Swinging On A Star

Album: Going My Way (1944)
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  • 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
    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 his 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 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 swingin' on a star Writer/s: Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
    Publisher: Kanjian Music, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

  • Claudine Jackson Burns from Surprise, ArizonaSwinging On A Star has been one of my favorite songs. I was a 9 years old in 1944 and I sang that song over and over daydreaming about "carrying moonbeams home in a jar." I am not kidding; but, that song inspired me many times to continue going to school. Throughout the years, I sang "Swinging On A Star" when I was raising our 3 boys and sang it to our grandchildren. Now, it is time to sing it to the Great Grandchildren and I know they will love it, too, just as I still do. I really loved to listen to Bing Crosby sing. He was and still is the best. Thank you Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burk and Bing. Your music lives on.
  • Laurie Dawn Bugnacki from Ocala, FlI love this song. I did not know that Bing Crosby sang it. It comforts my soul and I must have heard this song the first time when I was in grade school. It is a happy song and I love the way Bing Crosby sang it and I like the lyrics too.
  • George from Vancouver, CanadaSpider Robinson wrote a humorous parody of the lyrics in "Callahan's Con"
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 19th 1963, Big Dee Irwin and Little Eva's covered version of "Swinging On A Star" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #90; seven weeks later on July 7th, 1963 it would peak at #38 {for 2 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 10 weeks...
    Big Dee Irwin had one other Top 100 record, as lead singer of the Pastels, "Been So Long" peaked at #24 in 1958...
    And Little Eva had four Top 100 records, with "The Loco-Motion" being her biggest hit, it peaked at #1 {for 1 week} in 1962...
    Big Dee, born DiFosco T. Ervin Jr., passed away on August 27th, 1995 at the age of 63 and Little Eva, born Eva Narcissus Boyd, died on April 10th, 2003 at age 59...
    May they both R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 7th 1944, Bing Crosby recorded "Swinging On a Star"; as stated above, providing backing vocals were the Williams Brothers Quartet, with 16 year old Andy Williams being the youngest member of the quartet...
    And on August 5th, 1944 it peaked at #1 {for 9 weeks} on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, it replaced Bing's version of "I'll Be Seeing You"* at #1 on the chart, it had been #1 for 3 weeks...
    Plus his version of "Amor" was at #4 at the time...
    * And at the time Tommy Dorsey's version of "I'll Be Seeing You", featuring Frank Sinatra, was at #6 on the same chart.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyThis song won the Oscar for Best Song at the 1944 Academy Awards, it was from the movie "Going My Way"... The song was also covered in 1963 by Big Dee Irwin in a duo with Little Eva; it peaked at #38...
  • Rando from Duluth, MnI seem to remember watching this in a "Little Lulu" cartoon when I was very young.
  • Daevid from Glendale, Caahhh...one of the all=time greats! swing it Bing.
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaSonny Burke's production with John Scott
    Trotter's orchestra helped make this a "neat" little record..nice clarinets, violins and muted brass..along with the close harmony of the Williams Brothers, of course!
    It also helped to have a great song, courtesy of
    Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke! Oh, did I mention the singer? lol
  • Pete from Nowra, Australiathis is .... like a really good song......
    Andy Williams singing for Lauren Bacall...thats one for the grand kids
see more comments

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