He has written songs for Sesame Street and The Weekly Reader, has starred in an Emmy Award-winning television show for children and has been featured regularly on The Learning Channel.
Polisar works with literacy groups, media specialists, reading teachers and Title I programs in the schools and has won a Special Library Recognition Award for his "ability to communicate with and excite children to read."
Polisar's song "All I Want Is You" is featured, re-recorded and with a guitar/harmonica combo, on the soundtrack for the 2007 Motion Picture "JUNO".
One Day My Best Friend Barbara Turned into a Frog
Barry Louis Polisar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A hoppin' and a jumpin' on every rock and log
Now she stays at home all day and all she wants to do
Is go swimming in the river and in her bathtub, too.
And it's ribitt in the morning, ribitt every night
Ribitt when it's dark outside, ribitt when it's light
Her clothes don't fit her anymore, though she was always short.
She doesn't eat her breakfast, she says she'd rather die
Instead she goes out to catch gnats and bees and flies
And it's ribitt in the morning, ribitt every night
Ribitt when it's dark outside, ribitt when it's light
She's got a voice that's kind of scratchy. She's got lots of funny bumps.
But you should see her play basketball; you should see the way she jumps.
Now she sits in school and while the other kids make jokes,
My best friend Barbara sits on the desk and croaks...
And it's ribitt in the morning, ribitt every night
Ribitt when it's dark outside, ribitt when it's light
The lyrics to "One Day My Best Friend Barbara Turned into a Frog" tell the story of a girl named Barbara who one day transforms into a frog. The song speaks of her transformation from a regular girl to a frog who enjoys swimming in rivers and taking baths, catching insects instead of eating breakfast, and honing her basketball skills. The transformation has made life harder for her as her schoolmates now make jokes about her at school, and babysitters do not want to babysit her anymore. The song ends with a repetition of how she now croaks in the morning, afternoon, night, and day.
The song's message is a clear indication of how life can change abruptly and how we often find ourselves in situations in which we are helpless. The transformation of Barbara not only affects her but also those around her, and the song portrays how it affects her social life, forcing her to stay at home all day.
In conclusion, the song "One Day My Best Friend Barbara Turned into a Frog" tells a simple yet profound story of transformation in such a memorable and relatable way. The music and lyrics make it a good song for children, teaching them about acceptance and how to empathize with those going through a challenging time.
Line by Line Meaning
One day my best friend Barbara turned into a frog
One day, my very good friend named Barbara, transformed into a frog.
A hoppin' and a jumpin' on every rock and log
She moves around by jumping and hopping, everywhere she goes, on logs and stones.
Now she stays at home all day and all she wants to do
Nowadays, she is confined to staying at home all day and her only desire is to swim in the river and the bathtub.
Is go swimming in the river and in her bathtub, too.
She likes to submerge and swim in both the river and the tub.
And it's ribitt in the morning, ribitt every night
As a frog, she croaks every morning and night, never skipping a beat.
Her clothes don't fit her anymore, though she was always short.
Now, her clothes do not fit anymore even though she was always short in stature.
No babysitter will sit for her; they're afraid of getting warts.
No one wants to look after her as a babysitter, fearing that they may get warts.
She doesn't eat her breakfast, she says she'd rather die
She doesn't eat her morning meal and claims she would rather die than consume it.
Instead she goes out to catch gnats and bees and flies
Instead, she catches insects such as gnats, bees, and flies.
She's got a voice that's kind of scratchy. She's got lots of funny bumps.
As a frog, she has a throaty voice and many peculiar bumps on her skin.
But you should see her play basketball; you should see the way she jumps.
Nonetheless, if you watched her play basketball, you would appreciate the way she jumps to the hoop.
Now she sits in school and while the other kids make jokes,
Currently, she attends school and remains seated while the other children make fun of her.
My best friend Barbara sits on the desk and croaks...
My greatest friend Barbara perches on the desk making sounds like a frog.
And it's ribitt in the morning, ribitt every night
She croaks every morning and night like a typical frog.
Contributed by Gavin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.