Charlie Day really gives us some killer falsetto throughout the series.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has given us some great musical moments through its many seasons, quite a number of them being original songs written by Charlie Day. Almost the entire cast has a solid singing voice, although Day showcases his insane falsetto from time to time.
A multi-talented individual, Day’s parents were musicians and taught Day piano from a young age. So if Day looks super casual and comfortable playing the piano, it’s because he is. He came to the violin at only three years old, and can also play the accordion, trombone, guitar and harmonica.
As one of the writers and producers of It’s Always Sunny, Day certainly has the chance to show off his musical talents. Luckily the rest of the cast is game with their harmonies and performances. The gang’s narcissism extends to their singing abilities, as all think they are quite talented and sometimes try to perform in front of others.
Here’s a list of the best musical moments of It’s Always Sunny, from “The Nightman Cometh” to “The Gang Turns Black.” It’s also a plea for FX Networks to please release an album of all these crazy songs that have appeared throughout the series’ long run.
A short, little religious ditty marks one of the first highlights of It’s Always Sunny musicality, sung by no other than Charlie in an all-white suit a la some baptist priest. The lyrics are not very sophisticated but merely repeat “I got the good lord going down on me” several times. What really sells this bit, though, is Charlie’s performance. Putting on a bit of a southern twang and jiving around the bar, Charlie is the perfect priest to exploit the Virgin Mary water stain.
Another fantastic little bit from Charlie, “Rock, Flag and Eagle” releases his frustration about his dedication and commitment to freedom, whatever that means. Seemingly created on the spot, Charlie’s ode to America involves a lot of butt-kicking and eagle references, ending with a strong belting of the song’s title. He’s also in another get-up for this song — a thoroughly American jean jacket with an American flag bandana.
Part of the success of the song “Yellow Jacket Blues” is the irony of Frank’s gang. In Season 3, Frank reunites his ‘50s gang with the help of Mac, who hopes to scare customers away from a new coffee place down the street from their bar. Mac believes that Frank’s gang is all switchblades, leather jackets and revolvers, but instead, they play jacks and are really more of a barbershop quartet. In trying to scare the customers, Frank’s gang actually attracts more with this cute ‘50s doo-wop song, and actually earns them a tip or two.
The first appearance of the iconic “Dayman” song is in the third season, when the boys try to start a band to play at the bar after Dee starts dating a famous local rapper. Initially, Charlie’s version of this song is obviously frightening, with the lyrics depicting a man breaking into his apartment and raping him. With the help of Dennis though, Charlie is able to turn the same melody into a beautiful song about friendship and karate (come on, you know the lyrics!). And again, we’ve got another amazing costume to match — a dramatic ‘70s outfit a la the glam rock of David Bowie.
In what is considered by many to be the best episode of It’s Always Sunny, “The Nighman Cometh” sees the gang putting on the titular musical, unaware that it’s Charlie’s ploy to ask the Waitress to marry him. Although every song in said musical could make the list, “Troll Toll” is a standout, and gives Danny DeVito his chance to shine. Although he may not have the vocal talents of the other gang members, he certainly has stage presence. Part of the genius of Frank’s performance is the fact that he keeps saying “boy’s hole” instead of “boy’s soul,” although we all know this Freudian slip is more than a little correct.
The “Garbage Men Song” has a long set-up — after garbage men go on strike in Philadelphia, Charlie, Mac and Dennis scheme up a money-making plot to get paid to take away people’s garbage. Naturally, there has to be another layer, so they want to seem like super fancy garbage men going door-to-door in nice neighborhoods, so they wear tuxedos and drive around in a limo. After an argument about who gets to speak at the first house, they decide to share the burden and put on a little show for the customer. While the song may not have charmed the customer, it certainly did us and highlighted their quite impressive harmonies.
Perhaps one of the longest songs ever performed on It’s Always Sunny, “Go F*** Yourselves (The Spider Song)” is a tribute to Day’s musical abilities. At the beginning of the episode, Charlie writes a light song to impress members of a voting committee for the Best Bar Award. However, after he’s locked in the basement and finds his way to lots of toxic paint, Charlie’s new song is morbid, dreary and altogether off-putting. But damn it is impressive and super funny. This episode is a satirical nod to the fact that It’s Always Sunny never gets nominated for awards, and this song emphasizes that this crazy, weird series doesn’t and will never need them.
In Season 12, It’s Always Sunny had its first true musical episode. After watching The Wiz and being hit with an electrical storm, the gang wakes up now in the form of black people they do not know or recognize. They realize they are in a musical when they start randomly singing “What Are the Rules,” in reference to figuring out how to change back into themselves. This song actually showcases Dennis’ vocals, as the rest of the gang provides back-up for Glenn Howerton’s stunningly clear high notes.
Kristen has been a film & tv journalist for over five years, with bylines at Collider, Indiewire, Yahoo, and more. She appreciates sci-fi, noir, bisexual lighting, soundtracks, an unhealthy love for YA fantasy, hot people with stomach issues, movie year release dates and musicals.
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Best Musical Moments – Collider
