Give a Little Whistle
Cliff 'Ukulele Ike' Edwards Lyrics
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give a little whistle!
Give a little whistle!
When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong,
give a little whistle!
Give a little whistle!
Not just a little squeak,
pucker up and blow.
Take the straight and narrow path
and if you start to slide,
give a little whistle!
Give a little whistle!
And always let your conscience be your guide
The song "Give a Little Whistle" by Cliff 'Ukulele Ike' Edwards is a lighthearted and optimistic tune that encourages listeners to stay on the straight and narrow path by using their conscience as a guide. The song opens with the lyrics, "When you get in trouble and you don't know right from wrong, give a little whistle!" The idea behind these opening lines is that when people are unsure of what to do, they should rely on their instincts and seek guidance from their conscience to help them make the right decision.
The second half of the song talks about resistance to temptation. When faced with strong urges, people should again turn to their conscience and remember to stay on the straight and narrow path. The line "Not just a little squeak, pucker up and blow" suggests that giving a stronger whistle will give listeners the confidence and courage to resist temptation. If they feel that their "whistle's weak," they should "yell 'Juminy Cricket!'" – a reference to the character from the Disney film "Pinocchio" who served as a wise and moral guide.
The final lines of the song serve as a concluding statement to the message of the song. "Take the straight and narrow path and if you start to slide, give a little whistle! And always let your conscience be your guide." The song encourages listeners to always follow their conscience and stay on the path of goodness and rightness, even when faced with temptation.
Line by Line Meaning
When you get in trouble and you don't know right from wrong,
give a little whistle!
If you find yourself in a situation where you're unsure of what to do or what's right and wrong, take a moment to pause and reflect. Think carefully and then make a decision. In other words, give yourself time to whistle and calm down before making a decision.
When you meet temptation and the urge is very strong,
give a little whistle!
Give a little whistle!
If you ever feel tempted or feel a strong urge to do something that you know is not right or will have negative consequences, stop and think again. Don't let your emotions control you. Give yourself time to get some perspective and make the right choice. In other words, give a little whistle to remind yourself to stay on the right path.
Not just a little squeak,
pucker up and blow.
And if your whistle's weak, yell "Juminy Cricket!"
When you blow your whistle to remind yourself of what's right or to make the right choice, don't do it half-heartedly. Give it your all! If your whistle sounds weak or uncertain, say 'Juminy Cricket' to remind yourself to be brave and strong, and to keep up the effort to do what's right.
Take the straight and narrow path
and if you start to slide,
give a little whistle!
Give a little whistle!
Stay on the straight and narrow path, the path of righteousness, even when things get tough. If you feel yourself straying off this path, give yourself a little whistle to remind yourself to stay the course and not to give up.
And always let your conscience be your guide
Ultimately, when it comes to making the right decisions and doing what's right in life, rely on your inner voice - your conscience. It will guide you to do what's right.
Contributed by Gavin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TexasPieHole
Any opportunity to see live footage of Cliff singing is pleasure. To see him singing one of the songs that first brought him to my attention in my childhood is a special gift.
@hotwax9376
I find it cool to see him performing one of his Jiminy Cricket songs with his trademark ukulele. One of the best performances I've ever seen him give.
@LittleMongoosie
This is too much! I just love Cliff Edwards, and this performance had got to be about the most delightful thing I've ever seen. It's really been cheering me up lately-- thank you for sharing it with us!
@kiamclean8407
Seeing cliff edwards sing as Jinimy cricket is really Mindblowing🎸
@jrc340
This is Cliff Edwards Guest Star Day performance during Disney's Mickey Mouse Club's first season, 1955/56. November 15, 1955 to be exact. I'm guessing Jose Oliveira arranged this calypso style routine of Give A Little Whistle from the 1940 Disney movie, Pinocchio in which Edwards was the voice of Pinocchio's conscience, Jiminy Cricket.
Everyone in this routine looks and sounds like they're having a blast. What is amazing to me about it is that, despite the tortuous path he took to reach 1955 including long bouts of drug and booze addiction, 3 divorces and bankruptcies, Edwards' voice is as strong and leading edge as it ever was altho he's 60yo; and his comic timing and projection, never better. You'd think all of his self destructive troubles would have cost him his most valuable assets by this time. . i.e. That inimitable voice; his signature skill with his ukelele; and ability to make anyone watching and hearing him, smile or laugh with his trademark "eefing". But it didn't.
What you're watching here is brilliant stuff by everyone involved, Mickey Mouse Club or no Mickey Mouse Club.
Sad to think he died dead broke, alone, forgotten and presumably unloved .... his grave without a marker for 20 years after his death in 1971. But this performance and another a year later for The Club were among the best of many during an amazing career that had deserved the smiles, laughs and applause of millions for more than 40 years until this wonderful 1955 performance of a little ditty about the powerful value of one's conscience that he apparently didn't take seriously enough to abide during the time he lived to perform it..... for others.
@hotwax9376
Correction: it's spelled Pinocchio, not "PInnochio." Very common mistake, and one I often made when I was younger.
@jrc340
Yeah. But now I'm old. No excuse for screwing it up. lol. Thanks for the heads up, especially because Pinocchio, that movie and its music still connect with me. Saw it first when I was about 4 ....70 long years ago. Probably senility kickin' in as I still love it and anything Cliff Edwards.
@lavoe71
Yes, it’s José Oliveira the voice of Zê Carioca
@JonnokNZ
@Harvey3rdman Indeed. Either they have changed the video since I commented or I meant to comment on another video i.e. this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AGL3tdw0T8
@disneyfan94themuppetsforev95
I like to believe that deep down Cliff wished that he was able to live up to the ideals of Jiminy Cricket but sadly he was unable to overcome his inner demons