William Shatner is best-known, of course, for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk on the classic sci-fi and movie series Star Trek, but he also has enjoyed a long-running career as a recording artist. The 93-year-old actor has released many albums that showcase his over-the-top spoken-word vocal stylings while delving into various musical genres.
These include collections of pop, rock, and blues covers, original tunes, Christmas songs, orchestral music, and even a prog-rock concept album. Shatner’s latest album finds him going where he’d never gone before, offering up his first-ever children’s record.
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The album is titled Where Will the Animals Sleep?: Songs for Kids and Other Living Things!, and is a collaboration with award-winning young-adult author Robert Sharenow and They Might Be Giants guitarist Dan Miller. Shatner previously worked with Sharenow and Miller on his 2021 album Bill, a collection of autobiographical tunes that featured guest appearances by Joe Walsh, Joe Jonas, Brad Paisley, and others.
Where Will the Animals Sleep? is 13-song collection that looks at the cooperative relationship between certain creatures and suggests that people can learn valuable lessons by paying attention to the animal and plant kingdom.
On How the Album Came Together
Speaking recently with American Songwriter, Shatner explained what inspired some of the ideas behind the songs on the album.
“I read a lot, and I’ve been reading about the seemingly miraculous ways nature intertwines, so that one entity supports the other,” he noted. “So, this whole relationship of aspects of nature to each other started singing to me, and I thought we should make an album of it. And each of these things are facts and are intriguing. … We are part of that nature, we are not better or worse … and that’s the message I wanted to convey to kids.”
As for who contributed what the album, Shatner said, “Robert Sharenow turned out to be a great poet, and so, the words are his. Generally, the concepts are mine, … and Dan Miller is the guy who did the music.”
Most of the tales told in the songs are done with good-natured humor, while some offer a poignant plea to show respect for nature. Musically, the songs are influenced by various genres, including country, blues, R&B, rock, pop, folk, and symphonic.
Reflecting on his and his collaborators approach to creating the album, Shanter said, “We tried to make it funny and amusing and entertaining, rather than a lesson.”
About the Album’s Lead Single
The album’s lead track and first single is “Elephants and Termites.” The tune hilariously explains how itchy pachyderms inadvertently help their local environment thrive by scratching their backsides against termite mounds.
As Shatner pointed out, “[A]n elephant rubbing its behind on a termite mound” causes it to collapse, leaving a hole in the ground that eventually fills with water. He added, “[It makes] a watering hole, ultimately, where all the surrounding nature partakes of the life of the watering hole.”
You can check out a kooky animated video for “Elephants and Termites” on YouTube.
Shatner on One of His Favorite Tunes on the Album
Shatner said the “key song” on the album is “Where Would the Animals Sleep?,” a gentle tune that points out how important it is to preserve animals natural habitats.
“That song is a heart ringer,” he noted. “It’s so meaningful, and it’s so simple that kids will understand. You’ve got your nice room, you’ve got your covers, you’re warm and safe, but if we cut down all the trees and destroy the environment, where will the animals sleep? And that seems to me could reach a five-year-old, who would understand that. That’s a wonderful song.”
About “Birdsong Symphony”
The final track on the album is “Birdsong Symphony,” which celebrates how various birds communicate with each other.
Shatner told American Songwriter that the track was the last song added to the album, and was something that he suggested.
As he recalled, “I said, ‘Wait a minute, listen to the bird songs. The cacophony of bird songs, but they mean so much. They’re signaling so much. They’re signaling they’re territorial. They’re signaling “I need to mate.” They’re signaling “I’m happy.” They’re signaling joy. Why don’t we do a symphony?’”
Subjects of Other Songs on the Album
Here is a quick rundown on a few of the other songs on Where Will the Animals Sleep? “Oh My Honeyguide” is about a bird that leads people to bee colonies so it can feast on the honey and grubs left behind. “7000 Miles on a Non-Stop Flight” tells the story of the godwit, a bird that goes on an incredible migratory journey. “Chomp, Chomp, Chomp” celebrates nature’s damn builder, the beaver. “Mushrooms Talk to Trees” is about an interesting phenomenon where trees communicate to other trees with the help of fungi. “Why Do We Bug You” explains why people should show more respect to insects.
Versions of the Album That Are Available
Where Will the Animals Sleep? is available now via various formats. They include CD, digital download and streaming, and as a green-vinyl or yellow-vinyl LP.
Where Will the Animals Sleep? Track List:
- “Elephants and Termites”
- “Oh My Honeyguide”
- “7000 Miles on a Non-Stop Flight”
- “Barnacle Bill the Sailor”
- “Chomp, Chomp, Chomp”
- “Mushrooms Talk to Trees”
- “Where Would the Animals Sleep?”
- “Aphids and Ants”
- “I’m a Coral See in the Coral Sea”
- “The Rhino’s Guard”
- “Why Do We Bug You”
- “Secret Agent Whale”
- “Birdsong Symphony”
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