Put Down the Duckie
Sesame Street Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I want to learn the sax
And I need a helpful word
I always get a silly squeak
When I play the blues
Ernie, keep your cool I'll teach ya how to blow the sax
I think I dig your problem
You'll never find the skill you seek
Till you pay your dues
You gotta put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie yeah, you gotta leave the duck alone
You gotta put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone!
You didn't hear a word I said
You gotta get it through your head
Don't be a stubborn cluck
Ernie, lay aside the duck!
I've learned a thing or two from years of playing in a band
It's hard to play a saxophone with something in your hand
To be a fine musician
You're gonna have to face the facts
Though you're blessed with flying fingers
When you wanna wail, you're stuck
What good are flying fingers if they're wrapped around a duck?
Change the toy's position if you wanna ace the sax!
You gotta put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie yeah, you gotta leave the duck alone
You gotta put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone!
One more time!
Put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
Put down the duckie (put it down)
Put down the duckie and you gotta leave the duck alone
Put down the duckie (put down the duckie)
I said I said put it down (down)
Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone!
Yeah!
The song "Put Down The Duckie" by Sesame Street is a fun and catchy tune that has a deeper meaning than just asking Ernie to stop playing with his rubber duckie during music lessons. The song is all about putting down distractions that keep you from achieving your goals. Ernie wants to play the saxophone, but he's not getting the results he wants because he won't put down his beloved duckie. Mr. Hoots, who is an owl and a professional saxophonist, tells Ernie that he needs to put his duckie down in order to be successful. Mr. Hoots teaches Ernie that it's hard to play an instrument when you're holding onto something else, even something as innocent as a rubber duckie.
The lyrics "Put down the duckie, if you wanna play the saxophone" serve as a metaphorical reminder that in order to achieve your goals, you may have to let go of other things that are holding you back. The chorus of the song is a fun and catchy tune that children and adults alike can sing along to, but the deeper message is a lesson that can be applied to many different aspects of life.
Overall, "Put Down The Duckie" is a fun song with a great message that children and adults can appreciate. It reminds us all that sometimes in order to achieve our goals, we need to be willing to let go of things that are holding us back.
Line by Line Meaning
Excuse me, Mr. Hoots I hate to bug a busy bird
Ernie seeks Mr. Hoots' attention for a problem with playing the saxophone despite knowing that Mr. Hoots is a busy bird.
But I want to learn the sax And I need a helpful word
Ernie expresses his desire to learn to play the saxophone and seeks advice from Mr. Hoots.
I always get a silly squeak When I play the blues
Ernie is unable to produce a good sound when he plays the blues on the saxophone.
Ernie, keep your cool I'll teach ya how to blow the sax I think I dig your problem It's rubber, and it quacks You'll never find the skill you seek Till you pay your dues
Mr. Hoots promises to teach Ernie how to play the saxophone properly and identifies Ernie's problem as holding onto a rubber duck toy while playing. He advises Ernie to practice diligently to improve his skills.
You gotta put down the duckie (put down the duckie) Put down the duckie (put down the duckie) Put down the duckie yeah, you gotta leave the duck alone You gotta put down the duckie (put down the duckie) Put down the duckie (put down the duckie) Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone!
Mr. Hoots emphasizes to Ernie the importance of letting go of the rubber duck toy in order to focus on learning to play the saxophone properly.
You didn't hear a word I said You gotta get it through your head Don't be a stubborn cluck Ernie, lay aside the duck!
Mr. Hoots expresses his frustration with Ernie's attachment to the duck toy and urges him to let it go in order to improve his saxophone playing.
I've learned a thing or two from years of playing in a band It's hard to play a saxophone with something in your hand To be a fine musician You're gonna have to face the facts Though you're blessed with flying fingers When you wanna wail, you're stuck What good are flying fingers if they're wrapped around a duck?
Mr. Hoots draws upon his own experience to highlight the difficulty of playing the saxophone while holding onto something. He asserts that to become a good musician, Ernie needs to prioritize his saxophone playing over his attachment to the duck toy.
Change the toy's position if you wanna ace the sax!
Mr. Hoots suggests that Ernie can still keep his duck toy but he needs to change its position so as not to hinder his saxophone playing.
Put down the duckie (put down the duckie) Put down the duckie (put it down) Put down the duckie and you gotta leave the duck alone Put down the duckie (put down the duckie) I said I said put it down (down) Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone! Yeah!
The chorus reiterates Mr. Hoots' advice to Ernie to put down the duck toy and let go of his attachment to it in order to focus on learning to play the saxophone properly.
Lyrics © SPLOTCHED ANIMAL MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CERF, STILES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Megan
on Once Is Not Enough
I get it, it teaches kids you might not just have enough so you have to have more