"Hot Potato" is a song ft. Paul Hester from the Yummy Yummy album and video. It was originally written by John Field during the busking years of The Wiggles. The song was originally called "Hot Tamale", but it was re-written as "Hot Potato" once it got an official studio release.
This song has been performed at almost every Wiggles concert known since its creation and has been one of the most recognizable and iconic Wiggles songs since the 90s.
1998 Transcript[]
Greg: Hello, everybody. We're the Wiggles. I'm Greg.
Murray: I'm Murray.
Anthony: I'm Anthony.
Jeff: And I'm Jeff, and this is our friend, Paul the Cook.
Paul: (waves to the camera) Hello, everybody.
Murray: What have you got here, Paul?
Paul: Well, I've got some cold spaghetti.
Anthony: Ooh, cold spaghetti, a Wiggly spaghetti.
Paul: And I've got some mashed banana.
Greg: Oh! All ooey-gooey, squishy-squashy mashed banana.
Paul: And I've got some hot potatoes. (Paul gives the Wiggles some hot potatoes, which they then throw in the air because they’re too hot)
Murray: Ooh, they're hot!
Anthony: Ooh!
Greg: Ouch! Well, let's sing a song all about hot potatoes, cold spaghetti and mashed banana. Keep an eye out for Captain Feathersword, the friendly pirate. He loves eating everybody else's food. (They wiggle their fingers.)
Lyrics[]
English[]
Hot potato, hot potato
Hot potato, hot potato
Hot potato, hot potato
Potato
Potato, potato, potato
Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti (Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti)
Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti (Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti)
Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti (Spaghetti)
Spaghetti (Spaghetti)
Spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti
Chorus
Squeaky voices: Ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy, ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy
Deep voice: Gimme that, gimme that, gimme that food
Squeaky voices: Ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy, ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy
Deep voice: Gimme that, gimme that
Mashed banana, mashed banana (Mashed banana, mashed banana)
Mashed banana, mashed banana (Mashed banana, mashed banana)
Mashed banana, mashed banana (Banana)
Banana (Banana)
Banana, banana, banana
CHORUS
Hot potato, hot potato (Hot potato, hot potato)
Hot potato, hot potato (Hot potato, hot potato)
Hot potato, hot potato (Potato)
Potato (Potato)
Potato, potato, potato
Whoo!
Español (Papa Caliente)[]
Una papa muy caliente
Una papa muy caliente
Una papa muy caliente
Papita
Papita, papita caliente
Espagueti que está frío (Espagueti que está frío)
Espagueti que está frío (Espagueti que está frío)
Espagueti que está frío (está frío)
Espagueti (espagueti)
Espagueti, espagueti, espagueti
Oh wiggle wiggle wiggle, oh wiggle wiggle wiggle
Dame más, dame más, dame más, más
Oh wiggle wiggle wiggle, oh wiggle wiggle wiggle
Dame más, dame más, más
Plátanitos aplastados (Plátanitos aplastados)
Plátanitos aplastados (Plátanitos aplastados)
Plátanitos aplastados (aplastados)
Plátanitos (plátanitos)
Plátanitos, plátanitos, plátanitos
Oh wiggle wiggle wiggle, oh wiggle wiggle wiggle
Dame más, dame más, dame más, más
Oh wiggle wiggle wiggle, oh wiggle wiggle wiggle
Dame más, dame más, más
Una papa muy caliente (Una papa muy caliente)
Una papa muy caliente (Una papa muy caliente)
Una papa muy caliente (caliente)
Papita (papita)
Papita, papita caliente
Whoo!
The Taiwanese Wiggles[]
香甜玉米,香甜玉米
香甜玉米,香甜玉米
香甜玉米,香甜玉米
甜玉米
甜玉米,甜玉米,甜玉米
長長麵線,長長麵線(長長麵線,長長麵線)
長長麵線,長長麵線(長長麵線,長長麵線)
長長麵線,長長麵線(長麵線)
長麵線(長麵線)
長麵線,長麵線,長麵線
Ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy, ooh wiggy wiggy wiggly
真好吃,真好吃,好吃,好吃
Ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy, ooh wiggy wiggly wiggly
真好吃,好吃,好吃
搓搓湯圓,搓搓湯圓(搓搓湯圓,搓搓湯圓)
搓搓湯圓,搓搓湯圓(搓搓湯圓,搓搓湯圓)
搓搓湯圓,搓搓湯圓(搓湯圓)
搓湯圓(搓湯圓)
搓湯圓,搓湯圓,搓湯圓
合唱
香甜玉米,香甜玉米(香甜玉米,香甜玉米)
香甜玉米,香甜玉米(香甜玉米,香甜玉米)
香甜玉米,香甜玉米(甜玉米)
甜玉米(甜玉米)
甜玉米,甜玉米,甜玉米
Song Credits[]
Written by Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field, Greg Page and John Field, published by Wiggly Tunes Pty Ltd, previously published by EMI Music and Copyright Control.
ReWiggled: A Tribute to The Wiggles[]
© 2011 The Living End
Recorded at Red Door Sounds, Collingwood, Melbourne
The Living End appear courtesy of Dew Process Recordings
Nursery Rhymes[]
Vocals: Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Emma Watkins
Acoustic Guitar: Anthony Field
Bass Guitar: Alex Keller
Piano: Lachlan Gillespie
Drums: Jackie Barnes
Trivia[]
- In late 1996, The Wiggles put in a different instrumental track for the song.
- The Taiwanese version is called Sweet Corn because potatoes are not eaten as commonly in Taiwan.
- The song was written on the spot by John Field when he and the four Wiggles would busk in the early days. The song was intended as a response to the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons' Rag Doll and was originally called "Hot Tamale". According to Murray, the Wiggles believed that many children would not know what a tamale is, so they changed it to the more universal Hot Potato.
- Most instrumental versions such as the one on Play Piano with... The Wiggles sound similar to the one in the 1994 version. Musical director from Barney and Friends, Joseph Phillips did the music for the US trailer of The Wiggles.
- An instrumental track is played over the end credits of Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles DVD as well as Big Red Plane (app).
- On The Wiggles' YouTube Page, the Nursery Rhymes version was uploaded on June 1st 2017 and the Meet the Orchestra version was uploaded on March 22nd 2018. The AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language) version was uploaded on September 23rd 2020. WildBrain uploaded the song on one of their many YouTube channels on November 2, 2021.
- The "Whoo!" at the very end wasn't added until late 1994 concerts.
- The 1994 version is played on the Big Red Car Kiddie Ride.
- The song won Children's Composition of the Year at the 1994 APRA awards.
- This is the first song to be engineered by Tony Douglass.
- This and "Butterflies Flit" are the only songs from LIVE! Hot Potatoes! that didn't appear in Series 4.
Performances/Appearances[]
- Yummy Yummy (1994)
- Wiggledance!
- The Wiggles Movie (The Little Wiggles
- Yummy Yummy (1998)
- Captain Kangaroo's Birthday Party at Sea World
- The Wiggly Big Show
- Dorothy the Dinosaur Goes to Hospital
- LIVE Hot Potatoes!
- Splish Splash Big Red Boat (in segment, "rock'n'roll" style)
- Wiggledancing! Live In The U.S.A.
- Happy 15th Birthday!
- Wiggledancing! Live In Concert
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Memory Book (bonus clip)
- On The Road With The Wiggles
- The Wiggles Big, Big Show!
- Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles (2010)
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Travelling Show!
- The Wiggles' Big Birthday!
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Beach Party!
- Hot Potatoes! The Best Of The Wiggles (2014)
- The Wiggles Meet The Orchestra!
- Wiggle Around Australia
- Nursery Rhymes
- The Best of The Wiggles
- The Wiggles Reunion Show
- We're All Fruit Salad!: The Wiggles' Greatest Hits
- Fruit Salad Big Show
The Wiggles (TV Series 1)[]
12-minute versions (Sprout exclusive)[]
- Episode 3
- Episode 25 (Concert)
22-minute versions[]
- Foodman
- Funny Greg (Concert)
The Wiggles (TV Series 2)[]
- Wiggle Food
- Play (a.k.a. At Play) (Concert)
- Work
- Hygiene
Lights, Camera, Action, Wiggles![]
11-minute versions[]
- Episode 8 (Paired with Let's Make Some Rosy Tea)
22-minute versions[]
- Where's Jeff?
- Water Play
- Rosy Tea
The Wiggles Show! (Series 1)[]
11-minute versions[]
- Episode 2
- Episode 19
- Episode 29
- Episode 40
22-minute versions[]
- Dorothy's Ballet
- Prehistoric Party
- S.S Feathersword
- Fruit Salad
The Wiggles Show! (TV Series 2)[]
11-minute versions[]
- Episode 14 (concert)
- Episode 15 (cameo)
- Episode 47 (concert)
22-minute versions[]
- The Gorilla Dance (concert)
- Pirate Radio (cameo)
- The Baby Crocodile (concert)
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (Series 1)[]
- A Lot of Camelot!
- Let's Go Driving in the Big Red Car! Live at Wigglehouse
- Beautiful Ballet (Concert)
- We Like Fruit
- Clean Your Teeth! (Concert)
- The Glass Is Half Full! (Concert)
- Is That Simon?
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (Series 2)[]
- Little Sir Echo (Band performance)
- Irish Dancing! (Live at Wigglehouse)
- Emma, the Firefighter (Concert)
Wiggle Town![]
- Hot Potato
- Yummy Yummy
Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle![]
- Hot Potato
- The Wiggly Plane (Live in Yarrabah)
The Wiggles' World![]
- Emma's Weather Bag (concert)
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (Series 3)[]
- The Instruments We Love to Play
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (Series 4)[]
- Hot Potato
The Wiggles Show! (Latin America)[]
- Episodio 4
- Episodio 9
- Episodio 14 (Live)
- Episodio 18
- Episodio 25 (Live)