JUKEBOX: “I’m a Lucky Duck” from Lucky Duck

Lucky the Duck singing in the company of other bathtub toys

Hi everybody! It’s Kimberly here for my twenty-ninth post for the genre “Children’s Music.”

Disney Channel original movies have become one of the Disney Channel’s greatest accomplishments. The High School Musical movies and now Teen Beach Movie have been successfully appealing to pre-teens and teenagers alike. Disney Junior has followed suit with their own movie musical geared towards an even younger audience. I will be reviewing the song “I’m a Lucky Duck” from the movie Lucky Duck.

All of the songs for Lucky Duck were written by Rick Garcia and William V. Malpede. Both have been involved in many projects, but their most well-known works are Rango and Spider-Man 3. “I’m a Lucky Duck” is sung by Christian Borle. Christian Borle is an actor and singer for both television and Broadway. Christian Borle has acted in Legally Blonde: The Musical and The Sound of Music Live! but most people would know him for his role of Tom Levitt in Smash.

Lucky Duck, as it name suggests, is about a rubber duck named Lucky. Lucky was made in a toy factory that makes bath toys. Like most factories, there is a system in place to detect toys with defects. Lucky’s defect is that he can’t squeak, but in a twist of fate he ends up with the “defect-free” toys on a ship. Some of the toys make fun of him for being imperfect, but Lucky embraces his imperfection. “I’m a Lucky Duck” is inspirational for small children because its message is to embrace your uniqueness and to believe that you will find a friend who will appreciate you for your differences. The chorus which repeats the title line is the most memorable part of the song. I would compare “I’m a Lucky Duck” to “Go the Distance” from Hercules because both songs are powerful ballads about someone who believes that he has a bright future ahead. However, unlike “Go the Distance,” “I’m a Lucky Duck” isn’t as applicable to people of all ages and most of the lyrics are forgettable. That being said, Christian Borle’s voice is pleasant to listen to even when coming from a duck’s bill. I’m giving “I’m a Lucky Duck” 2 ½ records because the lyrics provide a positive message for small children but the song lacks an original hook and universal lyrics.

No matter how old you are, I think that we can all learn from Lucky that it is important to accept people’s differences and to believe in ourselves. Thank you for my reading my review of “I’m a Lucky Duck” and hope that if life isn’t going your way that you will soon be a lucky duck too. J

Below is a clip of “I’m a Lucky Duck” from the movie.