Swinging on a Star

In my car, I treat myself to SiriusXM Radio and one of my favorite channels is 40s Junction. It just makes me smile. I know the 40s was war-time and Many, many songs spoke about our soldiers abroad and their sweethearts at home. Entertainers knew they had to reflect the times, at the same time being uplifting and positive.

The Andrews Sisters sang "Three Little Sisters" "each one only in her teens", about their respective beaus:
            One loved a soldier
            One loved a sailor
            And one loved a lad from the marines
... and how they would stay true until
            The boys marched back one day    

A similar theme was covered in "Don't Sit Under the Apple tree" that concludes:
            I know the apple tree is reserved for you and me
            And I'll be true till you come marching' home!"

All positive, uplifting and entertaining, which brings me to the point of this post. 

Some songs from the 40s make me scratch my head and ask, "Who would ever think of such a thing?" The first one that truly registered with me was "Mr. Five by Five" about a guy - 

            He's five feet tall and he's five feet wide
            He don't measure no more from head to toe
            Than he does
            From side to side.

He's "Got fifty chins" and
            The only trouble is there's no way of knowin'
            Whether he's comin' or ... or goin'

If anyone wrote this today, they'd be drummed out of the business or strung up by their thumbs for political incorrectness.

And who, in their right mind, thought of writing a song about a "Cement Mixer" let alone these lyrics:
            First you get some gravel, Pour it in the vout
            To mix a mess o' mortar you add cement and water
            See the mellow roony come out, slurp, slurp, slurp

And someone had ... ...nerve enough to record and air it! Now that's bravery in my book. They must have become hard-pressed for new and entertaining song ideas as the war went on. 

But one song that I have come to appreciate is a little silly song that very cleverly makes the point that school is important and should be embraced or else ... "you may grow up to be a mule".  

Bing Crosby sang "Swinging on a Star". Get a load of these lyrics:

        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 swinging' on a star

Oh those were the days! Hope this made you smile, giggle, nod or even shake your head. Click on the links to each song. Sorry about the intro-ads, there's just no way around them these days. These songs, in my book, are nothing, if not, entertaining.

Happy Sunday.

Comments

[Robert]

Way behind here! -I Love those 40's! My family was big on music as you know, so heard 40's music plenty. I still have some of Mom's old 78 rpm discs and have a couple old phono/radios I restored to play em on.
I also enjoyed on Sirius. Now home more - I use apps to play music thru-out my house via the intercom system. Keep on Swinging on that Star !

[Debra Cobb]

My mom loved "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" and I remember her singing it to me when I was a little girl.