve known otherwise.

CH: My pleasure, Noah! Thanks for teaching me so much about Thomas!

The pleasure was all mine. Anyway, thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time. Bye!