Indie Rocker Introduces Children to 'Ralph's World'

Ralph Covert, formerly with the rock band the Bad Examples, has released Welcome to Ralph's World for the smaller set.

Peter Thompson

Ralph's World is a place where the girl next door has a dinosaur, where riding with no hands is cause to burst into song and where a man named Ralph Covert makes a living singing silly songs.

Covert started a career as a rock musician with a Chicago-based indie band called the Bad Examples, which had a devoted local following.

After earning national fame and a Grammy nomination, Covert decided to try to set a good example for kids — with songs featuring upbeat lyrics and pop melodies that parents also can appreciate.

And what started as a sideline has become his main act: Ralph's World. Covert tells Michele Norris that the key to writing songs for children is to forget that you are writing songs for children. His latest CD is the aptly named Welcome to Ralph's World.