Key facts
- Musician Peter McEvilley wrote the lyrics and music for the Jabberin' Jack toy pumpkin in 2019.
- A viral TikTok video highlighted the song's suggestive lyrics, such as 'How would you like to scream all night? I'll fill you full of fright. I'll spoil you with my roasted pumpkin seeds.'
- McEvilley confirmed the double entendre in the lyrics was intentional, though he believes the singer added the word 'my' as an ad lib.
- Mindscope Products acknowledged parental concerns and will exclude the song from future toy versions.
- McEvilley expressed concern that AI is making it harder for musicians to earn a living from commercial work.
Peter McEvilley, the musician who wrote the songs for the Jabberin' Jack toy pumpkin in 2019, has clarified that the surprisingly sexual lyrics were human-created and not the product of artificial intelligence. The song, featuring lines like 'How would you like to scream all night? I'll fill you full of fright. I'll spoil you with my roasted pumpkin seeds,' recently went viral on TikTok and X after a concerned mother posted a warning about its content.
McEvilley told Business Insider that while he understood the double entendre when writing the lyrics, his intention was to portray a lonely pumpkin seeking love. He also noted that the singer, who was not McEvilley, may have added the word 'my' in the aforementioned lyric as an ad lib, which was not in the original written lyrics.
George Balanchi, president of Mindscope Products, acknowledged the parental concerns and stated that the company takes the feedback seriously. He confirmed that the song, titled 'Wicked for One Night,' will not be included in the toy's refreshed version planned for 2027.
McEvilley, who had a career as a working musician in Los Angeles before moving to the Bay Area, expressed frustration over the assumption that the song was AI-generated. He believes that the advancement of AI is making it increasingly difficult for human creators to secure paid work for projects like commercial background music, as AI tools become more accessible and cost-effective.