Hot Potato

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"Hot Potato" is a Wiggles song from the Yummy Yummy album and video. It was originally written by John Field on the spot when he and The Wiggles were busking. 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 is one of the most recognizable and iconic Wiggles songs since the 1990s.

1994 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, John the Cook.

John the Cook: (waves to the camera) Hi, everybody.

Murray: What have you got there, John?

John the Cook: I've got some cold spaghetti.

Anthony: Cold Spaghetti? Oh, look at it. It's all Wiggly.... spaghetti.

John the Cook: And mashed banana.

Greg: Yes, there's some bananas here to be mashed up, all ooey-gooey squishy-squashy.

John the Cook: And these are hot potatoes.

Murray: Hot potatoes! Wow! (picks up a hot potato, then tosses it over to the others) Ooh! Ooh! Hot! Hot!

Jeff: Ouch!

Anthony: Ooh, ooh, it is hot!

Greg: Ooh! Ow, you're right! It's very hot. We'll put that back there. (sets the potato down) So, let's sing a song all about hot potatoes, cold spaghetti and mashed banana. But make sure you watch out for Captain Feathersword, because he loves eating everybody's food.

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 the Cook: (waves to the camera) Hello, everybody.

Murray: What have you got here, Paul?

Paul the Cook: Well, I've got some cold spaghetti.

Anthony: Ooh, cold spaghetti, a Wiggly spaghetti.

Paul the Cook: And I've got some mashed banana.

Greg: Oh! All ooey-gooey, squishy-squashy mashed banana.

Paul the Cook: 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
Thief: (squeaky voice) Ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy, ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy
Chaser: (deep, monotone voice) Gimme that, gimme that, gimme that food
Thief: (squeaky voice) Ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy, ooh wiggy wiggy wiggy
Chaser: (deep, monotone 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!

Mandarin (Taiwan)[]

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

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

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.
On Xuxa's album "Xuxa Só Para Baixinhos", the Brazilian version is "Batatinha Bem Quentinha".
According to Murray, when the Wiggles decided to make it a kids' song, they 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 of this song is played during the end credits of Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles DVD as well as Big Red Plane.
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.
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.
In The Wiggles in Disneyland, the song was not introduced in the concert, which is why it was sung shortly after Can You (Point Your Fingers And Do The Twist?). Also during the middle-8, Captain Feathersword tickles The Wiggles.