Unless you’ve been asleep or confined to your home without access to the outside world for the past month, you know that Sesame Street‘s Big Bird has been a hot topic lately. Well, you can rest assured that I’m not here to discuss any of that (you can Google it if you really don’t know). Instead, I’d like to lift a few spirits and feature 5 songs sung by our yellow feathered friend!
All of these songs appeared on Sesame Street through the years, and they have a lot to offer adults even though they were originally geared toward children. Take a peek and draw some warm fuzzies (or would it be warm featheries?) from Big Bird and the gang.
1. Everyone Makes Mistakes
In this song, Big Bird shows us that it’s okay to mess up. We can all relate to it because there’s not one person on the planet who hasn’t made a mistake. Don’t get too upset the next time an error comes your way — simply pull up this video and hit play. (Hey, that was an unintentional rhyme!)
Memorable line: “If everyone in the whole wide world makes mistakes, then why can’t you?”
2. Happy to Be Me
We should all be happy with what we have and who we are, right? Right. Instead of focusing on the traits you dislike about yourself, try focusing on the things you do like. And for goodness’ sake, don’t let anyone tell you that you’re somehow inferior. If an eight-foot-tall bird can be proud of who he is, then so can we!
Memorable line: “So I’ll say it loud and I’ll say it proudly: I’m glad to be the way I am. I’m happy to be me!”
3. Love Will Keep Us Together
Okay, so technically this is from The Muppet Show and not Sesame Street. Also, it’s not an original song. But it was too good to resist. Love is the main theme of countless love songs and stories, and it works its way into everyone’s life. It’s the thing we all need (besides food, water, and oxygen) and it’s ultimately what will bind us together.
Memorable line: “Some sweet talkin’ bird comes along, singing a song…don’t mess around, now we’ve got to be strong. Look in my heart and let love keep us together.”
4. Easy Going Day
Garfield the cartoon cat may get stressed out on Mondays, but Big Bird believes that any day can be an easy going one if you get into the mindset. You can transform mediocre days and crummy days into positive experiences if you let go of the drama a bit. Perhaps listening to this song and seeing others in action will help you get there.
Memorable line: “We’re easy going. We’ll laugh our cares away.”
5. You’re Gonna Be a Star
Kids aren’t the only ones who get discouraged and feel like they want to give up when things prove tough. When you have a goal and a pocketful of ambition, you have to latch onto it and refuse to let go until you’ve accomplished it! Big Bird believes that as well, and this video shows the bird at his best: Encouraging a child’s dreams and urging him to never give up.
Memorable line: “Don’t give up! You’ve gotta believe it will happen. I do. A shiny little star is what you’re gonna be, just you wait and see!”
A special thanks to the Muppet Wiki I found — it’s an awesome resource for any Big Bird, Sesame Street, or Muppets fan.
What’s your favorite Big Bird song? Have you ever watched Sesame Street or The Muppet Show, either with your kids or when you were a kid yourself? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Image credit to Big Bird’s Facebook page.
Article by Jill Tooley
Jill has been obsessed with words since her fingers could turn the pages of a book. She’s a hopeless bibliophile who recently purchased a Kindle after almost 6 years of radical opposition, and she loves stumbling upon new music on Pandora. Random interests include (but are not limited to) bookstores, movie memorabilia, comic book conventions, and adorable rodents. In addition to managing the QLP blog, Jill also manages the content development team, assists with the company’s social media accounts, and writes like a fiend whenever given the chance. You can connect with Jill on Google+.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
What about the pinball machine cartoon thing that taught me how to count to 12?
one two three… four five, six seven eightnineten eleven twe-e-e-E-E-ELVE!!!!
Excellent reference!!!!!!
It is SO hard to talk about this not in context of recent events but here goes…
#1 is something I try to remind myself of all the time. And it REALLY DOES keep me from feeling discouraged. I just remember that the first step to being good at something is to suck at it. Just for crying out loud LEARN from the mistakes. Only good things happen after that =]
Totally agree with Jeff on this one. People who are so incredibly cautious and afraid of making a single mistake don’t always have the tenacity or initiative that comes naturally to someone willing to take risks.
If the risk winds up being a mistake, at least there’s something to learn from. Consistent mistakes you can’t have, however, occasional ones will come naturally with any learning or decision-making process.
“Easy Going Day” probably is the song most applicable to me. A crummy day isn’t always caused by what happens that day, but how someone reacts to that day.
PBS-related posts always grab my attention. Thanks for another one!
Awwww! This post is adorable! I don’t care what anyone says Sesame Street is essential to growing up! Just like Mister Rogers, PBS programming has been helping children and adults for decades grow and learn. I will always take with me the amazing lessons and individuality I gained from watching PBS shows. Any PERSON who says that PBS is not important, clearly has no shame or is completely out of touch with 99.9% of everyday people. Thanks for this post, it is good to remind everyone once in awhile how to get back in touch with their inner child and I think in turn the world (even a the smallest measure) becomes a better place. Great Blog!
Ah, something to really cheer you up. These songs all have lessons that are important for both kids and adults, and things to remember regardless of age. I’ve always loved the people at Henson Workshop, and admired the work that they’ve done. I grew up watching their shows, and they still hold a place in my heart. Thanks for the uplifting blog.
This is such an excellent Friday pick-me-up! You’re absolutely right, Jill; politics don’t matter. But believing in yourself and learning from mistakes certainly do. Thanks for the excellent Big Bird reminders!
Awesome post, Jill!! The lessons we learned watching ‘Sesame Street’ were invaluable, but as the years go by we can easily forget them. Thanks so much for finding all these gems and putting them into one easy to find blog! I know everyone can use a refresher on them with all the current events going on
So, reading this post has convinced me that I simply need to watch Sesame Street on a regular basis now. I may not be a preschooler, but darnit, all 5 of these lessons were exactly what I needed to hear today. Thanks for the pick-me-up, Jill!
I think you might need to write a Muppets blog next!