Put Down the Duckie (song)
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| Written by | |
| Music by | Christopher Cerf |
| Lyrics by | Norman Stiles |
| Date | 1986 |
| Source | |
| Publisher | Splotched Animal Music, BMI/Sesame Street, Inc., ASCAP |
In 1986, Christopher Cerf and Norman Stiles wrote a song that was meant to teach kids that they should put down their prized possessions if they get in the way of what they are supposed to be doing.
This song was sung to Ernie by Hoots the Owl. Ernie wanted to play the saxophone, but due to the presence of Rubber Duckie in his hand, whenever he played the sax, he got a funny squeaky sound.
During the season that this song premiered, every time a celebrity appeared on the show, the producers would tape a special verse to be sung by that celebrity, and these verses were then edited into the song for later re-airing.[1] Celebrities included John Candy, Celia Cruz, Jane Curtin, Pee Wee Herman (whose scenes were later removed and replaced with Phil Donahue and Gladys Knight and the Pips), Keith Hernandez, Jeremy Irons, Gordon Jackson, Madeline Kahn, Danny DeVito, Wynton Marsalis, Jean Marsh, Andrea Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Rhea Perlman, Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mookie Wilson, and Joe Williams. Aside from the added celebrities, another alteration occurred during a sequence where Hoots mentions alternatives to holding the Rubber Duckie while playing the saxophone, such as putting the duck in a drawer or sticking it out the door. In the celebrity version, footage of Rubber Duckie in these situations were shown along with Hoots singing.
This song was featured in Sesame Street, Special, as well as in a self-titled album, Put Down the Duckie! and in the video Sing Yourself Silly. Bob sang it in the album Bob's Favorite Street Songs.
In a segment from the 1990s, Ellen DeGeneres listened to this song on a Walkman, explaining to Elmo how portable music players work. This segment led into the "Put Down the Duckie" sketch (starting with the music playing, cutting out the intro).
Contents |
Trivia
The idea behind this song has been borrowed by a medical institute, as the title for its lifelong health program:
| The Duckie represents our old habits—which have become habits because they're what make us comfortable. To move forward in life, we have to put down our Duckies -- or lay aside our old habits. Ernie learns it's the first step for him, and it is as well for the rest of us.
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Audio Releases
- Put Down the Duckie! (1990)
- Sesame Street Celebrates! (1994)
- Platinum All-Time Favorites (1995)
- Sesame Street Best (1997)
- Songs from the Street (2003)
Video Releases
Online Releases
The original, non-celebrity version can be viewed on the Web Video Player.
Sources
- ↑ Cerf, Christopher Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music booklet, page 12
