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 Performed in part only Music by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke , 1944