This track was one of 3 winners in the WNYC/NPR Public Song Project contest of 2023!

I made this version of the old classic as part of the Public Song Project, produced by WNYC's "All Of It" - they compiled submissions of public domain material in song form. The Ice Cream song, copyrighted in 1927, entered the public domain in 2023, and was definitely ready for a re-write! Here are some (lightly reworded) highlights from my pre-show interview with one of the show's producers, Simon. On the actual show interview we didn't have much time, so here's some behind-the-scenes glimpses into my process.

How did I choose this song?
As soon as I heard Alison mention it on the show, I got excited about it, I checked out some other songs from the list you put together, but I kept coming back to the ice cream song. The hook is so clever and fun! But then I listened to the whole song and, lets just say it really needed some new lyrics!

How did I approach the rewrite?
Well even though this song was written 30 years before ice cream trucks were a thing, in my mind theres a very logical path from the ice cream song to summer and the ice cream truck tradition. So that’s where I started.
I did some research into the ice cream truck world, and turns out it’s not easy to maintain a mobile ice cream shop. Parts are expensive, finding a spot is very competitive. Ice cream truck owners work really hard to bring ice cream to kids.. of all ages! So, it seemed like the song could be a good place to celebrate these heroes of summer and their importance in our experience of summer, family, friends, and childhood.

The other aspect i wanted to highlight in the lyrics was wordplay and rhyme, which of course is the central element of the “chorus” - the part we all know. It was really fun to play with the sounds of the words - the ice cream product names are wacky and fun - cherry dip, firecracker, choco taco, drum stick. For listeners, I wanted the song to be an invitation to sing along, or scream along, make some animal sounds, whatever feels good. So I invited some friends and their kids to send me recordings of themselves singing along or making animal sounds, or just expressing themselves and having fun!

What’s my favorite item from the ice cream truck?
When I was growing up it was the "bubble play," a baseball themed treat. It’s like a "screwball" in that it’s ice cream and a gumball. Bubble gum and ice cream don’t go together very well (which do you eat first? what do you do with the gumball while youre eating the ice cream mit?) and I think the absurdity was part of the appeal.

Where did the street sounds and additional sounds come from?
I used some sounds of summer - competing ice cream trucks that stoped on my block, sometimes for hours. It was a trippy kind of sound with both their music boxes playing. A car driving through the open hydrant where the kids play all summer. And of course the pets and farm animals who all sing along. Especially my dog-nephew Wilson the beagle. He loves ice cream and you can really hear him screaming for it! And the people who sing with them! I also got to record my mom on this track, which was a real treat!