Tuesday's Tune ~ Swinging On A Star

The story is told that songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen was at Bing Crosby's house one evening for dinner and to discuss a song for the movie 'Going My Way.'  During the meal one of Bing's children began complaining about how he didn't want to go to school the next day.  It is reported that Bing Crosby turned to his son and said, "If you don't go to school, you might grow up to be a mule."

Van Heusen believed the clever rebuke would make a good song for the movie.  After collaborating with his lyricist, Johnny Burke, they wrote the song.


Bing Crosby recorded and sang 'Swinging On A Star' in the 1944 film 'Going My Way' and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Many singers have recorded the song since 1944.  Some of the more well known singers were Burl Ives, Frank Sinatra, Maureen McGovern, Rosemary Clooney and Tony Bennett.

However, my favorite performance was always by my mother who sang this song while rocking her first grandchild, my son, to sleep.


Sweet, sweet memories.





Below is Bing Crosby singing Swinging On A Star.

 Lyrics:

Would you like to swing on a star

carry moonbeams home in a jar

and be better off than you are

or would you rather be a mule

A mule is an animal with long funny ears

he kicks up at anything he hears

His back is brawny but his brain is weak

he's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak

and by the way if you hate to go to school

You may grow up to be a mule

Or would you like to swing on a star

carry moonbeams home in a jar

and be better off than you are

or would you rather be a pig

A pig is an animal with dirt on this face

his shoes are a terrible disgrace

He has no manners when he eats his food

He's fat and lazy and extremely rude

But if you don't care a feather or a fig

you may grow up to be a pig

 

Or would you like to swing on a star

carry moonbeams home in a jar

and be better off than you are

or would you rather be a fish

A fish won't do anything but swim in a brook

he can't write his name or read a book

to fool the people is his only thought

and though he's slippery he still gets caught

but then if that sort of the life is what you wish

you may grow up to be a fish

A new kind of jumped up slippery fish

And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo

every day you meet quite a few

so you see it's all up to you,

you can be better than you are

you could be swinging on a star