Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for Season 4 of What We Do In The Shadows.The most recent season ofWhat We Do In The Shadowswas the most musical so far. An already musical show, Season 4 builds off of the reputation the show has for its soundtrack and weaves music right into the story of the show. Their theme song is a 60s folk song called “You’re Dead” byNorma Tanega. After social media attention and their theme song becoming a bona fide “TikTok song,” this new season ofWhat We Do In The Shadowsleaned heavily into music of all genres. Focusing specifically on musical theater and show tunes of the early 20th century, the show also has branched out into other genres of music. From rap to jazz to 80s classics, the show also explores how music fits into different film genres. Music can contribute to so many kinds of audio gags, inside jokes, and plot development.What We Do In The ShadowsSeason 4 has made good use of every way in which music can add to a cinematic story. Here is a list of every musical reference in this season ofWhat We Do In The Shadows.
Episode 3: Affion Crockett as the rapper Richie Suck
Primarily a comedian,Affion Crockethas appeared in films, television shows, and video games. His most recent acting credit is in this most recent season ofWhat We Do In The Shadowswhere he plays a famous vampire rapper named Richie Suck. Hired to perform at Nadja’s (Natasia Demetriou) new nightclub, Richie Suck gets on stage and tells the vampires as much as they love his music, he’s trying his hand at observational standup comedy. An homage to his true profession, Affion Crocket released a five-song EP in 2021. Art imitates life in this episode, and the vampires get a talented comedian and rapper to walk among them.
Episode 3: Born to Dance
Baby Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) starts his career singing and dancing at Nadja’s Night Club by running up on stage and doing a cover of the song “Born to Dance” from the 1936 musical comedy,Born to Dance.The movie is about a sailor who helps a young dancer make her way to the top of fame on Broadway. It’s full of heartbreak, nightclubs, and classic show tunes making it the perfect movie forWhat We Do In The Shadowsto reference songs from.
Baby Colin distracts from the chaos of a fight that has broken out over Richie Suck’s stand-up comedy by getting on stage, grabbing the mic, and singing one of his favorite songs: “Born to Dance.” He emulates the tap-dance fromBorn to Danceby stepping on beer bottle caps and showing his audience what it was like watching Elanor Powell perform the same song.
RELATED:‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Season 4 Finale: Mark Proksch & Paul Simms on Colin Robinson’s Future
Episode 4: Let’s Face the Music and Dance
A song byIrving Berlin, “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” is from the filmFollow the Fleetto add musical backing to a dance performed byFred AstaireandGinger Rogers. The song has since been covered by numerous artists such asNat King Cole,Ella Fitzgerald,Frank Sinatra, and Baby Colin Robinson in one of his performances at Nadja’s club.
The feel-good, classic Hollywood nature of the song makes it a perfect fit for the eerie, yet golden age vibe that Baby Colin brings to Nadja’s. The song was written to encapsulate the ideas and values prevalent that Hollywood stood by in 1936. Irving Berlin also wrote music that was symbolic of the culture of New York, whichWhat We Do In The Shadowsoften tries to do as well. Irving Berlin also suffered much criticism for writing “Jewish” music, and this othering could be a reasonWhat We Do In The Shadowschose to include his music. As a way to celebrate differences, the inclusion of Irving Berlin’s “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” celebrates groups that are othered. Groups that live in the shadows, one could say.
Episode 4: PEnnsylvania 6-5000
“PEnnsylvania 6-5000” is a song performed by the Glenn Miller orchestra. The name of the song is supposedly the oldest phone number in New York City, belonging to Hotel Pennsylvania.
InWhat We Do In The Shadows,“PEnnsylvania 6-5000” plays when our main characters areon the subway to the Night Market. When “PEnnsylvania 6-5000” plays, a mythical creature disguised as a human, farts to the beat, and only those unbothered by the smell make it to the subway stop for the Night Market. Seeing as the Night Market is an old and mythical place, it makes sense that the song based on the oldest phone number in the city would be the test for getting into the oldest market in the city. The exact age of the phone number is unknown. Maybe because it belongs to the Night Market.
Episode 5: Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland
Baby Colin Robinson sings “Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland” a couple of times throughout Season 4 ofWhat We Do In The Shadows. So, what does it mean? “Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland” is one of the most popular songs of the early 20th century. The history of the song is an interesting one. After being written, it was sold to the largest music publisher in Chicago. The authors never saw a cent from their very famous song.Reine Davies’s photo was attached to the sheet music and once her face appeared on the cover, it sold over two million copies in the first year. That seems like something Nadja would have been able to do.
Episode 6: You Make My Dreams Come True
“You Make My Dreams Come True,” byHall & Oates, plays under the makeover montage of Baron Afanas (Doug Jones). This upbeat and lively song underscores a staple of the romantic comedy genre - when the main characters dance and try on clothes to era-appropriate music. This specific montage was a spoof on 80s John Hughes-style movies. Baron Afanas, Nadja, The Guide (Kristen Schaal), and The Sire (Jean-Michel Richaud) try on many different outfits from different centuries, and they laugh and have a great time. It is a hilarious scene that pokes fun at cheesy 80s makeover montages all to the tune of a classic Hall & Oates song.
Episode 6: One of Laszlo and Nadja’s famous duos “On the Wedding Night"
In a previous season, Laszlo and Nadja told audiences about their musical partnership where they sang popular songs with much sillier words. Laszlo tells his roommates upon hearing the song “Come on Eileen” that the song was stolen from him. In 1852, he had written the same song, but it was called “Chum on Irene” and it was an ode to the local fishmonger. There was a whole episode dedicated to Laszlo and Nadja’s silly versions of songs we all know and love today. In Nandor’s (Kayvan Novak) wedding episode, the episode closes out with a reference to the season before it. Laszlo and Nadja sing the episode into the credits with a song they have written called “On the Wedding Night.”
Episode 7: Mamma Mia
As part of her girl’s night in, Nadja and her girl gang watchMamma Mia!and sing along to their favoriteABBAtunes. Nadja says it’s her absolute favorite movie to watch when she’s missing home because it takes place in the place where she is originally from. However, Laszlo never lets her watch it because the plot reminds him too much of all the children he fathered and abandoned when he was still a human. Classic Laszlo. The scene where they watchMamma Mia!and sing “S.O.S.” is a sweet scene where you get to see the human side of Nadja that just loves to have fun. This season has spent a lot of time building her into a strong, smart, and ambitious nightclub owner, so it was nice to see her be able to be her old self again even if just for a minute or two.
Episode 9: Let Me Call You Sweetheart
“Let Me Call You Sweetheart” is a song from 1910 that has been recorded many times by many artists, most notablyBing Crosby. The song has become so popular, in fact, that the Library of Congress added it to the 2015 National Recording Registry. This registry selects audio recordings that are significant in some way, be that culturally, historically, or otherwise significant.
As Nadja’s falls further and further into debt, Nadja looks for new ways to draw in customers. Without Baby Colin Robinson, Nadja looks for new child acts to exploit. One of those acts is a child singing “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Drunk on the blood of alcoholics, Nadja interrupts the child’s song by yelling, “You don’t got the range, babes!” And with that, it’s on to the next audition.
Episode 9: Rap Tap on Wood
“Rap Tap on Wood” is a callback to the first song Baby Colin Robinson sang at his new gig at Nadja’s. Also from the filmBorn to Dance“Rap Tap on Wood” highlightsEleanor Powellsinging the words ofCole Porterand dancing her own dance.
When Baby Colin Robinson and Laszlo hit the road to make it big, he chooses “Rap Tap on Wood” to perform. However, he’s not a baby anymore. He’s a teenager trapped in an adult body pretending to be a baby singing old-timey jazz songs. It’s quite the on-screen image.
