Happy Little Workers

From Inkipedia, the Splatoon wiki

Happy Little Workers
Artist Grizzco Industries
Game Splatoon 2
Heard in
Splatoon 2
Salmon Run (Grizzco building)
Featured in Splatoon 2 Squid Beatz 2 – track 31
Splatune 2 – disc 1, track 32
Nintendo Music – link
BPM 126
Length 1:48
Sample

Happy Little Workers is a song performed by Grizzco Industries.

Description

Happy Little Workers has a very unorthodox production and is very similar to the other Splatoon 2 Grizzco song, Ever Further. It features a lot of abstract sound effects and heavily edited vocals, all combined with various pipes and drum beats. The intro contains percussion accompanied by Mr. Grizz's laughter, then the pipe instrumentation begins. What seem to be heavily edited Inkling vocals sing an unusual syncopated melody, then transition into the verse where they repeat the same melody, this time accompanied by percussion and a higher-pitch pipe instrument. After the verse Mr. Grizz's laughter is repeated as a lower-pitch instrument plays throughout a second verse, after which the song loops. Happy Little Workers plays in the Grizzco building in Inkopolis Square, where the player chooses which mode to enter. It can also be heard in Squid Beatz 2, with a maximum score of 91 and 166 in Normal and Hard modes, respectively.

Remixes and covers

Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Mix

Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Mix
Artist Grizzco
Game Splatoon 3
Heard in
Splatoon 3
Salmon Run Next Wave (Grizzco lobby)
Featured in Splatoon 3 Jukebox
Splatune 3 – disc 1, track 21
Nintendo Music – link
BPM 126
Sample

In Splatoon 3, a remix of Happy Little Workers is used in place of the original. While the instrumentation and melody are the same, the initial vocals are replaced with different heavily distorted and slightly off-pitch vocals. The song eventually transitions into the original vocals accompanied with new elements. The intro starts with percussion accompanied by Mr. Grizz's laughter, which differs from that heard in the Splatoon 2 version of the song. The pipe instrumentation begins, but is now accompanied by dissonant harmonies, and its measure is much longer, creating the effect of "stalling" before resuming the regular flow of the song. New distorted, off-pitch vocals with a new mumble-like melody accompany the intro. The vocals that follow the syncopated melody from the original song return following the intro, now accompanied by many different vocal and instrumental harmonies, making it sound even more chaotic. Distinct prolonged vocals similar to Shiver's style of singing are heard throughout the song. This version lacks the verse where the "main" vocals self-harmonized, skipping straight to the verse without vocals, during which the lower-pitch instrument returns from the original, albeit somewhat distorted. After the instrument's melody, other prolonged vocals are heard. Each instance of Mr. Grizz's laughter is intact.

In the Nintendo Music app, this song is referred to as Happy Little Workers (24/7 Mix).

Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Deep Mix

Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Deep Mix
Artist Grizzco feat. Deep Cut
Vocals Anna Sato
Laura Yokozawa
Shiver (in-game)
Frye (in-game)
Big Man (in-game)
Game Splatoon 3
Heard in
Splatoon 3
Salmon Run (Grizzco building, during a Big Run on the Grand Splatlands Bowl only)
Featured in Splatoon 3 Jukebox
Ordertune – disc 2, track 28
BPM 126

During the Big Run on the Grand Splatlands Bowl, an upbeat remix of Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Mix performed by Deep Cut plays inside Grizzco. It replaces Bait & Click (Mutation), which plays in Grizzco during other Big Runs. The instrumentation is very similar to Anarchy Poisons and Soak & Stomp. It features a mix of Japanese, Indian, and Brazilian styles, as with many other songs performed by Deep Cut.

Bear with Me

Main article: Bear with Me

The main melody of Bear with Me is derived from that of Happy Little Workers, another song associated with Mr. Grizz.

Other versions

Happy Little Workers (Inkopolis Square)

In Inkopolis Square, whilst near the Grizzco building, a version with higher bass and echo is heard.

Salmon Run Opening

Salmon Run Opening
Artist Grizzco Industries
Game Splatoon 2
Heard in
Splatoon 2
Salmon Run (Before a shift)
Featured in Splatune 2 – disc 1, track 25
Nintendo Music – link
Length 0:12
Sample

A version of Happy Little Workers plays in the opening for Salmon Run. The song uses the main melody for the original track, played on a piano-like instrument with a heavy echo.

Salmon Run Next Wave opening

A version of Happy Little Workers plays in the opening for Salmon Run Next Wave. It is the Splatoon 3 version with a radio-like filter, implying that it is playing on the helicopter where the opening takes place from.

Salmon Run Next Wave opening (Hazard Level MAX!!)

A more intense version of Salmon Run Next Wave opening plays in the opening of a run in Salmon Run Next Wave if the hazard level is at 333%. This version features a droning background noise and added sound effects as the text for the hazard level appears.

Mammalian Memo

This article or section is a stub.
You can help the wiki by adding to it.

Mammalian Memo is a somber piece with frequent interpolations of Happy Little Workers that gets more distorted as the player progresses through the Alterna Space Center. In Splatune 3 and the Nintendo Music app, the track continually progresses through the phases.

Greeting Mr. Grizz

Greeting Mr. Grizz
Artist Grizzco
Game Splatoon 3
Heard in
Splatoon 3
Alterna Space Center (After Rocket 05The Spirit Lifter: First Class)
Featured in Splatune 3 – disc 3, track 12
Nintendo Music – link
Sample

Greeting Mr. Grizz is a dramatic, much slower rendition of the main melody of Happy Little Workers that plays in the cutscene where Mr. Grizz is encountered during the ending sequence of Return of the Mammalians.

Countdown to Hairmageddon

This article or section is a stub.
You can help the wiki by adding to it.

Countdown to Hairmageddon
Artist Grizzco
Game Splatoon 3
Heard in
Splatoon 3
Alterna Space Center (As Mr. Grizz takes off on the Spirit Lifter
Featured in Splatune 3 – disc 3, track 13
Nintendo Music – link
Sample

Countdown to Hairmageddon is a cheerful, upbeat version of Happy Little Workers that plays as Mr. Grizz takes off on the Spirit Lifter, putting the cheerful mood of the music in contrast with the dour mood of the cutscene.

Etymology

Happy Little Workers

Happy Little Workers refers to the diligent Salmon Run workers. The track's title use of "happy" is likely sarcastic or intentionally misleading, as the dangerous nature of Salmon Run shifts and subsequent difficult gameplay are intentionally hidden from prospective employees. It is also part of the heading of the very first section of Grizzco's Employee Handbook ("To All My Happy Little Workers").

Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Mix

24/7 Mix refers to Splatoon 3's Salmon Run Next Wave mode being continuously available, unlike its predecessor.

Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Deep Mix

24/7 Deep Mix consists of "24/7 Mix" and Deep Cut.

Names in other languages

The name of the songs are the same as English in all languages except for Japanese.

Happy Little Workers
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese カガヤクンデス・マーチ
Kagayakun-desu Māchi [note 1]
"You'll Be Shining" March
Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Mix
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese カガヤクンデス・マーチ24h
Kagayakun-desu Māchi 24h
"You'll be Shining" March 24 Hours
Happy Little Workers - 24/7 Deep Mix
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese カガヤクンどす・マーチ24h
Kagayakun-dosu Māchi 24h
"You'll be Shining" March 24 Hours [note 2]

Translation notes

  1. A pun on "death march".
  2. The usage of the copula どす (dosu) rather than デス (desu) is typical of the Kansai dialect, referencing Shiver's prominent usage of the dialect in Japanese.