Bing Crosby - Swinging On A Star (1944) video free download

Lyrics at the bottom:

Written by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen, information below from stevenlewis.info

"The songwriters were told to write a song for Bing's forthcoming movie, Going My Way, that amounted to the Ten Commandments with a rhythm section. Jimmy Van Heusen was stumped until he visited Bing's home and heard Bing ask one of his unruly kids, "Do you want to grow up to be a mule?". Bing recorded the result Feb. 7, 1944, with the Williams Brothers, among whom was 13-year-old Andy Williams, substituting for the Crosby sons. The brothers were paid $100 for their contribution to the recording that sold more than a million copies, and remained in the pop charts for 28 weeks, including 9 weeks atop the charts. The song won the Academy Award and in 2002 Bing's recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame."

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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 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