How To Eat Fried Worms: The Soundtrack That’s Way More Fun Than Worms Themselves
Alright, let me just say this upfront—when I first heard about How To Eat Fried Worms: Music From The Motion Picture, I thought it’d be some cheesy kiddie soundtrack full of awkwardly placed dialogue and songs you forget as soon as they end. But man, was I wrong. This album is a wild mixtape that somehow throws together Hip Hop, Funk, Pop Punk, Reggae-Pop, and even Euro House like it’s no big deal. It’s messy in the best way possible, like when your favorite playlist accidentally shuffles into something amazing.
First off, can we talk about "The Tide Is High"? Yeah, yeah, we all know Blondie made it iconic back in the day, but whoever decided to toss it onto this soundtrack deserves an award. Something about hearing those chill vibes sandwiched between tracks like “Worm Guts” and “Radioactive Slime Delight” makes it feel fresh again. Like, who thinks, “Hey, let’s put a reggae-pop classic on a kids’ movie soundtrack about eating worms?” Whoever did, they were onto something genius. Every time I hear it now, I picture myself vibing out at a beach party while simultaneously grossed out by worm juice. Weird combo, but hey, it works.
Then there’s “Bust A Move.” Oh man, how do you not remember Young MC dropping bars over funky beats? It’s one of those tracks that instantly puts you in a good mood, even if you’re stuck listening to it after a song called “Disgusting Recipes.” There’s something oddly satisfying about how random yet perfect it feels here. Like, sure, this isn’t exactly a smooth transition from “Worm Boy,” but somehow it clicks. Maybe it’s because busting moves is literally what you need to do to distract yourself from thinking too hard about worm guts. Or maybe I’m overthinking it. Either way, it slaps.
What really stands out about this album is how unapologetically chaotic it is. One minute you’re jamming to surf rock vibes with “Rocket Full Of Power,” and the next you’re cringing-laughing through novelty songs like “The Yum Yum Song.” And don’t get me started on the dialogue bits sprinkled throughout—it’s like someone mashed up a movie script with a jukebox and said, “Here, enjoy!” But honestly? That chaos kinda works. It mirrors the absurdity of the movie itself, where kids are daring each other to eat worms and everyone acts like it’s totally normal.
At the end of the day, How To Eat Fried Worms might not win any Grammys (though, honestly, why isn’t there a category for “Best Use of Hamster Dance Songs?”), but it’s got heart—and a lot of weird charm. Listening to it feels like revisiting childhood summers spent making questionable life choices, like trying to skateboard without pads or eating mystery candy found under couch cushions. You wouldn’t want to live there forever, but dang, does it bring back memories.
So yeah, props to Ralph Sall and the crew for pulling this thing together. Who knew a soundtrack about fried worms could make me laugh, cringe, and bust a move all at once? Now excuse me while I go listen to “The Hampster Dance Song” one more time… or maybe never again.
