Beginning, Middle, End (Korr/Pottle)

Written by	David Korr and Sam Pottle
Publisher	Sesame Street, Inc.

Beginning, Middle, End is a Sesame Street song from the late 1970s.

In an attempt to bring culture to an educational concept, Maurice performs a dramatic number about “beginning”, “middle”, and “end” , with Bruce supplying piano accompaniment. The lyrics Maurice sings punctuate the three parts; Maurice sings about the beginning, middle, and end of his song, and nothing more. However, the number takes a sharp turn for the worst as Maurice’s back-up group, though equally vocally talented as the lead singer, provides sarcastic commentary with each verse between harmonizing. (When Maurice sings that the middle part is coming up soon, one sleepy-eyed crooner comments, “Unfortunately, that’s true!”)

After the beginning and middle verses (with the latter chorus being the word “middle” over and over), Maurice wraps up the song with lots of emotion. He is so overcome by his song that he continues the final refrains of “Ending! Ending! Ending!” without ending. The back-up group has to forcefully remove Maurice offstage (one telling him to “end this turkey”), leaving Bruce by himself to finish the song’s final chords. The end result is the rousing applause of one audience member. (Whether or not this lone fan is related to any of them is never mentioned).

Notes

• Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, and Jim Henson perform the monsters' voices.
• Most of the monsters used in this number are Anything Muppets covered in fur. Several of the fur patterns would later be converted into unique puppets, in the form of AM Monsters.
• One of the back-up singers, a fat blue monster, is also seen in the song "Furry Blue Mommy of Mine" playing the banjo. He is seen here without his horns.