The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Between the Scenes - Trevor's Confusing Birthday Song Experience

Episode Date: February 21, 2020

Trevor describes how his mom taught him a high energy, upbeat birthday song from Disney instead of the more somber and traditional "Happy Birthday to You." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. It's funny because I never grew up singing the

traditional Happy Birthday song. Like it was it wasn't something in my life. So my mom would either sing the Stevie Wanda Happy Birthday, and then the, like you don't like, you know, happy birthday too, there's that one. And then there was the, and then there was another one that my mom found back, it was like a Disney happy birthday was Donald Duck's birthday. And Disney made their own version. I think this was in like 1988 or something and it was just like happy birthday it's Donald's birthday happy birthday happy birthday to you so she sang that to me when I first

remembered birthdays like when I could remember the song that's how my mom always sang it to me she'd be like it's Trevor's birthday birthday happy happy happy birthday to you because it's a party a party and then I'll be there like yeah I was like that's the birthday song, right? So now I'm like four years old, five years old, six years old, now I start going to like kindergarten and all of that. And then we get there, and then the teacher comes and they're like, we're gonna sing happy birthday, and they turn on the lights and the candles.

And it's like everyone's happy, and I'm like, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I'm like, and I'm like, and I'm like, and I'm like, and I'm like, happy, happy, and I'm like Come on! Happy birthday, it's a party, a party today, it's a celebration. And then she's like, no, what are you doing? She's like, you're singing it wrong. And then I was like, what are you singing it? That's the birthday song. And then like, no, Trevor just, clearly you don't know it. We're just going to sing it to get, everyone, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like,? And then like, happy birthday to you.

And I was like, this is the most depressing shit. It is the saddest song. Because when you've sang the happy birthday song your whole life, it seems normal. When you grew up with like high pastes, you're like, that's... And so now, even today when I see people sing, it doesn't seem like fun at all. Like it seems, you know what, if you think about it this way, if you told someone from another culture, like let's say they'd never experienced happy birthday,

you could think it was like, like a, like a, like a, like a, like a song about like your one year closer to death. Imagine if you didn't speak English at all and you'd never heard the song in your life, right? You wouldn't know what they're saying. Just think of the tone and the pitch of the song. So like everyone gathers around someone and they like sit down and then they turn off the lights and then someone comes out with a candle, like candles on a cake and it's just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I do that today, the candles, that's what it basically means.

You're extinguishing your life. Plo at the candles, which means death. That's what it basically means. You're extinguishing your life. Puh. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News.

Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.