After graduating from high school in 1967, she worked as a secretary and performed part-time as a singer for a local folk band called Sweet Rain. Her singing caught the attention of Russ Regan (then head of 20th Century Records) in 1972 when he heard a demo she had recorded. At the time, Regan was searching for a singer to record "The Morning After" (the theme from The Poseidon Adventure) for release as a record. He hired McGovern sight unseen to record the song, which led to her signing with 20th Century Records. After it won an Oscar for Best Original Song, "The Morning After" quickly climbed the pop charts, reaching #1 in 1973.
In 1974, she recorded two movie themes: "We May Never Love Like This Again" (from the disaster film The Towering Inferno, in which she made a short appearance when she is seen singing the song as the evening's entertainment) and "Wherever Love Takes Me" (from the British disaster film Gold). The former won an Oscar (though it was only a minor pop hit), and the latter received an Oscar nomination. These two songs (along with "The Morning After") led the media to call McGovern "the Disaster Theme Queen."
McGovern's contract with 20th Century ended in 1976. By this time, her career went downhill and she ended up broke, due to being cheated out of her earnings by her managers and producers. To begin her life over again, she moved to Marina del Rey and took a secretarial job under an assumed name. However, she was still in demand occasionally for international live concerts. Her career made a turn for the better when she was asked to record a version of "Can You Read My Mind," the love theme from 1978's Superman, which was not recorded for the film. The single achieved minor success on the Pop charts. Toward the end of the decade, she recorded "Different Worlds," the theme from a short-lived TV sitcom entitled Angie. The song was her only other Top 40 single aside from "The Morning After," reaching #18 on the Pop charts in 1979 and also spending two weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In 1980, she made a cameo appearance as the singing nun, Sister Angelina, in the comedy-disaster movie Airplane!.
At the beginning of the 1980s, McGovern gave up movie themes to begin a career on Broadway, despite having no acting experience. In 1981, she made her Broadway debut as Mabel in a revival of Gilbert & Sullivan's musical The Pirates of Penzance. She then performed in two productions with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera: The Sound of Music (1981; as Maria) and South Pacific (1982; as Nellie Forbush). She continued her theatrical career throughout the eighties and originated the role of Mary in the Off-Broadway production of Brownstone in 1985.
In 2005, McGovern returned to the Broadway stage as Marmee opposite Sutton Foster's Jo in the musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Plagued by negative reviews, it quickly closed, but McGovern reprised her role for the successful subsequent national tour.
She slowly returned to music in the mid-eighties, contributing songs to musical soundtracks and recording for various-artist compilations. She also returned to touring and performing in concerts and began establishing herself as a classy, jazzy nightclub and cabaret performer. Starting in 1987, she released three albums for CBS in three years - Another Woman in Love (a voice/piano album), State of the Heart (a fully orchestrated album), and Naughty Baby (a live album).
In 1989, she performed her debut concert in Carnegie Hall, singing a collection of songs by George Gershwin. The concert was recorded live and released that year as an album entitled Naughty Baby; it features a very first recording of a lost Gershwin song "A Corner of Heaven With You" (written ca. 1917).
From the nineties into the 21st century, McGovern continued her careers in musical theatre, performing in concerts, and recording albums, and she occasionally made guest appearances on television. Other recordings include Baby I'm Yours (1992), a collection of her favorite songs from 1955 to 1970, and Out of This World (1996), a collection of songs by Harold Arlen. She was twice nominated for a Grammy, for her albums The Music Never Ends (1997), a collection of songs by Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and The Pleasure of His Company (1998), another voice/piano album.
In 2003, Out of This World and The Music Never Ends were rereleased by Fynsworth Alley Records; both albums included bonus tracks, the former two, and the latter three.
Swingin' On a Star
Maureen McGovern 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,
He kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny and his brain is weak
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's got 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
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
Doo doo doo doo doo doo, ow!
The lyrics of this song, "Swingin' on a Star" by Maureen McGovern, are a contemplation on life and the choices one must make. The song starts by asking the question of whether the listener would like to "swing on a star" and "carry moonbeams home in a jar." It presents this idea as an opportunity to be better off than one currently is. The second half of each verse then contrasts this idyllic life with the life of an animal. The first example is a mule, which is described as stupid and stubborn, and the suggestion is that if one hates school, they may end up like a mule. The second example is a pig, which is described as lazy, rude, and lacking manners, with the implication being that if one is careless and lacks manners, they may end up like a pig. The final example is a fish, which is depicted as not very intelligent, slippery, and unable to learn. If one's life goal is to deceive and avoid getting caught, they may end up like a fish.
The underlying message of the song is that people have a choice in what type of life they want to lead. They can choose the idyllic, fanciful life of swinging on a star and carrying moonbeams home, or they can be content with a life of being a mule, pig, or fish. The final line of the song makes it clear that the choice is up to the individual, and they have the capacity to be "better than they are."
Line by Line Meaning
Would you like to swing on a star,
Do you want to aspire and aim higher in life?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar,
Do you want to achieve something extraordinary that others may think is impossible?
And be better off than you are,
Do you want to progress in your life and be happier, more successful than you are right now?
Or would you rather be a mule?
Or are you willing to settle for a life of being stubborn, unyielding, and unprogressive?
A mule is an animal with long, funny ears,
A mule is an animal known for its long ears and stubborn nature.
He kicks up at anything he hears
A mule is quick to react and often resists changes.
His back is brawny and his brain is weak
The anatomy of a mule is such that it is physically strong, yet its thinking is weak.
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
A mule can be perceived as foolish, but it doesn't budge to others' opinions and strong-willed.
And by the way, if you hate to go to school,
If you dislike learning and growth or improvement, you may end up becoming like a mule.
You may grow up to be a mule
You may settle for a life of stagnancy and stubbornness rather than aiming higher in life.
Or would you like to swing on a star,
Do you prefer an imaginative and adventurous life over a plain and simple existence?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar,
Do you want to do something extraordinary and capture a unique moment in life?
And be better off than you are,
Do you have a desire to become a better version of yourself?
Or would you rather be a pig?
Or do you prefer a life of gluttony and laziness without any purpose in sight?
A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
A pig is an animal that lacks basic hygiene with dirt on its face.
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
Pigs are animals that do not wear shoes, but if they did, it would be highly embarrassing.
He's got no manners when he eats his food
A pig eats its food in a messy, uncivilized way, and it's not pleasing to the eye.
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
A pig is a symbol of being overweight, idle, with no proper manners, and a general rudeness.
But if you don't care a feather or a fig,
If you want to live life without any care for your health or well-being, irrespective of your surroundings, you may become like a pig.
You may grow up to be a pig
You may live a life of gluttony, indolence, and rudeness without any care for society or the environment.
Or would you like to swing on a star,
Do you want to live a unique and imaginative life that brings joy and novelty to your surroundings?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar,
Do you want to achieve the impossible and capture it forever, like moonbeams in a jar?
And be better off than you are,
Do you have ambition and aspiration to be better, do better than you are in the present and lead a better life for your future?
Or would you rather be a fish?
Or do you prefer a life living in a small secluded world, wherein you don't have to do anything productive and can live life carelessly?
A fish won't do anything but swim in a brook
Fish live life swimming only in one place, with no aim or means to accomplish anything.
He can't write his name or read a book
Fish cannot read or write or do anything productive to contribute positively to society.
To fool the people is his only thought
Fish are isolated creatures with no social life, no ambition, and often resort to hiding or shirking away from others.
And though he's slippery, he still gets caught
Fish, despite their survival mechanisms, are still caught and consumed by larger organisms, which showcases their limited ability to survive.
But then if that sort of life is what you wish,
If you want to lead a life devoid of any ambitions or aims, you may become like a fish.
You may grow up to be a fish
You may live a confined and secluded life that doesn't contribute positively to society, nor does it help you grow or live innovatively.
And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
The world is full of individuals who aren't constrained to a specific area, such as a zoo enclosure.
Every day, you meet quite a few
Every day you will encounter several individuals who are unique, creative, innovative and contribute positively to society.
So, you see it's all up to you
Ultimately, your life choices and the paths you take are under your control alone.
You can be better than you are
With ambition, hard work, and innovation, you can improve your current situation and forge a better path in life.
You could be swingin' on a star
You could lead a unique and exciting life, one filled with adventure, excitement and limitless possibilities.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo, ow!
The outro of the song.
Contributed by Molly S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Monica Guilhaumont
Qué buen Maureen McGovern la amo