You know that feeling when the floor just drops out from under you? That's what the strange things toy story song captures perfectly. It isn't just a catchy tune from a 1995 kids' movie. It’s actually a pretty devastating psychological profile of a guy losing his status. When Woody watches Buzz Lightyear take over his bed—and his life—Randy Newman’s raspy, cynical voice kicks in to tell us exactly how much it hurts.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a tonal outlier in the Pixar canon. While "You've Got a Friend in Me" gets all the radio play and the sentimental montages, "Strange Things" is the one doing the heavy lifting for the plot. It transitions Woody from the beloved leader to a jealous, replaced relic. It’s bitter. It’s snappy. It feels like 1990s Americana mixed with a mid-life crisis.
What Randy Newman Was Actually Doing With These Lyrics
Most people forget that Randy Newman wasn't originally a "Disney guy." He was a satirical songwriter known for biting social commentary. When Pixar hired him, they didn't want a Broadway showtune. They wanted something that felt real.
The song starts with that iconic, bouncy keyboard riff, but the lyrics are pure anxiety. "I was on top of the world, livin' high," Newman sings. Then, the rug pull. He mentions how "strange things" are happening to him. He’s not talking about magic or sci-fi. He’s talking about the brutal reality of being replaced by a newer, shinier model. In this case, a space ranger with "karate chop action" and "wings that glow in the dark."
Woody’s world is shrinking.
Think about the specific line: "I had friends, I had lots of friends. Now all my friends are gone." It’s hyperbolic, sure. Slinky and Rex are still there. But in Woody’s head, the social hierarchy has collapsed. This is a song about the fragility of ego. It’s about how we tie our entire identity to our job or our position in a group. When that shifts, everything looks "strange."
Newman uses a shuffle rhythm that feels a bit unsettled. It’s not a march, and it’s not a ballad. It’s a transition. It mirrors the chaos of Andy’s room becoming a NASA command center. Every time you hear those horns kick in, you're hearing the sound of a 1950s cowboy being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
The Production Secrets Behind the Track
The recording of "Strange Things" happened at a time when Pixar was still a massive gamble. Nobody knew if a fully computer-animated movie would even work. The music had to ground the plastic characters in human emotion.
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Don Was, the legendary producer, actually worked on the Toy Story soundtrack. You can hear that organic, bluesy influence in the arrangement. It’s a "real" band sound. There’s a piano, a bass, drums, and a brass section that feels like it belongs in a New Orleans club rather than a child’s bedroom. This was a deliberate choice by director John Lasseter. He didn't want the characters to sing their feelings like a traditional musical. He wanted the songs to act as a commentary on the characters.
- The tempo is approximately 116 BPM.
- It’s written in the key of E Major, though Newman’s vocal delivery often flats the notes for a bluesier effect.
- The instrumentation includes a heavy emphasis on the Hammond B3 organ, giving it that soulful, slightly grit-filled texture.
There’s a weird myth that the song was written for Buzz. It wasn't. It is entirely from Woody’s perspective, even though Woody never moves his lips to the words. This "outside-in" approach to songwriting allowed Pixar to maintain a sense of realism. The toys don't break into dance numbers. They just live through the music.
Why the "Strange Things" Montage Still Works
If you watch the sequence in the film, it’s a masterclass in visual storytelling. We see the posters on Andy’s wall changing. The Western-themed bedspread is tossed aside for a star-patterned one. Woody is literally being pushed to the edge of the frame.
The song provides the rhythm for these cuts. When the lyrics hit "I was the main attraction," we see Woody being used as a prop for Buzz’s adventures. It’s heartbreaking if you’re an adult watching it. As a kid, you just think Buzz is cool. As an adult, you realize you've been Woody. You've had that moment where a new hire at work is younger, faster, and everyone loves them.
That’s the secret sauce of the strange things toy story song. It’s a "kids' song" that is actually about the professional and social obsolescence we all fear.
Interestingly, the song almost didn't make the cut in its current form. Early versions of Toy Story (the infamous "Black Friday" reel) depicted Woody as a much meaner character. He was a tyrant. "Strange Things" was meant to highlight his fall from grace, but it originally felt more like karma. Once they softened Woody’s character to be more sympathetic, the song took on a more melancholic, relatable tone. It became about a guy who is trying to hold on to his dignity while his world turns upside down.
Comparing "Strange Things" to Other Pixar Anthems
| Song | Function | Emotional Core |
|---|---|---|
| You've Got a Friend in Me | Establishing Theme | Loyalty / Comfort |
| I Will Go Sailing No More | Character Peak | Despair / Reality Check |
| Strange Things | Transition | Jealousy / Displacement |
While "I Will Go Sailing No More" is about Buzz’s realization that he’s just a toy, "Strange Things" is about Woody’s realization that he’s no longer the favorite toy. Both are songs about identity crises, but "Strange Things" has a faster pace that masks the pain with a bit of a groove. It’s the sound of someone trying to act like they aren't bothered while their heart is breaking.
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Misconceptions About the Song
One big misconception is that the song was a chart-topping hit. It wasn't. While the Toy Story soundtrack eventually went multi-platinum, "Strange Things" never had the standalone commercial success of "You've Got a Friend in Me." It stayed as a "deep cut" for fans of the movie.
Another weird bit of trivia? Some people think Randy Newman wrote the song after the movie was finished. Not true. The music was integral to the storyboarding process. Pixar’s animators used the rhythm of the track to timed the movements of the toys. The "karate chop" sequence was literally choreographed to Newman’s piano playing.
Some fans also get confused about the sequels. "Strange Things" doesn't reappear in Toy Story 2, 3, or 4. It is strictly a time-capsule of that specific moment in 1995. It belongs to the era of bulky monitors, flannel shirts, and the transition from 2D to 3D. By the time the second movie rolled around, Woody was secure in his place. The "strange things" had become his new normal.
The Legacy of the "Strange" Sound
You can hear the influence of this track in almost every "buddy" movie that followed. That specific style—a gravelly voiced singer-songwriter narrating the internal jealousy of a protagonist—became a trope. But nobody does it like Newman. His voice has this built-in skepticism. When he sings "I can't believe it," you really feel the disbelief.
The song also marked a shift in how animated films used music. Before this, you had the "Disney Renaissance" style (think The Little Mermaid or Lion King), which was very much inspired by Broadway. Toy Story broke that mold by using Americana, folk, and blues. It made the movie feel less like a fairy tale and more like a story happening in a house down your street.
If you go back and listen to the track today, pay attention to the percussion. There’s a constant, driving beat that never lets up. It feels like a ticking clock. Woody’s time as the "top toy" is running out, and the music won't let him (or us) forget it.
How to Appreciate the Song in a New Way
Next time you watch Toy Story, don't just let the montage pass you by. Look at the background details. Notice how the lighting changes during the song. It goes from bright, warm "Western" sunlight to cooler, blue "Space" light. The song is the bridge between those two aesthetics.
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Listen for the subtle instrumental flourishes. There’s a bit of a slide guitar in there that nods to Woody’s cowboy roots, but it’s increasingly drowned out by the more modern, upbeat horn arrangements. It’s a literal battle of genres happening in the audio track.
Practical Steps for Pixar Fans and Music Lovers
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Randy Newman and the music of Toy Story, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just reading about it.
First, go find the original 1995 soundtrack on vinyl or high-res digital. The streaming versions are fine, but the analog warmth of the original recording really highlights the Hammond B3 organ and the brass sections in "Strange Things." You’ll hear textures that get lost in compressed MP3s.
Second, watch the "Black Friday" reel (available on various Disney+ extras or YouTube). Seeing the original, darker version of Woody makes you realize how much work the song had to do to keep the character likable during his "jealous phase."
Third, check out Randy Newman’s non-Disney work, specifically the album Sail Away. You’ll start to see how he brought his signature style of writing from the perspective of an "unreliable narrator" to the character of Woody. It makes the song much more interesting when you realize it’s being sung by a character who is lying to himself about how much he cares.
Finally, pay attention to the instrumental version of the track. If you can find the isolated score, listen to how the "Strange Things" motif is woven into the orchestral music throughout the first act. It’s not just a standalone song; it’s a thematic DNA that runs through the entire film’s soundscape.
Understanding the "Strange Things" song is about more than just nostalgia. It’s about appreciating the moment when animation music grew up and started telling stories about the messy, complicated parts of being alive—or being a toy that thinks it’s alive.