For six years on Parks and Recreation, we were rocked by the amazing sounds of Mouse Rat, the band fronted by Andy Dwyer. Their songs didn’t quite make sense, but they were glorious all the same. Let’s look at seven of Mouse Rat’s finest musical moments:
“The Pit”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNnvR3ms6z4
This was how it all started. Andy fell into a pit, and then he wrote a song about it. In this song, we all fall into the pit. Because life is like a pit, sometimes. We all fall into it, you know?
“5,000 Candles in the Wind”
A heartfelt tribute to Pawnee’s beloved Li’l Sebastian, this track asks the question, “Why have one candle in the wind when you could have 5,000?” Anyone who thinks that number is too damn high must be a snooty Eagletonian. The greatest line here has to be: “And here’s the part that hurts the most/humans cannot ride a ghost.” No, they cannot.
“Two Birds Holding Hands”
“Two birds holding hands/so much better than one/we’d do anything together/even eat some bacon.”
That might be the most romantic bit of poetry ever written. Eat your heart out, Alfred Lord Tennyson!
“Sex Hair”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na9BNsqTbW0
This is the song that Sister Hazel and Hootie & The Blowfish both desperately wish they had written! This song describes the phenomenon where you can tell that someone just had sex because of how their hair gets messed up during the process. “You got sex hair/and you got it from me,” Andy sings. It’s not hard to see why April fell so hard for him.
“Menace Ball”
In which every cliche from every breakup song in history is jammed into 105 seconds! Spread your wings and fly! Also, I have no idea why the song is called “Menace Ball.” Any help in that regard would be greatly appreciated.
“Catch Your Dream”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-2h9LGHIY
A rare foray into politics for Mouse Rat, as this inspirational number would become the theme song for Leslie Knope’s 2012 campaign. In the song, we’re commanded to catch our dreams by the tail and throw them in a cage. Now, if that doesn’t encourage you to accomplish big things, you may be a lost cause. With this powerful anthem on her side, it’s easy to see why Knope took the political world by storm.
“The Way You Look Tonight”
Worth noting, this cover of a classic Sinatra standard never actually appeared on Parks and Rec, but it was posted on Chris Pratt’s Tumblr (which, sadly, is no longer operational) back in 2012, and it deserves mention here because it’s freaking awesome. How do you improve one of the most famous love songs of all-time? By saying “you look hot tonight!” in between the verses, of course!
