Watch The Wiggles Delightful Cover Of Tame Impala's "Elephant" On 'Like A Version'
The Wiggles have appeared on triple j's Like A Version to deliver a cover of Tame Impala's 2012 classic, "Elephant".
In any other universe, in any other timeline, this would sound absurd. But we live in 2021, where no headline is off limits (trust us) and every deep, dark facet of our imagination is seen reflected in news around the world.
The long-hyped performance saw the very, very rich group round up a lineup of OG and new generation members. There's OG red Murray Cook, new gen red Simon Price, OG purple Jeff Fatt, new gen purple Lachlan Gillespie, new gen yellow Emma Watkins and OG blue Anthony Field – wearing an elephant hat with an incredibly phallic trunk.
The beauty of their rendition of "Elephant" is that they've understood exactly what makes Tame Impala's music so great, and what has contributed to Kevin Parker's status as a contemporary music icon. Parker's music with Tame Impala is all about meticulousness and layering. You can take any song he's made, and succinctly deconstruct it sound-by-sound. He takes listeners on a journey of how he crafts his music within the music itself – making the pay-off all the more worthwhile.
The Wiggles play into that, splitting what Parker did by himself into six very clear and distinct roles. You've got Gillespie on lead vocals who mimics Parker's breezy, sun-drenched tones almost too perfectly. There's Watkins gently patting away at her drum set, with frankly better posture than any artist in the Like A Version studio before her. Fatt, the silent gun of Wiggles' past, stands humbly at his keyboard, building the core of the song's melody so casually you might think he's, well, asleep.
Murray Cook, the most musically-inclined of the group, plays his guitar (probably the most iconic part of the original song) with laser sharp focus and determination, while Anthony Field matches that by bouncing along with a strutting bassline coming from his fingers – again, with a trunk dangling above his head.
And then there's Simon Price, whose baritone delivery means he keeps his hands free and it looks like he is genuinely having the time of his life.
Bless.
Of course, there's a few sneaky Wiggles references thrown in there for those who grew up with them (i.e. everyone). The middle of "Elephant" is switched out for a quick run of their classic "Fruit Salad" which, as expected, Price is instinctively doing the dance to. And, it could be my TGIF ears hearing incorrectly, but I'm also sure Gillespie sings "big red trunk" as opposed to "big grey trunk".
The Wiggles' version of "Elephant" pays homage to all the bells and whistles we've come to expect from a one-man band, of which Parker is at the helms of arguably the most famous one in the world. When you think about it, Dick Van Dyke's character in Mary Poppins was merely the Kevin Parker of 1910, no? The Wiggles help celebrate this by making every layer of the song crystal clear, with visual references to help distinguish between them – almost as if it's for children!!!
But now the ball is in Kevin Parker's court. One legendary Australian act has paid tribute to another, and now it's time he returns the favour. We're calling on Mr. Parker to deliver us a synthed-out, hazy, acid trip of a Wiggles cover – one that's less Sesame Street and more Splendour In The Grass.
Toot toot, chugga chugga, Parker.
Written by Jackson Langford, music contributor at MTV Australia. Hot takes at @jacksonlangford and hotter pics at @jacksonlangford.
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