S1 - EP 4 - Wheels On The Truck

Glucksey reviews (and updates) Wheels On The Bus by Raffi.

A dead car, a long bus ride, and no coffee set the stage for a delightfully unhinged dive into one of the most familiar children’s songs on earth. We take Wheels on the Bus from singalong comfort to cultural artifact, tracing how folk melodies migrate, mutate, and land inside picture books that feel brand new and oddly timeless. Along the way, we compare conflicting attributions, unpack why Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush often supplies the tune, and ask what happens when creators bend a nursery rhyme to fit modern life.

Then we stress-test the form with a cheeky “wheels on the truck” parody that swerves from lullaby cadence to satire. That bit opens a real conversation about fair use, public domain melodies, and what “transformative” actually means for book reviewers, teachers, and creators who riff on classics. We walk through the four factors in plain language, share how we approach quotes and references, and talk candidly about audience trust: just because you can, should you? It’s a practical guide wrapped in laughs.

The heart of the episode is a debate on kids and darker themes. We look back to Mother Goose and Grimm, arguing that rhyme and repetition help children process the world’s rough edges without feeling overwhelmed. Tone and intent matter. Humor can soften hard topics; cynicism can sour them. By the end, we land on a middle path—respect children’s intelligence, keep the craft clear, and let the chorus carry meaning without dumping adult baggage.

If you care about children’s literature, folk songs, and the craft of ethical parody, you’ll find fresh insight, a few belly laughs, and a useful toolkit for navigating classics in modern contexts. Listen, share with a friend who loves picture books, and leave a review to tell us where you draw the line.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

It's time for Baby Baby and Evil Glaxi's Book Point Book Review Podcast. Book Reviews Incarnate.

Choosing Wheels On The Bus

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Good morning, bad morning. Hey baby, welcome. Why are we late today? Oh, let me tell you why. Okay. The car wouldn't start. Uh-oh. So I had to take the 222 Metro all the way down Hollywood Way. Oh. And stop in front of the studio and get off the bus. I'm sorry. Anyway, when I got to the studio, I just ran in here and managed not to find any coffee anywhere because then commissaries completely. And for some reason they're not talking to me. I'm sorry. And you know what is really sad, Gloxi? Yes, I got on the bus and not a single person recognized me.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Well, I've got the perfect book for you today.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

What book?

SPEAKER_01 0:47

The Wheels on the Bus by Rafi. It's a kid's book that's a wonderful, wonderful little song that we're gonna cover a history of real quick. Hold on, Gloxy. So hold on a second.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

You're telling me that the sum total of your new podcast ideas stem completely from what's going on in my life on any given day.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Well, that is true, baby, but you're the star. This is called Baby Baby's Book Boy. Not Gluxy's bookpoint. I know that, Glaxi Boy. So it's all about you being the star and the center of attention, how your life is going. I'm just your loyal sidekick.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Just to reiterate, you're telling me that my life is a subject matter of this entire project podcast?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Yep, pretty much.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Okay, well long we got that cleared up, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Anyway, we can write along.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

I see the pendulus purse person's back again today.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Yep, she's here, but she's only doing about half the damage because she didn't bring her kid today.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Well, that's nice.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

She did knocking over books.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Pricey, you're gonna say expensive, lots of money?

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Continuing on.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

According to Wikipedia, the composer is Verna Hills, who lived between 1898 and 1998. We're still talking about this. Sorry. Um However, according to Google's AI overview, the origin of the melody is unknown and likely predates modern copyright law. Foxy. But the most common melody used is Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

I see you brought copious notes, Gloxy.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Yeah, I brought my notes. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

As usual, lots and lots of papers.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

Lots of notes.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

As a result, many different book versions of the song exist. Like the Rafi book I wanted to show you today.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Oh, is that what the AI turned you on to?

SPEAKER_01 2:27

Nope. Found it in the floor when I got in this morning. Whatever. Sorry. Anyway, it was fate though, baby. This is the perfect book. Right?

Gloxy’s Modern Parody Performance

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Are you serious?

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Here's my very own version of Wheels on the Bus. We didn't want to live. However, this one's been updated to today's Modern Society.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Don't do this.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Now it's a song about a sleepy truck driver. Oh song. Wheels on the truck go round and round, round and round, round and round. Wheels on the truck go round and round all through the town. Oh clock. Driver falls to sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep. Driver falls to sleep, sleep, sleep, all through the town. Oh, I'm already feeling it. Swerve, swerve, swerv. Truck kit starts to swerve, swerve, swerv, all through the sword. I'm not paying the bus home either, Dennis. Soon it starts to crash, crash, crash, crash, crash, crash. All through the town. The people of the town all sous sous. People of the sound all sous suit. All through the town. The driver countersuits right back. Suze right back. Suze right back. Driver countersuits right back. All through the town. Supreme Court gives some unity. Lifetime drop security. Supreme Court gives some unity. All through the city. We will so worried about it. Go round and round. Wheels on the truck go round and round. All through the town. Thanks to you and your driver falls to sleep again. Sleep again. Sleep again. The driver falls to sleep again. All through the town.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

I catch one question, Gloxy. What is your propensity for as of late inviting so many borderline copyright infringements?

SPEAKER_01 4:25

We're allowed a certain amount of commentary on a book review, baby.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Well, Gloxy.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

It's part of the fair use document. We're allowed to do that.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Are you absolutely true?

SPEAKER_01 4:34

And besides, they're all my own words, and it's played to a melody that is over a hundred years old.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

You really want to die on that mountain, Gloxy?

SPEAKER_01 4:44

And is very much in the public domain.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

I don't know about this.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

It's part of the fair use document.

Do Kids Understand Dark Themes

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Well, all I know is that the song didn't do too well. I didn't really like it, Gloxy. I think it's very interesting and in a very original angle, but um, I don't know if the subject matters suitable for the younger people.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Oh, they're smart. Kids are smart. They understand this stuff. They see the world going on around them. And they know Just think back in time when Mother Goose and the Brothers Grimm were all rage. Oh, yeah. Those stories were all made from rather colorful times.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Colorful?

SPEAKER_01 5:19

To say the least. Colorful meaning. Colorful meaning what? Colorful meaning problematic.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Oh. And they like this podcast?

SPEAKER_01 5:29

It was a very violent time in our history. And we made little nursery rhymes so children could understand the world around them a little easier and alleviate their fears. That's what I think. No, that's something I came up with. I bet you that's why. Anyway, I think it's funny.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

Well, if kids are smart, hopefully they'll tune out of this stuff.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Kids are smart and they're tuning in, baby.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Well, Glaxi, from what I'm seeing, it's only my star power that's managed to keep this podcast going at all in the first place.

Star Power, Bookshop Chores, And Signoff

SPEAKER_01 6:00

You do have amazing star powers, baby.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

I'm sorry to be the one to say this, but it's time for us to get to work. We've gotta get all these books put away, and I have to judge my customers harshly but silently. While I'm putting their books on the shelf and giving them evil eyes.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

I hope you do, baby.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

But that's what makes the day go by fast. Have a nice one. That makes my job fun. You bye. Pretty much. We'll wrap it up.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

Okay, I'm gonna wrap this up then today. Hope you enjoyed our podcast today. Like and subscribe wherever you like and subscribe, and look forward to seeing you guys again sometime soon. Tune in for our next one. Thanks. Bye. We gotta get to work. Bye.