# The 1952 song that became a “huge influence” on Jake Gyllenhaal’s career

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1952-song-that-became-a-huge-influence-on-jake-gyllenhaals-career/
- Published: 2026-07-23T12:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T03:53:52+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-1952-song-that-became-a-huge-influence-on-jake-gyllenhaals-career/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Gyllenhaal calls Danny Kaye’s ‘Inchworm’ a major career influence.
- The song came from 1952 musical Hans Christian Andersen.
- Bowie cited it as inspiration for ‘Ashes to Ashes’.

## Summary

Jake Gyllenhaal has identified Danny Kaye’s 1952 song ‘Inchworm’ as a major influence on his work as an actor and performer. He said Kaye’s enthusiasm for entertaining, alongside his apparent care for children, is evident in the song; the article presents this as an insight into Gyllenhaal’s artistic influences beyond his better-known dramatic roles.

Kaye performed ‘Inchworm’ in the musical film Hans Christian Andersen, where its simple, nursery-rhyme style is used to teach children maths by counting flowers. The song was later covered by artists including Paul McCartney, while David Bowie said it significantly inspired his 1980 single ‘Ashes to Ashes’; Gyllenhaal is also reported to have recently completed work on Road House 2 and signed on for an adaptation of The Division.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.