01x04 - Martha Sings / TD Makes the Band

[bunniefuu]

MAN:
* Martha was an average dog

* She went... and... and...
(barking, growls)

* When she ate
some alphabet soup *

* Then what happened
was bizarre... *

On the way to Martha's stomach,
the letters lost their way.

They traveled to her brain
and now...

* She's got a lot to say

* Now she speaks...

How now, brown cow?

* Martha speaks, yeah,
she speaks and speaks *

* And speaks and speaks
and speaks... *

What's a caboose?

When are we eating again?

* Martha speaks...

Hey, Joe, what do you know?

My name's not Joe.

* She's not always right,
but still that Martha speaks. *

Hi, there!

* She's got a voice,
she's ready to shout *

* Martha will tell you
what it's all about *

* Sometimes wrong
but seldom in doubt *

* Martha will tell you
what it's all about *

* That dog's unique...

Testing, one, two!

* Hear her speak

* Martha speaks and speaks

* And speaks and speaks
and... *

* Communicates, enumerates

* Elucidates, exaggerates

* Indicates and explicates

* Bloviates and overstates
and... *

(panting)

* ...hyperventilates!

* Martha, to reiterate

Martha speaks!
* Martha speaks.

Hi, welcome to the show.

(babies jabbering, drums
banging, instruments playing)

Shush!

Sorry about all the babies.

My mom runs a day care center.

Anyway, today's show
is all about music,

so be sure to listen for words

like "instruments," "song,"
"rhythm," "tempo," and "melody,"

and I'll see you
at the end of the show.

(babies playing
samba music)

(samba stops)

Hmm, must have been
someone's radio.

(whimpering,
barking softly)

Everybody wonders
what their dogs dream about,

but I'm the only kid
who can ask and find out.

Psst.

Martha... Martha.

(yawns)

What were you
dreaming, Martha?

* I just had
an amazing dream *

* I dreamt it
all night long *

* In my dream,
every word I spoke *

* It came out of me
in a song. *

(gasping):
You're singing now.

* But I'm not dreaming...

No.

* It's really happening?

Yes.

* There's something wrong
with me *

* When I try to speak

* I sing a melody...

(embellishes note)

DAD:
Is something wrong?

I thought I heard singing.
I heard it, too.

It's Martha--
she's singing.

BOTH:
Singing?

* Every word I try to speak

* Comes out in melody

* That means
it comes out as a tune *

* Like la-la-la,
la, la-la-la *

* La-la-dee-dee-dee-dee

* Every word
she tries to speak *

*Comes out in melody

* Our dog is
singing a melody *

* Should we call up
the news from TV? *

* Oh, my goodness,
now you guys *

* Are singing your words, too

* You must have caught it
like a cold *

* Or some kind of musical flu.

(chuckling):
No.

I just did it
because it's fun.

I did it because
he did it.

(nervous laugh)

Don't worry, girl.

We'll take you to the vet.

Do we have to?

I love musicals.

WOMAN:
Hold your breath.
(Martha inhales, X ray buzzing)

Hold your
breath.

(inhales)

Hold your
tail.

Thank you.

You may
wag now.

(panting)

Okay, I'm going
to test your reflexes.

Give me your paw.

Give me your
other paw.

Hmm, excellent
reflexes--

gives paw right
when asked.

Say "ah."

* Ah...

(singing a scale)

Not "ah, ah, ah,
ah, ah, ah, ah."

Just one "ah."

*Ah...

Hmm.

(Martha
holding note)

I don't see
anything unusual.

There's nothing unusual about
a dog that can't stop singing?

I accepted
that she speaks.

I can get used
to her being musical.

She's a good
vocalist.

Listen to how nicely
she sings that note.

(holding note)

Oh, you can stop
ah-ing now, Martha.

(gasps, coughs)

(pants)

*Though I'm a
good vocalist *

* I must do
something soon *

* I don't want
the words I say *

* To come out
in a tune... *

Sorry, I'm a doctor,
not a musician.

* Musician...

Musician.

* La-la-la, la-la-la, la,
musician... *

A musician's job
is to play music,

so they must know how
to make music stop.

(orchestration stops,
then starts)

* Musicians might have answers
to what this is all about *

* Helen, pull the door ajar
and let this doggy out. *

If Martha solves her problem,
can we get a canary?

BACKUP SINGERS (jauntily):
* Ba-ba-ba-ba

* Ba-ba-ba-ba...

Martha, do you know
how to find musicians?

*Listen for a
musical sound *
* Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba

*That means there are
musicians around *
* Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba

* Ba-ba, ba-ba

* Ba-ba, ba-ba...

(music fades)

That was just the
sound of a recording.

Sometimes musicians copy
the sound of their music

so that we can listen to
it whenever we want to,

like music on a CD.

That's a recording.

(music playing)

*A recording, a recording
* Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba

*It's just an old recording
* Ba-ba-ba-ba,
ba-ba-ba-ba *

*I've got to use
my good dog ears *
* Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba

*To help us find
the real thing. *
* Ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba.

Hmm.

(jazz playing in distance)

This may be another recording.

* Or it may be instruments

* Played live by people

* Musicians...

Musicians.

MARTHA & HELEN:
* La-la-la-la-la-la-la,
musicians. *

(playing upbeat jazz)

Hooray for you.

Thanks, dude.

You guys are
musicians, right?

Yeah, we play these instruments.

Instruments are things
people use to make music

since instruments
need someone to play them.

Do you know how to stop
a vocalist from singing?

No, but if you hum
a few bars, we can fake it.

Martha, explain
your problem.

* You hear me sing,
but I can't stop *

* I've sung
like this all day... *

Your vocalist is a dog.

* I hoped
you might give me advice *

* Since those are
instruments you play. *

Hooray for you!

She doesn't want
to be a vocalist.

How can she stop singing?

(whispering)

Well, uh, have you tried
slowing your tempo?

* I don't know
what my tempo is *

* Could you explain to me?

* It's the speed of...

Um, you don't
have to sing back.

Just talk.

Right.

Tempo is how fast music
is played, like fast tempo--

(quickly):
One, two, three.

(playing fast)

Or medium tempo--

(moderately):
One, two, three.

(playing moderate tempo)

Or slow tempo--

(slowly):
One, two, three.

(playing a slow,
mellow tune)

Now, maybe if you slow
your tempo down,

that singing
will become talking.

(slowly):
* O... kay

* Am I still

* Singing...?

Hooray
for you.

Sorry.

We just play instruments.

Maybe you should ask a vocalist.

(man yodeling
in distance)

I hear it, too.

Let's go.

Daddy, I just met
a singing doggy.

Hooray for you.

(yodeling)

* Oh, methinks me like
to get to know a llama *

* A-rama-llama
ping-pong kangaroo *

* Llama coyote
apricot banana *

* Me play a fancy
instrument canoe *

* Me tempo it go fast,
me tempo it go slow *

* A tree don't play
an instrument *

* So tempo it don't know

(with same melody):
* I don't think that
that guy has the answer *

* To anything
that I might need to know *

* Helen,
I think we better go *

* Methinks me like
to get to know a llama *

* Or if me find a needle,
me may sew. *

I got one!

(screams)

(screams)

(woman singing opera
in distance)

Over that way!

(singing aria)

Thanks.

Now I can finally buy that yacht

I always dreamed about.

Excuse me.

As a vocalist, how do you
make yourself stop singing?

I stop when I reach
the end of the music.

See?

* I am singing
without music *

* Does that mean that
I must be sick? *

Yes, my dog is a vocalist.

She can't help it.

* I need some help

* This is the worst

* I'm afraid
that I may be cursed *

No.

* Cursed

From the chest.

Use your diaphragm.

Round tones.

* Cursed!

Your dog has a nice voice,

but needs lessons.

I teach cheap.

Call me.

(singing opera)

* I quit

* Onto no hope I'm clinging

* Let's go home now

*I see no way
to stop my singing *

* Nobody seems
to know how *

Uh, so, did you solve
the mysterious singing problem?

*No, no, no,
no-no-no, no *

Huh-- look at
the bright side.

Our dog sings.

(snickers)

How neat is that?

Singing dog.

Come on!

It puts a smile on your face
just saying it.

Singing dog.

(snickers)

A singing dog.

Martha, did you eat
my pumpkin muffin?

Last night, I left it right
there on my music project.

(gasps)

I think you
ate the muffin

and my homework
underneath it!

Hmm.

Blah.

* It was dark

* So now I know why

* That pumpkin muffin
tasted so dry! *

(coughs)

That explains
everything!

You ate the musical
notes from my homework.

Martha, it'll wear
off, like soup.

Except, now I
have a problem.

Oh.

(Mrs. Clusky sighs)

MRS. CLUSKY:
Do you really expect me
to believe

your dog ate your
music project?

* Though the pages
may be gone *

* The melody lingers on

Well, it's hard not to
believe a singing dog!

DAD:
Isn't she great?

Singing dog!

Dad!

(calypso music playing)

* My homework, my homework

* My doggie ate
my music homework *

* So now I don't have it

* I am a vocalist today

* That means I sing
the things I say, hey! *

* Martha ate
her music homework *

* That's why
she doesn't have it *

* I speak in tune and melody

* Instruments sound
so good with me *

(Skits barks)

* Martha ate
her music homework *

* That's why
she doesn't have it *

* I ate the scales in key of E

* Everyone sing in harmony!

* Martha ate
her music homework *

* That's why
she doesn't have it-- hey! *

* My homework,
my homework *

* My doggie ate
my music homework *

* So now I don't have it.

(cymbals crash)

MAN (happily):
* Wouldn't eat
a tuna fish unless *

* It was in sandwich form

(Martha joins in):
* So if you see Shecky
out by the docks *

* Toss him a tuna sandwich

* And a bagel
smeared with lox. *

(coos)

Again!

Sure, and maybe this time

TD and Helen will sing along?

No offense,
but I'm trying

to get that song
out of my head.

Yeah, every kid
in Wagstaff City

has been playing it lately.

I like it.

It's got a catchy tune.

Well, I'm supposed
to be thinking about

my report on Belgium,
not sea lions.

And there's nothing in my book
about sea lions in Belgium.

But "Shecky the Sea Lion,"
it's Jake's favorite song.

Hecky.

All right, fine.

One more time.

(music begins)

* One day,
Shecky was out to sea *

Hey, I love this song.

TRUMAN & MARTHA:
* When a bag of stale bagels
hit him on the head *

* And now all he can think
of is focaccia bread! *

If you ask me,

the best part
in the song is the end.

(music stops)

What do you have against
"Shecky the Sea Lion"?

I don't understand why
a song about a sea lion

who eats tuna fish
sandwiches is a hit.

I just think it's catchy.

I bet I could come up
with a catchier song than that.

Really?
Sure.

How hard could it be?

In fact, I think that's
exactly what I'll do.

What about your report?

I'll get to that later.

Right now, I have to get
a rock band together

so we can play my song,
which will be

way better than
"Shecky the Sea Lion."

(chuckles)

You guys want
to be in a rock band?

(coughs)

TD:
All right.

Are you ready to rock?

I thought you couldn't play
the guitar.
I can't.

But I've been learning
the ukulele in music class.

It's just the right
size for my fingers.

Ready?
A-one, a-two,

a-one, two, three, four!

(strumming)

(plays random notes)

(banging and crashing)

Uh... TD?

What am I supposed
to be singing?

Well, I thought
we could just

make things up
as we went along.

But the song needs a melody.

And a beat.

And we need lyrics.

You know, "lyrics" are
the words you sing.

* Every song needs lyrics.

Like that.

Yup, we need lyrics, a melody
and a beat.

(groans)

This is like math homework.

I don't even
know where to start.

It sounds like
you need some inspiration.

What do you mean?

"Inspiration" is what makes you
think of an idea

for something,
like an idea for a song.

I know what inspiration is.

I just don't know
how to find it.

I always find it
in my food bowl.

I gave up eating dog food
in the second grade.

Maybe if you
chew some gum.

Seriously.

this tangerine-lime flavor
is very inspirational.

Maybe you just need a little
time by yourself to think.

You're right.

I've got to get
some inspiration.

All right, everybody,
take five.

That's band talk
for "take a break."

CHORUS:
* Ooh-ooh-ooh

(mellow, soulful
melody playing)

* Ah, ah, ah...

(bird screeches)

("Shecky the Sea Lion" plays)

* ...a bag of stale bagels
hit him on the head *

* And now all he can think
of is focaccia bread *

(groans)
*Shecky the Sea...

(mellow, soulful melody
resumes)

(inhales)

Aha!

Where have you been?

You said take five,

but that was
more like .

Sorry, but I found
some inspiration.

Really?
What's the song about?

Belgium!

Bel-wha...?

It's a small
country in Europe.

I'm doing a report on it
for Mrs. Clusky's class. See?

Right here.

You want to write a song about
a country the size of my finger?

Couldn't you have picked
a more interesting country?

Just because Belgium's small

doesn't mean
it's not interesting.

Mrs. Clusky happens to think
it's very interesting.

But she's a teacher.

And teachers think all kinds
of weird stuff is interesting.

And we don't know
anything about Belgium.

But I know lots
from my research

I've been doing for my report.

I'm already working
on some ideas for the lyrics.

(strums bright chord)

* Oh, if you want
to have fun with me *

* Belgium is where I'll be

* Belgium's got cars,
Belgium's got trucks *

* Belgium is the B
in Benelux. *

Hey, that's pretty catchy!

What's a Benelux?

That's what they call Belgium,
the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Belgium's the B part.

Uh...

Okay. Okay.

I said I'm working on it.

It might work
with these new chords

I learned from my piano teacher.

(plays chords)

And I can come up with a beat
to go along with it.

And I can come up with...

Uh... well, well,
I'll just sing it.

Let's try it.

Ready?

One, two, three.

(playing lively intro)

(song ends)

It looks like
we might have a hit!

Except there's one thing
we're missing

if we want the song
to be a hit.

Oh, I know.

We're missing a cool name.

How about Liquid Squid,
or-or maybe Vitamin B ?

I like Vitamin B .

No, if we want the song
to be a hit,

what we're missing
is an audience.

An audience is people
to listen to us play.

That's true.
The song can't be a hit

if there's no audience
around to hear it.

Hmm... But where do we find
an audience?

Guys, I think I might be able
to find us an audience.

* If you want
to have fun with me *

* Oh, Belgium is where I'll be

* Waffles for breakfast

* And lunch and dinner, too

* We'll take the train
in the rain *

* On down to Waterloo

* Kick off our shoes
and our socks *

* 'Cause you know
that Belgium rocks! *

(babies babbling, spluttering)

Applesauce!

Did you
hear that?

Yeah, he said,
"Applesauce."

That's one
of the biggest compliments

you can get from a baby.

They love applesauce!

Hey, we were awesome.

Cool.
Awesome.

Again!

Hey, I think they
want an encore.

I think he said "again."

That's what
an encore is.

It means you play
the song again.

Well, I'm not going
to fight with a baby.

What do you say?

Sure, let's do an encore.

* Kick off our shoes
and our socks *

* 'Cause you know
that Belgium rocks! *

Again!

How about
another encore?

* Kick off our shoes
and our socks *

* 'Cause you know
that Belgium rocks! *

(slower):
* Kick off our shoes
and our socks *

* 'Cause you know
that Belgium rocks! *

(offbeat):
* Kick off our shoes
and our socks *

* 'Cause you know
that Belgium rocks! *

Again!

All right, guys,
one more encore.

TD, don't you think
four encores is enough?

Maybe we could sing
something else.

But this is the only song
we know.

Come on, one more encore.

We can't disappoint
our audience.

TD, it stopped being fun
the third time we sang it.

But one more time won't hurt.

(strumming)

No, thanks.

I'm going home.

Uh, sorry, TD.

So this is it?

Vitamin B is breaking up?

Ah, sorry, TD.

I'm going over
to Helen's house.

That's okay.

I'll just have to keep playing
by myself.

(strumming)

(dog barking in distance)

(birds twittering)

Yes, a match!

Hey, TD.

How'd the rest
of the concert go?

Not so great.

I think I heard one of the
babies say, "creamed spinach."

Ooh. That bad, huh?

(sighs heavily)

Things just haven't
been the same

since the band broke up.

I know.

Being in a band was fun
while it lasted.

Hey, remember when the band
first got together?

Yeah.
It was this morning.

Ah, yeah.

Good times, good times.

You know, it's too bad our
parents never got to hear us.

Yeah. I wanted to play the song
for my mom,

but it sounds so much better
with the rest of the band.

Well, maybe the band
should get back together.

Really?

Yeah, it might be fun
to do a reunion concert.

We could invite
the whole neighborhood.

What do you say,
Martha?

Sounds good to me--

but there's only one condition.

(band plays new lively tune)

* So if you see Shecky
out by the docks *

* Toss him a tuna sandwich
and a bagel smeared with lox. *

(whooping)
(laughing)

Yeah!

Again.
What?

I love that song.

I want to thank you all
for coming out tonight

for Vitamin B 's
reunion concert.

The next song started it all.

Some of you might know it.

It's a little song
I like to call "Belgium."

A-one, a-two,
a-one, two, three.

(speaking over musical intro):
When the teacher said,
"Belgium,"

I didn't know too much.

I said, "You mean that place
where they've got

Waffles n' such?"

* Looked at a map

* I saw a country
north of France *

* That's when I started

* I started to sing
and dance *

(others join in):
* If you want
to have fun with me *

* Oh, Belgium is where I'll be

* Waffles for breakfast
and lunch and dinner, too *

* We'll take the train
in the rain *

* On down to Waterloo

* Kick off our shoes
and our socks *

* 'Cause you know
that Belgium rocks! *

(saxophone solo)

(rhythmic clapping)

Mrs. Clusky?

Great lyrics! A-plus!

Wow! Great! You mean...?

No, you still
have to do your report.

But rock on, dear!

* If you want
to have fun with me *

* Oh, Belgium is where I'll be

* Waffles for breakfast

* And lunch and dinner, too

* We'll take the train
in the rain *

* On down to Waterloo

* Kick off our shoes
and our socks *

* 'Cause you know
that Belgium rocks. *

(playing exotic rhythm)

Hi, I'd like to talk to you
about rhythm.

Would you be quiet
for a second?

I'm trying
to talk about rhythm.

As I was saying,

rhythm is a regular
pattern of beats.

For instance...

I said, "For instance."

(playing in slow tempo)

Or you could have
a different rhythm, like...

(playing up-tempo)

You can find rhythm
lots of places.

Your heart beats
in a rhythm.

When you jump rope,
you create a rhythm.

When you...

All right, already!

(sighs):
Oh, well.

Rhythm.

Did you catch all
the words about music?

Let's see some again.

* Every word I try to speak

* Comes out in melody

* That means
it comes out as a tune *

* Like la-la, la-la,
la-la, la-la *

* La, di-di, di-di.

And we need lyrics.

You know, "lyrics"
are the words you sing.

"Tempo" is how fast
music is played.

(snoring, lullaby plays)

Again!