This Animal Crossing Theme Yells At You To Go To Bed

If you've ever wondered what sarcastic music sounds like, this is it!
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[@CharlesCornellStudios]

GO TO BED.

[@kevbon957]

Play lingus

[@Elisio_]

It's 4 in the afternoon!!!

[@hipposcubes76]

Not yet >:3

[@bcsnowballgaming8190]

No. You go to bed.

[@fruitysoupy]

It's only 4:30 pm Charles 😭🙏🙏

[@maxevocal]

At 2am the band is wrapping up for the night, one last song. At 3am the musicians are starting to doze off, coming in late, playing lazily and sarcastically 😂

[@VaryaEQ]

5am is just beautiful though. 💜💜💜

[@HoneyPastry]

@@VaryaEQ Lol I hope so after a 2 hour nap

[@cooldebt]

The Consouls' Timeville album has lovely covers of 6am-12pm - I guess they go to bed early 😅

[@PatrickAnderson-vh7hv]

I always imagined this song to sort of reflect the feeling of being so sleepy your start feeling drunk.

[@LifesNeverHumDrum]

Absolutely. Sleep deprived inebriation for sure

[@sandgaijin]

That’s exactly my interpretation. You and the band in the soundtrack are all loopy and delirious trying to stay up and pull weeds.

[@burnished]

Same!

[@Toph37]

Soo truuee

[@Lure-Light]

Yuuuup 100%

[@itsybutsy]

I also want to note that it sounds like, at certain points, the plunger-mute trombone player is jumping the gun on his cue and/or just straight up playing at the wrong time Almost like a way of saying "please go to bed, we can't until you do"

[@touch_me.]

now my headcanon is that isabelle & tom nook are the ones doing the music

[@lucasawesome2153]

so if you won’t play at the right time, neither will the trombone

[@NOWABOmusic]

Yeah, there's the section where the chords really feel like they are winding down and resolving but the trombone comes in like "doesn't that sound nice? But you're still here so we can't end the song!!"

[@pup64hcp]

the wah-wah trumpet literally sounds like a Peanuts character yelling at you to go to bed lol

[@shogun_assassinalice2829]

“Wah-Wah trumpet” is the new name for it now!😂😂

[@IvoryMadness.]

That makes total sense! 😂😂

[@eboone]

@@shogun_assassinalice2829 that's what it's called already

[@Vinceras]

@@shogun_assassinalice2829 That's actual jazz terminology. It's a Wah-wah mute.

[@mikebliss3153]

Trombone.

[@timeimp]

Ah yes, the "oh shit, I have to get up for work in 2 hours" music. Refreshing, very nice. Great video Charles - and thank you for covering AC:NH!

[@K4Cubing]

"nice video" 1 minute after a 16 minute video is released 💀

[@aintnoman]

​@@K4Cubing it's the same energy as that one friend who said "thats so funny lol" The minute after you give a 10 min video 😂

[@BetaVoltzDK]

I looooove how the trombone mocks you. Like, "We both know it's crazy late and you have to get up early. I'm not being silly, you're being silly" And the simplicity of playing with the AC theme, it really is a fantastic execution of exactly what it needs to be

[@jerpica.d6735]

I'm not being silly, you're being silly 😂

[@SirrMojo]

My interpretation is more someone who is trying to stay awake but running on the last 1% battery

[@wireycoyote3544]

Your pfp is running on 1% battery 😂

[@SirrMojo]

@@wireycoyote3544 yeah it's pretty accurate to real life lol

[@RobertRays]

I have never related to something more than this right now lmao

[@TechniTiger]

I similarly always associated it with the silly, half working exhaustion of being up that late. Still very "what am I doing. Why am I here?"

[@benamisai-kham5892]

It always felt shameful to me, shaming me for being awake. Felt like a dunce cap gets placed on my head for 3am-4am

[@BlueKitkatDaredevil]

3:01 Oh my god! Okay, so, I teach in Japan, right? In Japan, almost every class starts and ends with students standing and bowing. But in music class, they usually play 3 chords on the piano for students to stand, bow forward, than raise their heads at each chord. I think the chords are C-G7-C? I don’t know piano, I usually just play C-G-C. Either way, in Japan, basically, that IS like the sound of “Class is done”!!! So maybe it was on purpose?!?

[@bertorrrr]

Yes, It's a 1-5-1. Very common ending, next to 2-5-1 and 4-5-1

[@SandkastenImSchuh]

Wow, this is hilarious!

[@creapeys]

You forgot the original’s 2AM theme, where instead of yelling at you to go to bed, it’s yelling at your parents that you’re up late again.

[@sunla]

This was like some Beastie Boys jam, I used to stay up and sneakily play it just to hear that one sometimes. There wasn't much to at night in that game, though.

[@liraco_mx]

​@@sunla Except a ghost

[@player17wastaken]

DO NOT play ANIMAL CROSSING at 3AM! (GONE WRONG) (SARCASTIC MUSIC PLAYED)

[@akaaru5581]

100th like my dude :)

[@LilDarkiesFanperson]

As someone with 600+ hours on ac, the 3am sarcasm is implanted in my brain

[@Amy_Dunn]

What makes it so much better is that it's also is a play on the main theme of the game, as well as fitting in the context of the other hours in the day. (except 4am, which is creepy, but that might be because of the Japanese unlucky number being 4)

[@derpkipper]

You mean New Leaf's 4am theme? I used to think it sounded creepy myself tbh but I think thats mainly because of Aika Village lol Personally I find NL 5am much more sinister sounding

[@Eaten_squid_cake]

4am is also a ridiculous time to be awake, whether you woke up at that hour or stayed up late

[@MelonHere20]

I honestly have tuned out the theme in the background at this point because I always have to play at weird hours lol

[@weaselwiese]

Exactly. I think this was missing in the video. Every hourly song incorporates the main theme in various melodies. The underlying score however is always the main theme. And then they work around that and play with different nuances, vibes and moods.

[@xX_Berrie_Black_Xx]

414th like. =:3

[@trumpets101]

Animal Crossing, 2am: You are getting verrrrrry sleeeeepy! Shhhh. Close your eyes. Go to sleep. Animal Crossing, 3am: WTF! Why are you still up!? GO TO BED! Also, Charles having a conniption about the minimalistic nature of Animal Crossing music that's just a joke about the music yelling at you to go to bed is what I needed as a midday treat during work.

[@FizzyK-45]

A lot of people give Animal Crossing: New Horizons' hourly music flak because it doesn't have the same feel as the older Animal Crossing games, but personally, I love it, and I think it has its own charms, and the 3am theme is the perfect example of it. 😅

[@herschell64]

I agree, New Horizons is my first game and I still play it, my favourite track is the 5pm as it's such a banger

[@FizzyK-45]

​@@herschell64 Ah yes, the 5pm theme is another good one, it's so funky. ❤️

[@Will-wn1fz]

I didn’t realize this was a criticism. To me the music of ACNH feels so on brand with the franchise while being innovative and fun

[@AuriPlayzz]

I think they’re pretty good, just the leitmotif from the main theme appears a lot and it can get a little repetitive

[@FSAPOJake]

The music isn't bad. Most of it is just forgettable, especially in comparison to New Leaf, which has one of the greatest OSTs in any video game.

[@yoh999123]

one time i woke up at 5 am and the music is magic

[@punkinholler]

I have that music set as my morning wake up alarm

[@efoley27]

It's like the bass is asking, "Why. Aren't. You slee-ping?" with each note. Hah 😂

[@ladams1921]

😂 I can hear it!! The three consecutive notes are “Go. To. BED 🤦🏾‍♂️”

[@DylanKSP-gq4io]

1:37 The trombone is also a bit sharp, possibly as a result of a tired player.

[@AnneOmimus7531]

It's "Go the Fuck to Sleep" told musically 🤣

[@GourmetSubZee]

If Samuel L. Jackson swallowed a plunger mute trombone

[@DoofenSpyroDragon16]

That needs to be the background music for that story 😆

[@froforsale7530]

The trombone wah-wah's sounding like the adults in Charlie Brown really ices the cake "Goooo to bed, kid!"

[@ryanjohnson4565]

So… icing cake is actually really hard. One time I almost hit the building while backing out (elephants can’t see good, and vacuum cleaners can’t see at all).

[@froforsale7530]

@@ryanjohnson4565 do you feel better now?

[@ryanjohnson4565]

@@froforsale7530 approximately the same. How are you feeling

[@astralinfinity]

Animal Crossing has always done that, it will always have that track of "OH? YOU'RE STILL AWAKE??" and then it would follow up with "Now I need to make you sleepy."

[@CatalogK9]

It’s also worth noting that if you’re watching TV in ACNH at 3am (or is it 3:33 specifically?) on a Saturday (again iirc), aliens interrupt the broadcast, so I figured it was something weird to reflect that witching hour vibe

[@rachelderkits-gelman921]

Had to look up the music director / composer: Kazumi Totaka. He’s been working for Nintendo since the 90s. Now need to listen for audio Easter egg “Totaka’s song”! 🤩

[@DrewD64]

K.K. Song is literally Totaka's Song

[@TicTacToeCraft]

Did you know that Totaka's song is in Mario Kart 8? One of the Yoshis in the audience of Yoshi Circuit hums the tune.

[@ilexdiapason]

ah yes, totakeke slider

[@SherbetAlex]

@@TicTacToeCraftAnd it’s Totaka himself (with pitch shifting) singing it. Totaka is the voice of Yoshi.

[@TicTacToeCraft]

@@SherbetAlex Yes, that makes it even better.

[@aStick112]

That mute on the trombone is actually a harmon (wah-wah) mute!

[@Okami_gris]

I love literal names

[@ActiveAdvocate1]

It's onomatopoeia for music, not words, and I am HERE for it. While I think New Horizons has an inferior soundtrack when contrasted to, say, the GC original, my all-time favourite hourly track does come from this game. 5AM. You know it, you love it, and if you don't, you haven't heard it. Go listen to it.

[@AshlynLeeThatsMe]

I've got a sleep disorder similar to insomnia, and the 3AM theme is my most hated song in this game. Yes game, I know you want me to go to bed. I can't. Stop yelling!!! I do appreciate it for what it is, and I think it's cool that it's getting some attention. But I also hate it.

[@statueofliberty1132]

Oh my God I had childhood insomnia and I remember getting scolded for playing video games all night and I was really ashamed and embarrassed but the only reason I did was because I knew there was no hope I would get back to sleep. I would be wide awake at 3 am an average of 3 nights a week and never tell anyone about my sleeping problem because I didn't want to get in trouble.

[@StvBnsn]

I’m surprised people didn’t like it, 3am was my favorite one, I used to work late and would get home around 1:30 and go to bed by 4 the 3am song was the one I liked the most lol.

[@AshlynLeeThatsMe]

@@StvBnsn I think it comes down to a matter of perspective. My late night sessions were often me still attempting to fall asleep. A repetitive task, soft music, screen brightness down until I could just barely see- And then 3AM starts blaring. Mocking me. Telling me I failed, and that there's no way I'm gonna be able to get to my appointments. Again. It's not so much the song's fault as it is the experiences I tie to it, ya know?

[@WakenAngels]

adding this to my doom scrolling in bed playlist

[@detectivemittons9020]

So um... I just learnt that this isn't the main theme of the town

[@paroperha]

HAhahaha rip ur sleep schedule mate

[@claremiller9979]

Night owl detected 😂

[@sO_RoNerY]

@@paroperha*your* not ur.

[@ViolinCereal]

​@@sO_RoNerYUr is a common and generally acceptable spelling or you're and your in casual conversations or settings.

[@titusfortunus2916]

@@sO_RoNerY "Your," not your. If you want to correct someone grammatically, please use proper notation and grammar in your sentence to do so. After all, you want to pretend to be an English teacher, you should at least pretend that you know how English is written.

[@Kaiwaii]

then for the 4 am theme, if you wake up at 4 am it feels like "Ah, such a peaceful and relaxing morning isn't it? Work is hours away, give yourself some time to relax, I'll make you some coffee." but when you've stayed up since 12 and have been up so long its already 4 it feels like "fine bro if youre not gonna sleep, might as well make yourself comfy ig"

[@cosmickoffee]

3am music: "I can barely stay on key, I'm so tired. You aren't tired? You don't even know what you're doing with that shovel. GO TO BED so I can stop playing."

[@davetraintrain]

The line at 2:45 is a motif that runs through lots of the themes! Also, one other interpretation I had is that the wonkiness of this late night theme might also reflect your villager's sleepy delerium!

[@ryan_1314]

Trombomist here, I'm pretty sure the mute that's being used is a straight mute, or possible a harmon mute. Both can still make "wah wah" noises with either a hand or a plunger over the opening of the mute.

[@user-yw9mw9hv8o]

A musical joke but these composers just cant stop themselves from adding so much SOULFUL minimalist writing.

[@touffedaviau8370]

Love how some of these lines *literally* sound like someone saying "PLEASE. GO. TO BED..." 🤣

[@Fh-jz9lq]

there's no better explanation to 7 chords on KZbin I SWEAR. tysm!

[@ArminEshkoob]

I once played Animal Crossing on my ds as a kid way past my bed time and the combination of being scared that your mom wakes up and catches me + the terrifying background music that played almost made me shit myself. Still love the game to this day

[@DominikGuzowski]

Animal Crossing - The Terror Inducing Game ft. Mothers

[@wileamyp]

1:00 Speaking of ticking clocks, would love to hear your opinion on stuff like "It's Pizza Time" (Pizza Tower) or "Outta My Way... It's Happy Hour" (Antonblast), or even the original inspiration "Hurry Up" (Wario Land 4)!

[@mistysidorov189]

I remember cracking up when I first heard this song, because I work the night shift. I had to put down the game and rethink everything for a couple of moments. Even now my partner and I still mimick it when we're having a brain fart.

[@lastnamefirstname8655]

more great game music! thanks charles!

[@briangruenewald7536]

3AM gives me Ferris Bueller vibes: “You’re still here? It’s over. Go home. … … Go home.”

[@tyrrhus5248]

I am fascinated by humor in music with no lyrics, why is it funny? Why does it work? How do we have a common understanding of it? So many fun things to explore

[@plastichand6623]

Charles is such a music nerd and I'm here for it

[@conno02]

Yes that *is* in fact how youtube channels work

[@monaten09]

bruh

[@Efreeti]

Not me watching this at 3:45 AM. However, I truly love the 5 AM music from this game.

[@StonetheDestroyer42]

This might be the funniest example of Nintendo's design philosophy of making games that make you want to stop playing after a certain amount of time, so you go do something else with your day, too. (Usually, they just incorporate at least one annoying repeated mechanic that, once you reach it or use it, makes you want to put the game down for a bit. Sarcastic music is somehow a funnier version of that.)

[@iljadonker]

A bummer that the note combination "B-E-D" wasn't used.

[@djfinja]

also on a more meta level, you're hearing quotes from the main theme, both in copy-paste melody lines as well as chord progressions, but they're scattered and played as if someone is too tired to play the whole thing.

[@BlueJeiVA]

I always hear it (don't judge me for staying up til 3am) as kinda drowzy, loopy, stumbling, with echoes of "lullaby chords" that echo the calm of the sleep it's telling you to get.

[@ryanwayner2475]

I think the trombone is playing with a harmon mute with the stem in. You can get the same wah-wah as with a plunger mute and it matches the sounds in the song better than just a plunger mute.

[@jacobhumphries1416]

This song is funny because it’s nice enough to evoke nostalgia for the rest of the soundtrack but silly enough to remind you that you should probably sleep so you can listen to the other parts of the soundtrack.

[@crustysenpai3510]

I've only ever heard this during winter time while snowing 😂 it's got little jingles and bells!

[@nikvalinsky]

Standard Music Theory: The open 5th doesn't contain information regarding the quality of the chord Gustav Mahler: *Hold my Pilsner*

[@vendel8007]

I always thought the trombone sounds like it's yawning

[@sufyanabbasi483]

I used to play the GCN soundtrack when I was feeling homesick in my first year of college (a decade ago), and I was so caught off guard by the glory of the 3am bass (since I never got to hear it as a kid). That bass is set so low that it started to shake the things off my shelf. Thanks for unlocking the tertiary nostalgia for me and the mystery of these themes!

[@ChuyPlays]

Hi there! Animal Crossing superfan here. I believe the original Animal Crossing late night track you were looking for was 2 AM. That's the one that's being very sassy at you.

[@cosygracegames]

Chuy hi! Haken podcast enjoyer here ~ hope you’re doing well! I love this series so much!

[@Skarlis]

Yessss the blaring horns screaming "HEY PARENTS!!! YOUR KID IS PLAYING ANIMAL CROSSING AT 2AM" always made me laugh (and got me in trouble) 😂

[@metalpuppet5798]

What I have learned today: once you move over the big puddle clocks apparently become drunk and tick in a shuffle

[@khodexus4963]

I'm literally watching this at 3am working an overnight shift.

[@theirishninjasanimations]

I love how the post-midnight Animal Crossing themes have a history of being unhinged. Shout out to the original's 2 AM theme in all its fever-dreamy glory kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJfQqJR6Zdlje9Usi=PTzqZeqGtZT8AYY9

[@colinschroyer4333]

YES! ITS UNHINGED

[@DisasterAster]

Thanks for the link 🤣 glorious 2am energy

[@marksteinemann4063]

Not even close... 15 minutes past midnight at my place. Great Video, thanks for your insights.

[@macaoron]

it's all this arrangement ON TOP OF the leitmotifs derived from the ACNH opening theme in itself that really shows how genius the soundtrack of this game is.

[@robinmaurer2645]

3 AM of city folk is a banger especially the lofi remix

[@robinmaurer2645]

Ahhh well in wild world it was the same like he showed at 15:25

[@breckheck]

Learned something new! also 14:34 yo you can't just leave that hole in the ground

[@joashthedoash6699]

Me: not going to bed Charles Cornell: "Sleep. With MUSIC THEORY" I love this guy.

[@mrtoast244]

The only other example of sarcasm being used in music I can think of are in Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony... pretty opposite settings to Animal Crossing lol

[@A.B.H_da-goat]

I should probably go to bed

[@matthewbohne7238]

Every piece of the ACNH music is brilliant. Even the shop closing music which only plays once every day for 10 minutes has so much love and care in it.

[@generalfishcake]

You should check out Ghost in the Shell's "Tachikoma no ie de" - about what it's like to be a childish robot.

[@icommitdie8756]

this is the music that plays when Jschlatt walks into the room

[@Nate9273]

"schlazz schlayer" would be impressed his whole YT schtick is being dissected

[@TheMadDrD]

Me:(a night shift worker on my day off) Animal Crossing: "WHY ARE YOU UP!!"

[@laerwen]

Ahh, such a good breakdown. This interpretation of 3 am is really fun even if mine wasn't the same. It always impressed upon me the idea of stumbling around the village sleepily when you SHOULD be in bed - so kinda similar notion? LOL

[@Squidwolf]

FINALLY THE ANIMAL CROSSING EPISODE

[@erikroth9174]

8-bit music theory collaboration video - when?

[@noirakita428]

I love the 3am theme (after the 5pm theme), just because of how funny it is. Have never been awake to actually hear it on my island though. 😆 Love your videos!

[@tayloratkinson7627]

Time travel is a wonderful thing lol

[@HugoFARC]

A series of game music analysis and no SNES Donkey Kong yet? C'mon!

[@rizzofromIndo]

What a cool episode as usual! I don't understand nearly half of the music theory being talked here but it's always fascinating to listen to your music breakdown! P.S: waiting for you to dive back into Pokemon tunes tho!

[@rideronthedrumbeat]

The entire Animal Crossing soundtrack is a masterclass in jazz composition. The instrumentation is usually very scant, but they always do so much with so little.

[@justarookieartist]

Every time someone writes in a key that uses e-sharp or f flat, a fairy loses its wings

[@Composercleo]

Ooo I’m gonna enjoy this video as someone whose been making Animal Crossing songs for awhile now 👀👀

[@ascellaplays]

3AM sort of sounds like someone running on energy drinks and fumes finally starting to break down, all the while a villager smacks you upside the head with a shovel to kindly knock you to sleep.

[@Failed101]

so, 6:00 gave me an idea for a chord progression and im gonna try to turn it into a full song so thanks for doing that

[@Failed101]

so, lil update, i kinda made it into an anime song

[@spooodr8900]

Perfect video to listen to at 12:34AM (oooh I just realised while typing this, 1234 wow such coinkydink)

[@dawierdkid]

Coindoinkydoink

[@AlexCreeper]

coinkydinkydoinkydoink

[@AetherCarvalho]

These kind of details are a direct callback to the older games, the 3AM theme from ACWW or even the rain theme from the same game are always evoking nostalgia and cosyness for me... having that in the more recent games too is so great

[@cooldebt]

The Consouls' Timeville album has that cosy feel (they cover 6am to 12pm)

[@BurrShotHam711Jenna]

i call this the 3am clown music (i like the 3am music in Wild World)

[@12DAMDO]

we making it out of insomnia with this one 🔥🔥💤💤

[@kyubeyz_7062]

I always interpreted this song as describing the sort of cursed middle-ground between deep at night and early, early morning. It kind of perfectly encapsulates the idea of going out on a walk in a small neighborhood area where absolutely no one else would be outside at that time, and at this point of time you might as well stay up til sunrise. It’s an awkward time of night, and the faint hints of sunrise in-game help with that feeling as well.

[@hufflepuffler2575]

" heyyy yeah....i see your still awake.....sooooo here's some music to make you HATE being up this late! NOW GO TO BED! "

[@christianhawkins2428]

Lmao the best animal crossing theme

[@thecuriositas385]

It's like the orchestra in the sky is tired, wants to go to bed & is trying to passive aggressively complain that you should be in bed so they can go to bed 😂

[@StardustOwO]

No idea what any of this means but you somehow make it slightly easier for me to understand haha. Thanks for the lesson.

[@mechanesthesia]

So glad you mentioned OG Animal Crossing, so many good tracks!

[@kathrynjones1367]

In the game when a villager talks about moving out, sometimes they mention something about "night clowns". I'm 100% convinced it's referring to the 3am music

[@migjordanpayawal7856]

Remember the context, Charles. This was Covid era and everyone was stuck at home playing Animal Crossing the entire day.

[@oras7745]

Huh, I never heard this one I think. At least I don't remember ever playing ACNH at 3AM. This analysis is really cool! It also kind of sounds like the music itself is tired and trying its best to be soothing to make you sleepy while occasionally yelling at you to go to bed because it's getting impatient. 😂

[@MegamanZero410]

I used to love hearing these weird and calming themes in the middle of the night playing Animal Crossing on DS.

[@IvoryMadness.]

I'm impressed for how much stuff where "hidden" in this theme! Thanks for sharing, it was a great video!

[@cassandragracebeiler5125]

I know nothing about music theory, but seeing this guy's enthusiasm made my day!

[@sojungie]

I would watch a video analyzing all of the hourly themes of ACNH!

[@WakenAngels]

3 and 7 are sacred numbers.

[@pudgesnextturnaround3112]

Because 7 ate 9, and 3 and 6 gets the pi

[@darkri491]

I love watching you dissect the melodies and seeing the relation to each chord and get excited about it. Every time you hit those 3rds and 7ths and smiled I smiled right with you. 😂

[@NikSibley]

Being a 24/7 shift worker I used to love the night time music! Nice and peaceful tbh

[@Boxitron]

So I played piano when I was a kid, just basic stuff, and then went on to be a mallet percussionist in middle school and high school and NO ONE has EVER explained the C7 vs Cmaj7 thing like you. This makes SO MUCH more sense now. Thank you for solving a mystery that I have had for a long time. I wasn't the best at reading music, but I was pretty good at patterns, and this makes it so much easier to understand.

[@TheBluestflamingos]

My favorite trick in this song is the way they start to play the leitmotif, only to interrupt it just when it starts getting good. It gives of the feeling that the ACNH theme is some perfunctory bit they're required to throw in, but the musician is being spiteful and using it to mock you. Like, the trumpet is litterally doing the "whomp whomp" sound.