Songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen was at Crosby’s house one evening for dinner, and to discuss a song for the film project Going My Way. During the meal one of the children began complaining about how he didn’t want to go to school the next day. The singer turned to his son and said to him, "If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule." Van Heusen thought this clever rebuke would make a good song for the film. He pictured Crosby, who played a priest, talking to a group of children acting much the same way as his own child had acted that night. Van Heusen took the idea to his partner lyricist Johnny Burke, who approved. They wrote the song.
Other notable recordings:
1963: Big Dee Irwin and Little Eva (reached Number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1964)
1964: Richard Anthony "À toi de choisir" (French cover)
1991: Christa Collins on Minnie n' Me
2012: Andy Wright as a first single cover release.
In TV and film
1947: The song was featured in the Little Lulu cartoon, Bout with a Trout. The cartoon's voice actors sang the song while Bing Crosby recorded bits of it with Bob Hope and Jerry Colonna.
1987: A new adaptation based particularly on the 1963 Big Dee Irvin & Little Eva version was used as the theme song to the American television series Out of this World.
1988: A short stop motion puppet animation, of the version by Big Dee Irwin and Little Eva, featuring by Stop Motion Ltd, is broadcast by the BBC.
1991: The song is used as a timing device in the movie Hudson Hawk. The movie incorrectly refers to its length as 5:32 and the verses are sung out of order.
The song was parodied in a The Far Side cartoon, which depicted a man-turned-pig saying to his wife, "Hey! So I made the wrong decision! [referring to the part of the song which says "Or would you rather be a pig"]... But you know, I really wasn't sure I wanted to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar!"
In 1969, Ray Stevens sang "Gitarzan", which featured the wrong notes from "Swinging on a Star": "Carrying Moonbeams Home in a Jar."
A Prairie Home Companion guitarist Pat Donohue wrote "Would You Like to Play Guitar," which wittily advises aspiring musicians against the practical perils of a full-time music career.
Awards and honors
Academy Award for Best Original Song (1944)
Grammy Hall of Fame (2002)
Swinging On A Star
Bing Crosby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
The song "Swinging On A Star" by Bing Crosby, released in 1944, is an inspirational tune that encourages the listener to strive for greater things in life. The opening lyrics set the tone for the entire song, offering a choice between two paths – to be content with where you are or to aim higher and swing on a star. The verses then offer three contrasting examples reflecting the choices one can make in life – a mule, a pig, or a fish.
In the first verse, the mule is depicted as strong physically but lacking intelligence and with a stubborn streak. The second verse offers a similar contrast with the pig, which is portrayed as lazy and ill-mannered. The final verse offers a comparison with the fish, which is seen as sly and slippery, always trying to fool others. However, the closing lyrics reinforce the central message of the song – that the choice to be better than you are is ultimately up to you.
The tune, written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke, won the 1945 Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was famously performed by Bing Crosby and a group of children in the 1944 film "Going My Way." The song has since been covered by numerous artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Rosemary Clooney.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you like to swing on a star
Are you interested in experiencing a life of adventure and excitement?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
Experience the wonders of life and enjoy it like an adventurer carrying souvenirs.
And be better off than you are
Live life to the fullest extent and achieve self-improvement to attain satisfaction.
Or would you rather be a mule
Or would you prefer to have the personality of a stubborn and stupid beast?
A mule is an animal with long funny ears
A mule is a creature with funny ears but is extremely stubborn and lacks intelligence.
Kicks up at anything he hears
A mule kicks up at anything it hears, even if it's not a threat, due to its stubbornness.
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
A mule's physical strength is powerful, but it lacks intelligence.
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
A mule is one of the most stubborn creatures, and its lack of intelligence makes it foolish.
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
If you despise education and learning.
You may grow up to be a mule
You may embody the stubbornness and lack of intelligence of a mule if you don't pursue education.
Or would you like to swing on a star
Or would you prefer to live an adventurous life and travel among the stars?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
To capture life's magical moments and keep them as memories.
And be better off than you are
To achieve life's goals and attain happiness by self-improvement.
Or would you rather be a pig
Or would you prefer to have the qualities of a greedy and selfish creature?
A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
A pig is an animal that enjoys dwelling in filth and has a dirty appearance.
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
Pigs don't wear shoes, but it's still a disgrace to be compared to them.
He has no manners when he eats his food
Pigs eat without any etiquette, with no concern for those around them.
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
Pigs are overall lazy creatures who are rude and inconsiderate of others.
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
If you don't care about what others think of you.
You may grow up to be a pig
You may embody the selfish and rude characteristics of a pig if you don't care about others.
Or would you like to swing on a star
Or would you prefer living the adventurous life with magical moments to build memories?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
Capture life's beautiful moments, which are only visible for a limited time and carry them along in your memory always.
And be better off than you are
To be at a place where you achieve satisfaction by improving on yourself and living a successful dearm life.
Or would you rather be a fish
Or would you prefer to have the qualities of a creature with nothing considerable to boast about?
A fish won't do anything, but swim in a brook
Fishes aimlessly swim in a direction in which they are carried away in the water, going wherever the tide takes them.
He can't write his name or read a book
Fishes are not as intelligent as humans and hence can neither read nor write.
To fool the people is his only thought
For fishes to stay alive, their only focus is to trick their prey to make them vulnerable.
And though he's slippery, he still gets caught
Fishes may seem hard to catch because they are slippery, but they still fall for natural or human-caused bait.
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
If you want a life without any ambition or drive.
You may grow up to be a fish
You may adopt the carefree and directionless ways of fishes, which has neither intellect nor direction.
And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
Not all strange creatures live in the zoo or cages, some could even be our own peers.
Every day you meet quite a few
As you lead your life, you will encounter different character traits present in people you meet daily.
So you see it's all up to you
Life's choices and the lives we lead depend on us, and we bear the consequences of our actions.
You can be better than you are
We always have the opportunity to learn, build on our strengths,and become better versions of ourselves.
You could be swingin' on a star
We can be happy and joyful fully, living the best parts of life, having achieved all we desire to experience.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gumbycat5226
If they wrote songs like this today, we’d be a better people.
@VirtuallyTenzin
Why
@angeldust308
Totally agree
@jawtek82
@@VirtuallyTenzin Some of the best aspirational lyrics ever.
@bowserbreaker2515
We would. But unfortunately, there hasn't been a Crosby or Sinatra in years.
@stephaniegullon6229
My Grandma died today after years with living with dementia. This is my favourite memory of her. She used to sing this to me, sitting on her lap on the swing in her back garden :)
@maddisonwickett2072
I'm sorry for ur loss 👼🏼
@1.Specimen
Stephanie Gullon I hope my mind goes before my body, it's better that way in my opinion. My 93 year old grandfather has always been a strong man and now he is lucid and present and well aware of his body falling apart and breaking all the time and it just seems horrible.. I'd rather forget everything
@throe68
Stephanie Gullon Very cool of you to share such a precious moment...thanks
@fmason14fm
my dad died back in 2009 and before he did he used to sing this to me and my brothers