Young Boy Wins The Crowd With Performance Of Randy Newman Hit Song

May 08, 2021 by apost team

The song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” often brings a sense of nostalgia and happiness to audiences whenever they hear it. The song is best known for its debut in the film “Toy Story” in 1995. It was originally performed by artist Randy Newman, and the song was written for the Disney and Pixar film to serve as its theme. It later became the theme song for the entire “Toy Story” franchise. 

The song was also performed in 2014 by the Irish singing group Celtic Thunder. In a viral video from the same year, Celtic Thunder members Keith Harkin and Daniel Furlong perform the song on stage during their “Voyage II” concert. Furlong is the one who sings the song, and his sweet voice is matched with a silly and brotherly performance by Harkin. 

When the song begins, Furlong can be seen entering the stage with a little jump in the air as he clicks his heels together playfully. He walks over to Harkin who is sitting on the stairs playing a ukulele along with the accompaniment. Harkin gives him a fake smile and instantly looks annoyed when Furlong sits down next to him. The whole performance is hilarious and makes it seem like Furlong is a little brother singing to, and simultaneously bothering, his older sibling. 

Furlong is not deterred by the obvious discomfort on Harkin’s face and continues his beautiful rendition of the famous song. He tries to copy all of Harkin’s movements while he’s singing and even gets up to follow Harkin up the stairs during part of the performance. This is when he missteps and almost falls, eliciting a small laugh from Harkin, who notices right away. It is a charming performance, and it is no wonder why the video went viral online. 

Celtic Thunder was formed in Ireland in 2007, and they are known for their eclectic and theatrical style of performance. They use dramatic set pieces, often with symbols of ancient Celtic mythology, as well as visual effects and highly choreographed staging during their shows. They have released 12 albums and 10 DVD performances since their formation. Three of the DVDs were split into two separate parts. 

The group was conceived by producer Sharon Browne of the music label Celtic Collections. The group debuted at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland. The Celtic Concert Orchestra is their accompaniment, and the orchestra is directed by Phil Coulter. Most of their songs are entrancing and not as comedic as this performance of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” 

The group was named Top World Album Artist by Billboard magazine in 2008, 2009 and 2011, which is quite the accomplishment for a group that doesn’t perform the type of music you typically find at the top of the Billboard charts. However, audiences love their orchestral performances, and the group has toured in North America every year since 2008. 

In 2011, the group’s youngest member at the time, Damian McGinty, was featured on the Oxygen reality television show “The Glee Project” in which performers compete for a chance to guest star on the Fox show “Glee.” McGinty ended up winning the show and became a regular on “Glee” for a seven-episode run. He left Celtic Thunder temporarily during that time but returned in 2015 for the group’s reunion tour.  

apost.com

The iconic song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” was originally performed by Randy Newman for the soundtrack of the movie “Toy Story.” The song was a huge hit and was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe award for the same category. Unfortunately, it lost to another Disney song, “Colors of the Wind,” from the popular animated film “Pocahontas.” 

In “Toy Story,” the song serves a purpose by establishing the importance of Woody and Andy’s relationship during a crucial part in the film. The song’s lyrics are touching and do a good job representing the connection between best friends. “You've got a friend in me, you got troubles, I've got 'em too, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, we stick together and see it through 'cause you've got a friend in me,” reads the song’s second verse. 

Later in the movie, the song is used to represent the growing friendship between Woody and Buzz. It is a moving scene and is well remembered by audiences so many years after the film's release. The song is enduring not only because it is so touching, but also because it is versatile, as we see in the comedic version performed by Furlong and Harkin.

The Celtic Thunder version of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” has almost 3 million views on YouTube. The humor and playfulness shown in the performance are loved by viewers from across the world. One commenter wrote, “Looks like Keith is having as much fun with this song as Daniel is having. This young man has a great voice.” 

What did you think of this silly performance? Did you enjoy the playfulness of the performers? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to your friend and family.