The Smile Song: Bittersweet resolve to make others happy

[Buck Testa 5,505]

 

The smile song was a pivotal moment for me in this show. You see I started watching this series when I was feeling down and I needed something light and happy to cheer me up; so I decided to give mlp a try and binge watch the series in one go, all four seasons. The first season was good, it had some laugh out loud moments for me and it was charming in its own way. This was the start of something different though. I had found Pinkies songs up to this point to be at their best purely comical and at their worst downright annoying. Neither of these categories fits the Smile song. It wasn't a particularly funny song, heart warming yes but not really funny, and it's FAR more complex than anything Pinkie ever had to offer up to that point. 

 

Not only did this song resonate with why I was watching the show to begin with (Needed some cheering up cause I was having a hard time) but there are undertones to the song that really connected me to this character way more than season one was ever able to do for me.

 

The song struck a cord with me on its first verse. She basically pitches herself like its her own commercial: Pinkie Pie, its her job to make you smile! She's laying it out there that if you are having a rough time she will be the one to make your day better. Its really nice, but the chorus is where things get a bit interesting. 

 

Cause I love to make you smile smile smile

yes I do

It fills my heart with sunshine all the while 

yes it does

Cause all I really needs a smile smile smile from these happy friends of mine.

 

Do you see it? Lets say you don't believe Pinkie Pie when she says she loves to make you smile. I thought that wryly when I heard it and BOOM "Yes I do" pops up. Its an answer to a rebuttal, an answer to those who don't believe her intentions. It could also serve as self affirmation, I DO love to make ponies happy, it DOES fill my heart with sunshine.

 

 There is another thing interesting in this song that shows up early. Sometimes Pinkie refers to herself normally

"I love to make you smile"

and other times she refers to herself in the third Person

"The corners of your mouth turned up is always Pinkie's dream"

 

Well we all know by now that her name isn't really Pinkie Pie, its Pinkamena Diane Pie. I think there is a reason why she doesn't go by that name though. Its not a split personality or anything like that, but rather a persona she assumes to accomplish her goal of making others smile, similar to the way a clown takes on a new name and persona when performing. 

 

"Cause cheering up my friends is just what PINKIE'S here to do" 

 

Pinkie is a performer, a comedian, she loves what she does, and she uses a stage persona to do it. However she doesn't just confine "pinkie" to the stage, she attempts to be that pony 24/7 because she believes its the best way to accomplish what she wants. However if you pay attention to her throughout the series this character she has does come down occasionally and you see Pinkamena underneath. 

 

No I'm not referring to the evil demented Pinkamena of the fandom, but rather who she is when she isn't the resident party pony. You'll see whenever this side of her comes out its when she fails to make another's day better, when she is entirely alone, or when she is with her sister Maud. I'm not saying she isn't hyper and upbeat mind you, but she isn't pure randomness incarnate either.  

 

Which brings me back to the Smile song. At first glance it seems like she is this paragon of selflessness trying to make the whole world smile, but its not quite as simple as that. 

 

"Cause all I really needs a smile..."

"Just give me a joyful grin grin grin, and you'll fill me with good cheer"

"There's one thing that makes me happy, and makes my whole life worthwhile, and that's when I talk to my friends and get them to smile"

"come on everypony smile...fill my heart up with sunshine, all I really needs a smile....from these happy friends of mine"

 

She tries to make ponies smile, because she NEED's them to smile. It brings purpose and meaning into her life, it's what makes her get up in the morning. Her bringing cheer to others recharges her own batteries so to speak, it "fills her heart with sunshine" as she aptly puts it. Without this much needed energy from other ponies happiness Pinkamena cannot sustain the Pinkie persona. This is evidenced by her hair quite literally deflating like a balloon. 

 

There is something hinted here as well, something her sister is seemingly aware of as well. 

 

"...And makes my whole life worthwhile"

 

That's a rather dark line when you think about its implications. Pinkie does not see life worthwhile if she is incapable of bringing cheer to others. This could be an added reason why Maud takes her rock candy necklaces (beyond the fact that she simply loves Pinkie), that she wants Pinkie pinkie to know she has had an impact and her life has meaning. Pinkie doesn't want anything in the way of presents, she doesn't want things to be about her, not really, she just wants to know that she had a positive impact on another ponies life and have that recharged feeling to take on the next day. 

 

"a perfect gift for me is a smile as wide as a mile, to make ME happy as can be"

 

I'm sure many know how good it feels to have someone love the gift you gave them; For Pinkie that feeling is everything to her. Whether or not that is healthy is up for debate, but it makes for a truly interesting character none the less. 

 

What do you think?

If you do not enjoy analyzing characters or songs then please do not spam this topic. Thank you.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Buck Testa

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

It struck a chord with me as well as I feel the way PInkie describes in the song.  All I really need's a smile.

 

The unhealthy part comes when she cannot get a smile.  I think she feels like if she can't make them happy, then they must not like her and that it must be her fault.  She doesn't know how to be accepted as Pinkamena, only as Pinkie.  She won't even let other ponies see her sad, like in Pinkie Pride where she goes right back to Pinkie when Twilight approaches.  That's why Too Many Pinkies is interesting.  When she says she doesn't know if she's the real Pinkie, she's having an identity crisis between the over the top Pinkie persona (all the clones), and her Pinkamena self.

[Pastel 7,630]

"...And makes my whole life worthwhile"

 

That's a rather dark line when you think about its implications. Pinkie does not see life worthwhile if she is incapable of bringing cheer to others. This could be an added reason why Maud takes her rock candy necklaces (beyond the fact that she simply loves Pinkie), that she wants Pinkie pinkie to know she has had an impact and her life has meaning. Pinkie doesn't want anything in the way of presents, she doesn't want things to be about her, not really, she just wants to know that she had a positive impact on another ponies life and have that recharged feeling to take on the next day. 

 

"a perfect gift for me is a smile as wide as a mile, to make ME happy as can be"

 

I'm sure many know how good it feels to have someone love the gift you gave them; For Pinkie that feeling is everything to her. Whether or not that is healthy is up for debate, but it makes for a truly interesting character none the less. 

I really wonder whether it would a good or a bad thing if she learns to be happy even when her friends aren't.

I mean, nobody is happy all the time, we all have our moments of depression, and even somepony like Pinkie Pie can't do anything about it. Maybe there'll be an episode where she learns that (and to "let it go"). Not sure that would be a good friendship lesson though.

Edited March 21, 2015 by Blobulle

[Buck Testa 5,505]

I really wonder whether it would a good or a bad thing if she learns to be happy even when her friends aren't.

I mean, nobody is happy all the time, we all have our moments of depression, and even somepony like Pinkie Pie can't do anything about it. Maybe there'll be an episode where she learns that (and to "let it go"). Not sure that would be a good friendship lesson though.

She certainly needs this lesson though. In Maud Pie her impulsive need to make others happy almost got herself killed. Not in a metaphorical sense, but in a literal "she could of died" kind of way. If Maud hadn't crushed that boulder she would of been splat, and the only reason she was in that situation was because of this need to make her friends smile and be friends with Maud. 

[Tetrakemy 221]

 

 

The smile song was a pivotal moment for me in this show. You see I started watching this series when I was feeling down and I needed something light and happy to cheer me up; so I decided to give mlp a try and binge watch the series in one go, all four seasons. The first season was good, it had some laugh out loud moments for me and it was charming in its own way. This was the start of something different though. I had found Pinkies songs up to this point to be at their best purely comical and at their worst downright annoying. Neither of these categories fits the Smile song. It wasn't a particularly funny song, heart warming yes but not really funny, and it's FAR more complex than anything Pinkie ever had to offer up to that point. 

 

Not only did this song resonate with why I was watching the show to begin with (Needed some cheering up cause I was having a hard time) but there are undertones to the song that really connected me to this character way more than season one was ever able to do for me.

 

The song struck a cord with me on its first verse. She basically pitches herself like its her own commercial: Pinkie Pie, its her job to make you smile! She's laying it out there that if you are having a rough time she will be the one to make your day better. Its really nice, but the chorus is where things get a bit interesting. 

 

Cause I love to make you smile smile smile

yes I do

It fills my heart with sunshine all the while 

yes it does

Cause all I really needs a smile smile smile from these happy friends of mine.

 

Do you see it? Lets say you don't believe Pinkie Pie when she says she loves to make you smile. I thought that wryly when I heard it and BOOM "Yes I do" pops up. Its an answer to a rebuttal, an answer to those who don't believe her intentions. It could also serve as self affirmation, I DO love to make ponies happy, it DOES fill my heart with sunshine.

 

 There is another thing interesting in this song that shows up early. Sometimes Pinkie refers to herself normally

"I love to make you smile"

and other times she refers to herself in the third Person

"The corners of your mouth turned up is always Pinkie's dream"

 

Well we all know by now that her name isn't really Pinkie Pie, its Pinkamena Diane Pie. I think there is a reason why she doesn't go by that name though. Its not a split personality or anything like that, but rather a persona she assumes to accomplish her goal of making others smile, similar to the way a clown takes on a new name and persona when performing. 

 

"Cause cheering up my friends is just what PINKIE'S here to do" 

 

Pinkie is a performer, a comedian, she loves what she does, and she uses a stage persona to do it. However she doesn't just confine "pinkie" to the stage, she attempts to be that pony 24/7 because she believes its the best way to accomplish what she wants. However if you pay attention to her throughout the series this character she has does come down occasionally and you see Pinkamena underneath. 

 

No I'm not referring to the evil demented Pinkamena of the fandom, but rather who she is when she isn't the resident party pony. You'll see whenever this side of her comes out its when she fails to make another's day better, when she is entirely alone, or when she is with her sister Maud. I'm not saying she isn't hyper and upbeat mind you, but she isn't pure randomness incarnate either.  

 

Which brings me back to the Smile song. At first glance it seems like she is this paragon of selflessness trying to make the whole world smile, but its not quite as simple as that. 

 

"Cause all I really needs a smile..."

"Just give me a joyful grin grin grin, and you'll fill me with good cheer"

"There's one thing that makes me happy, and makes my whole life worthwhile, and that's when I talk to my friends and get them to smile"

"come on everypony smile...fill my heart up with sunshine, all I really needs a smile....from these happy friends of mine"

 

She tries to make ponies smile, because she NEED's them to smile. It brings purpose and meaning into her life, it's what makes her get up in the morning. Her bringing cheer to others recharges her own batteries so to speak, it "fills her heart with sunshine" as she aptly puts it. Without this much needed energy from other ponies happiness Pinkamena cannot sustain the Pinkie persona. This is evidenced by her hair quite literally deflating like a balloon. 

 

There is something hinted here as well, something her sister is seemingly aware of as well. 

 

"...And makes my whole life worthwhile"

 

That's a rather dark line when you think about its implications. Pinkie does not see life worthwhile if she is incapable of bringing cheer to others. This could be an added reason why Maud takes her rock candy necklaces (beyond the fact that she simply loves Pinkie), that she wants Pinkie pinkie to know she has had an impact and her life has meaning. Pinkie doesn't want anything in the way of presents, she doesn't want things to be about her, not really, she just wants to know that she had a positive impact on another ponies life and have that recharged feeling to take on the next day. 

 

"a perfect gift for me is a smile as wide as a mile, to make ME happy as can be"

 

I'm sure many know how good it feels to have someone love the gift you gave them; For Pinkie that feeling is everything to her. Whether or not that is healthy is up for debate, but it makes for a truly interesting character none the less. 

 

What do you think?

 

I think you have put in too much thought to a cute song about making people smile.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,162]

As a result of abusive language and potential for flaming a few posts have been hidden. Let's keep the topic on track please.

 

Thanks.

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

I think you have put in too much thought to a cute song about making people smile.

 

Everything in the show is cute.  It's not just that she likes making people smile, it's her sole mission in life.  The song is character development, like many others in the show.