Even though Ted 2, like its predecessor, spends most of its time telling inappropriate jokes and displaying some very inappropriate behavior, the movie also contains some quiet moments of reflection, heart and, in one instance, song. In a scene partway through the film, while John (Mark Wahlberg), Sam (Amanda Seyfried) and Ted (Seth MacFarlane) are stranded at a pot farm in the middle of the night, Ted happens to find a guitar in an abandoned barn — and guess what? Sam just happens to know how to play the guitar and sing. No surprise here, considering Seyfried has sung in nearly every single movie she has been in (Dear John, Mamma Mia! and Les Miserables, just to name a few). The tune she sings, though, is totally unexpected — and to viewers, completely brand-new. So what song does Amanda Seyfried sing in Ted 2 ?
It's actually a total original, and penned by none other than Ted director and star MacFarlane. While Seyfried was working with him on A Million Ways to Die in the West, she was hired on to be in his next film, and the director admired her voice so much that he wrote a song for her to sing in Ted 2 (and as all those who saw the movie know, she does it extremely well).
This isn't the first time that MacFarlane has shown his musical chops, however. Many people forget that the man who gave us some of the most celebrated R-rated treasures of our time is also an accomplished singer, songwriter and composer who has performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the famed Carnegie Hall in New York. Below, a few benchmarks in his musical career:
"Mean Ol' Moon"
"Mean Ol' Moon" is the song in question that Seyfried sings in Ted 2. The song sounds like a moseying Old West tune to sing by the campfire... and appropriately, it's sung by a campfire.
"Music is Better Than Words"
MacFarlane's debut album "Music is Better Than Words" was a Sinatra-esque collection of swing, big band and jazz songs from the '40s, '50s and '60s. To give it even more of a Sinatra vibe, he recorded in the studio and with the mic that Ol' Blue Eyes used to record many of his albums. The album also includes the song, "She's Wonderful Too," written by MacFarlane and his frequent collaborators, Joel McNeely and Jonathan Hales.
"Everybody Needs a Best Friend"
In 2013, MacFarlane was nominated for an Oscar for writing "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" for Ted — the same year he performed "We Saw Your Boobs," no less. The nomination proved that he had a way with songwriting. In addition to "Everybody Needs a Best Friend," he wrote "If You've Only Got a Moustache" and "A Million Ways To Die" for his second feature film A Million Ways to Die in the West, and he also wrote the theme songs to American Dad! and The Cleveland Show. And let's not forget the "Thunder Buddies" song he penned for Ted, too — that tune will get you through any thunderstorm.
Seth MacFarlane's musical skills are just as good, if not better than his writing, directing, and acting abilities. He definitely puts the perfect amount of class into all that crass.
Image: Universal Pictures
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