“Where The Wild Things Are is a place that exists in our minds. It’s a place of liberty and shamelessness. It can take a split second or a lifetime to find it, but once you do, you’ll be free” is Canadian singer Alessia Cara’s intro to her Billboard Hot 100 song “Wild Things”.
Before I saw the video that begins with this intro though, I had already listened to the song many times, without having any background information. In fact hearing it first on the radio and then playing it over and over again on Spotify, what spellbound me most was what I thought was the reference to Maurice Sendak’s children’s book classic “Where the wild things are”. One of my personal favorites in fact… A story about a wild and free spirit, a little boy called Max, who after having been just a little too wild for his mother’s taste, is sent to his room without supper. “Wild Thing” she calls him and he answers “I’ll eat you up”. Max then escapes into an imaginary world of monsters, who realizing this little boy is even wilder then they themselves are, accept him as their king.
Beautiful illustrations and a lyrical language carry us through this marvelously simple but uplifting plot, with dancing monsters and unconventionally wild happiness, only to bring us back into Max’s room, where his loving mother of course hadn’t been able to let her little son starve and had served him his supper which “was still hot”.
In fact, as wild as little children sometimes are, they can always find their way back to their parent’s loving arms, whereas life is much tougher and more complicated for teens I think. Coming back to the song; after having read its wikipedia page and an interview where the young singer explains the story behind it, I saw no reference made to Sendak’s book. Her message to teenagers is “Embrace who you are, enjoy yourself and each other. Forfeit norms, peer pressure and anything that puts you down”.
Still in my opinion, Alessia Cara’s anthem for a carefree and self-confident youth seems to promote just the same naive and light wildness that Sendak’s book does. Messages I totally support and think are vital to give to our kids and teens.
Below you will find the video & lyrics of the song and one more little bonus for children’s books lovers like me…
So “Let the wild rumpus begin!”
Alessia Cara – “Wild Things” Lyrics
Find table space to say your social graces
Bow your head, the pie is here, but you and I, we’re pioneers
We make our own rules, our own room, no bias here
Let ’em sell what they are sellin’, there are no buyers here
So gather all the rebels now, we’ll rebel rouse and sing aloud
We don’t care what they say no way, no way
And we will leave the empty chairs to those who say we can’t sit there
We’re fine all by ourselves
So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance
No mistakin’, we make our breaks, if you don’t like our 808s
Then leave us alone, cause we don’t need your policies
We have no apologies for being…
Find me where the wild things are
We’ll be alright, don’t mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
We’ll be just fine, don’t mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
I lose my balance on these eggshells you tell me to tread
I’d rather be a wild one instead
Don’t wanna hang around the in crowd, the cool kids
I’m cool to me, cause they’re not cooler than we are
So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance
No mistakin’, we make our breaks, if you don’t like our 808s
Then leave us alone, cause we don’t need your policies
We have no apologies for being…
Find me where the wild things are
We’ll be alright, don’t mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
We’ll be just fine, don’t mind us, yeah
We will carve our place into time and space
We will find our way, or we’ll make a way, say hey, hey
Hey find your grace, don’t you hide your face
And let it shine, shine, shine
So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance
No mistakin’, we make our breaks, if you don’t like our 808s
Then leave us alone, cause we don’t need your policies
We have no apologies for being…
Find me where the wild things are
We’ll be alright, don’t mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
We’ll be just fine, don’t mind us, yeah
Find me where the wild things are
Globally Happy 
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