On this first day of the snake new year, ask yourself are you a mule, pig, fish, monkey, ox, dragon, or a tiger?.
It was written for Bing Crosby to sing in the 1944 film "Going My Way". Origin: Songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen was at Crosby's house one evening for dinner to discuss a song for the film project Going My Way. During the meal, one of the children began complaining about how he did not want to go to school the next day.
https://youtu.be/sWaDOUwfqak?si=a8TuuNiK20MtrryA
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
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Jimmy Van Heusen / Johnny Burke
Swinging on a Star lyrics © Bourne Co., Music Sales Corporation
It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year, and has been recorded by numerous artists since then.