20 Best Muppet Christmas Carol Moments

(Image via Walt Disney Pictures/Jim Henson Productions)

17. The Music

You didn’t think I forgot about the music, did you? That’s at least half the reason The Muppet Christmas Carol is firmly lodged inside our brains, after all.

The original score was written by composer Miles Goodman, while all the songs were written by Paul Williams. Williams also wrote “The Rainbow Connection”, one of the most famous and heart wrenching Muppets songs you’ll ever hear. Miles Goodman, meanwhile, scored many other films directed by Frank Oz (who himself voices Muppets such as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and a little puppet you might have heard of called Yoda).

One of the original songs, “When Love is Gone”, was cut from the theatrical release of the film. In it, Belle explains – in song, of course – why she can’t continue her relationship with Ebenezer. It’s a genuinely touching moment that, once you know it’s there, makes the song-less version of the scene feel just a little flat. Supposedly, studio bigwigs worried that the sequence would act as a speedbump, losing kids’ interest and slowing that sweet, sweet Michael Caine acting that all kids know and love.

The final song in the film, “When Love is Found”, was intended as a counterpoint to “When Love is Gone”. Director Brian Henson opposed the cutting of the first song, arguing that it felt weird to cut one song, yet leave its thematic counterpart in place.