Frank Sinatra It Aint Easy Being Green
"Bein' Green," originally titled "Green," is one of Kermit the Frog's best-known songs. It was written in 1970 by Joe Raposo for the first season of Sesame Street, and has since become an American standard.
Background
Kermit's performance of the song on The Muppet Show episode 219.
Sesame Street Kermit Sings Being Green
Kermit's first performance of "Bein' Green" on the first season of Sesame Street.
In the song, Kermit expresses his ambivalence about his color, noting that green "blends in with so many other ordinary things" and wishing that he were some other color instead. During the bridge, Kermit realizes that there are some powerful associations with the color -- "green can be big, like a mountain, or important, like a river, or tall like a tree." In the end, he decides that he's happy to be green -- "it's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be."
The song was described in a Children's Television Workshop press release as "a frog's poignant realization of his own dignity and worth."[1] The song has been viewed as a powerful message about race: music journalist Danyel Smith recalls in The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A-Z that her mother said to imagine that instead of saying "green," they said "Black."
Kermit would return to the song twice more on Sesame Street, including as a duet with Lena Horne, then performances on The Muppet Show in episodes 112 and 219, where the song was used to lift Kermit up from a depressed state.
The song appeared on The Sesame Street Book & Record and has been recorded numerous times since, both by Jim Henson and Steve Whitmire as Kermit, as well as by musicians like Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, demonstrating the song's universal themes. "Bein' Green" is not just for frogs.
"It's not easy being green," a paraphrased lyric from the song, has become one of Kermit's catchphrases. In a twist on the line, when Kermit filmed a commercial for the Ford Escape Hybrid he remarked upon seeing the environmentally friendly vehicle, "I guess sometimes it is easy being green." Media outlets have also used this phrase to associate with the environmental movement.[2]
Street Gang gives insight into the songwriting process:
"Raposo's best-regarded song has an air of intrigue around it. This much we know: it began when Jon Stone approached Raposo with a request. "We need a song for the frog," he said. As he had many times, with many songwriters and many songs, Stone walked Raposo through the curriculum goal for the composition and made lyric suggestions. Only Stone and Raposo were in the room when the contemplative song for Kermit was mapped out, but members of Stone's family have insisted that it was presumptuous of Raposo to claim that he alone wrote "Bein' Green." The sheet music has always indicated "Words and Music by Joe Raposo," and thus the enormous royalties generated by the song have always belonged to him. Jon Stone's failure to call Raposo on claiming full credit kindled one of the worst marital disagreements Jon and Beverly Stone ever had.[3] "
Performances
| Image | Year | Description |
|---|---|---|
| | 1970 | Sesame Street (First: Episode 0087) By Kermit the Frog Segment was taped on January 28, 1970 (script). |
| | 1970 | The Sesame Street Book & Record By Kermit the Frog Audio: |
| | 1971 | Pure Goldie By Kermit the Frog and Goldie Hawn |
| | 1971 | Evening at Pops By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1973 | Julie on Sesame Street By Kermit the Frog and Julie Andrews |
| | 1974 | The Tonight Show By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1974 | What's My Line By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1974 | Sesame Street (First: Episode 0637) By Kermit the Frog and Lena Horne (2:55) |
| | 1974 | ¡Sesame Mucho! By José Feliciano |
| | 1975 | Sesame Street (First: Episode 0722) By Kermit the Frog (farm field background) |
| | 1975 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson By Dr. Teeth |
| | 1975 | Cher By Kermit the Frog and Ray Charles |
| | 1976 | The Muppet Show episode 112 By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1977 | The Muppet Show episode 219 By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1977 | The Muppet Show album By Kermit the Frog Audio: |
| | 1977 | The Mike Douglas Show, October 31, 1977 By Dr. Teeth |
| | 1979 | Sesame Disco! (disco version) By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1979 | The Tonight Show By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1982 | Today By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1984 | The Muppet Show On Tour By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1986 | Sesame Street episode 2159 Oscar sings a small bit of the song, with new lyrics, to himself during the first scene. |
| | 1988 | Royal Variety Performance By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1988 | Center for Puppetry Arts By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1989 | From the Heart... The First International Very Special Arts Festival By Kermit the Frog with "Kerm-2" |
| | 1989 | Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting By Ray Charles with the monsters
|
| | 1990 | Earth Day 1990 PSA By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1990 | Here Come the Muppets By Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and Bean Bunny |
| | 1990 | Jim Henson's Memorial at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine By Big Bird |
| | 1991 | Bob's Favorite Street Songs By Bob McGrath |
| | 1993 | Ol' Brown Ears is Back By Rowlf the Dog |
| | 1994 | Kermit Unpigged By Don Henley and Kermit the Frog |
| | 1996 | The Rosie O'Donnell Show (September 6, 1996) By Kermit the Frog |
| | 1997 | Muppets Tonight episode 205 By Don Rickles |
| | 1998 | The Playground By Tony Bennett with commentary by Kermit the Frog |
| | 2001 | The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon By Kermit the Frog and Calvin Ray Johnson |
| | 2001 | The Muppet Show Live By Kermit the Frog |
| | 2001 | Evening at Pops By Alan Muraoka (excerpt) |
| | 2005 | Sesame Street Episode 4105 By Oscar the Grouch (with altered Grouchy lyrics by Christine Ferraro) |
| | 2005 | It's Not Easy Being Green audio book As a spoken word read by Whoopi Goldberg |
| | 2006 | Ford Escape Hybrid commercial By Kermit the Frog |
| | 2006 | Hollywood Bowl "Fireworks Finale" By Kermit the Frog |
| | 2006 | Martha (October 5, 2006) By Kermit the Frog |
| | 2007 | Sunday NFL Countdown By Kermit the Frog |
| | 2009 | Being Green By Elmo |
| | 2009 | Plaza Sésamo In Spanish by Abelardo Montoya as "Ser Verde" (YouTube) |
| | 2012 | Die Muppets promotion By Kermit the Frog and Marsimoto |
| | 2012 | Jim Henson's Musical World By Kermit the Frog |
| | 2012 | The Voice By Kermit the Frog and Cee Lo Green |
| | 2014 | The Tonight Show By Kermit the Frog and Jimmy Fallon |
| | 2016 | The Muppets episode "Because... Love" Kermit the Frog sings along to his own performance of the song (the 1975 Sesame Street recording by Jim Henson) while driving in his car. |
| | 2018 | The Jim Henson Retrospectacle Live in Concert By Kermit the Frog |
| | 2019 | Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration By Kermit the Frog and Elvis Costello |
Covers
- Andrew Bird ― The Green Album (2011)
- Wilford Brimley — MDA Telethon (1989) (YouTube)
- Mike Campbell ― Easy Chair Jazz album, spoken word (1994)
- Ray Charles ― Renaissance album (1975)
- Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix ― Put On A Happy Face album (2008)
- Vincent Gardner — Jazz for Kids album (2019)
- Andy Hallett (as Lorne on Angel) ― Angel episode, "The House Always Wins" (2002)
- Lena Horne — Nature's Baby album (1971)
- Shirley Horn ― Light Out of Darkness (A Tribute To Ray Charles) album (1993)
- Rick Lyon (as Nicky from Avenue Q) ― Gypsy of the Year Competition, dedicated to Idina Menzel as The Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked (2004)
- Audra McDonald ― Build a Bridge (2006)
- Damian McGinty (as Rory Flanagan on Glee) ― Glee episode, "Pot O' Gold" (2011)
- Van Morrison ― Hard Nose the Highway album, studio version (1973)
- Van Morrison ― Bootleg album with The Caledonia Soul Orchestra, live version (1973)
- Thurl Ravenscroft ― Rubber Duckie and Other Songs from Sesame Street (1970)
- Buddy Rich ― Stick It (1972)
- Carol Lee Scott — as Grotbags (1991)
- Frank Sinatra ― Sinatra & Company album (1970); rereleased on Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Volume 2 album (1972)
- Breanna Whitaker — We Love Disney (2015); included as a bonus track
Instrumentals
- The Frog Prince ― Underscores the luncheon scene, following King Rupert the Second's story of meeting Taminella Grinderfall (1971).
- Sesame Street ― An brief instrumental version is part of the ending music sting to a 1974 segment.
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years ― Plays at the beginning of the special, following a commercial break (1986)
- The Muppets at Walt Disney World ―Underscore during a helicopter shot over the Walt Disney World parks.
- Muppet*Vision 3D ― Theme park ambient music around the Muppet attraction.
- Boston Pops Orchestra ― Included on Wish Upon a Star: All-Time Children's Favorites
- Johnny Lytle ― Included on Easy Easy album (1997)
- Till Brönner ― Included on That Summer album (2005)
- Elmo's World ― A very brief appearance of the tune is quoted in the underscore for Kermit's appearance in Elmo's World: Frogs
Publications
- The Sesame Street Song Book features lyrics and sheet music for this song.
- Being Green was an illustrated book which used the song's lyrics, but featured a lizard-like green creature instead of Kermit.
- The Muppet Show Book features lyrics to this song, along with illustrations based on the version from episode 219.
- The Reader's Digest Children's Songbook included sheet music for the song as "It's Not Easy Being Green."
- Favorite Songs from Jim Henson's Muppets
- The Sesame Street Songbook includes lyrics and sheet music.
- Sesame Street Unpaved included lyrics for this song, along with pictures from the original version.
- It's Not Easy Being Green and other things to consider is a book of Jim Henson and Muppet quotes released in 2005.
- Street Gang
Video releases
Sesame Street
- Original Version:
-
- Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years
- A&E Biography: Sesame Street (Clip of first verse only)
- Old School: Volume 1
- 40 Years of Sunny Days
- 1975 version:
-
- I'm Glad I'm Me
- The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street (opening vamp cut)
- Oscar the Grouch version:
-
- Best of Friends
The Muppet Show
- Episode 112 version:
-
- It's Not Easy Being Green
- Episode 219 version:
-
- The Muppet Revue (1985)
- It's The Muppets: More Muppets, Please!
- The Best of the Muppet Show Volume 4
- The Very Best of the Muppet Show: Volume 1
Online releases
Sesame Street
- Sesamestreet.org
- Original (sesamestreet.org)
- Oscar's version (sesamestreet.org)
- SesameStreet's YouTube Channel
- Original (YouTube)
- Lena Horne's version (YouTube)
- Oscar's version (YouTube)
Specials
Sesame Street
- Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music (clips of Kermit's original version with performances by Ray Charles and Joe Raposo)
- Stars and Street Forever (very brief clip of original version only)
- Sesame Street Unpaved (documentary) (original version, first verse cut)
- The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A-Z (1976 version)
Muppets
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (clips of the second Muppet Show version and Kermit and Ray Charles singing)
- The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (clips of the first Muppet Show version and Ray Charles' performance from 20 and Still Counting)
- The World of Jim Henson (Kermit and Ray Charles' version)
- I Love Muppets (clips)
- State of the Arts (clips)
References
"Kodachrome" music video
The catchphrase "It's not easy being green" has been referenced many times, both by the Muppets and by others.
- Kermit hums the song to himself at the beginning of a 1972 Sesame Street sketch.
- On The Electric Company, the Short Circus perform the song, "Why", a lyrical list of questions about the world. Included is: "Why ain't it easy being green?" (The song appears on the penultimate episode of The Best of the Electric Company Vol. 1 DVD set.)
- In a 1976 appearance on The Mike Douglas Show, when Mike Douglas mentions that green is a good color, Kermit comments that it's not easy being green, leading to a brief discussion of the song.
- The 1977 book, Grover's Favorite Color, shows Grover near a pond, discussing the color green. He mentions something that's green is a "certain frog, who shall remain nameless." From the reeds of the pond, an unseen character remarks, "It isn't easy being green."
- The green section of 1978's Big Bird's Colors includes Oscar stating "it's not easy being green".
- In episode 406 of The Muppet Show, the Swedish Chef hums the song to himself as he spray-paints his chopped-liver Kermit green.
- Impressed with Grover's ability to touch his nose with his toes in a 1982 Sesame Street sketch, Kermit attempts the same, falling in the process. Before helping him up, Grover reminds the viewer, "Somedays, it is not easy being green".
- Participating in a puppet show on The Saturday Show in 1984, Kermit says he likes Ireland because of the color green. His companion responds, "it's not easy being green."
- In the second volume of the Muppet Babies video storybook series, before reading If I Were Just Like Kermit, Kermit says that he hopes that Baby Fozzie knows what he is doing trying to be like Kermit "because it's not easy being green."
- A 1979 Sesame Street segment features Kermit auditioning wolves for the role of The Big Bad Wolf. After Kermit turns down a medium-sized wolf, that wolf thinks it's because he is green, saying that "it's not easy being green." Kermit then says that he's noticed that.
- In the Sesame Street song, "I'm Between" from 1979, Tony, squashed between two monsters, sings this lyric: "It's easier by far being green than being between."
- A faux commercial for an album by Singing Food in episode 112 of The Jim Henson Hour features the song "It's Not Easy Being Greens."
- In The Muppets at Walt Disney World, Kermit performs the first line of "Bein' Green" on his banjo, but is cut off by groans from the other Muppets. Rizzo complains "Give it a rest, will ya?", but Kermit defends the song as "a swamp classic."
- One of the Muppet Sing-Along videos released in 1994 was titled It's Not Easy Being Green.
- When Kermit passes through a monitor that turns him black-and-white in The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside, Fozzie says, "It doesn't surprise me. You always said it's not easy being green."
- In the 1996 Sesame Street Live show 1-2-3 Imagine!, during the song "The Good Ship Duckie", a seasick Bert sings the line, "It's not easy bein' green, you see."
- Stinky the Stinkweed's song "Like a Rolling Plant" features the line "It ain't easy bein' green."
- In Episode 3740 of Sesame Street, Reporter Kermit discusses his makeup with somebody off-camera. He wonders if he looks too green and begins to recite the opening lyric when he notices he's broadcasting.
- When Kermit guest starred on Deal or No Deal in 2007, he said that "it's not easy getting green."
- A promo for the 2005 DVD releases of The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Muppet Treasure Island ends with Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and Gonzo saying "Celebrating 50 years of being green."
- On the news program Canada AM in 2009, Oscar the Grouch is interviewed for Waste Reduction Week, and says "It's easy being green. You should try it!"
- In a 2006 appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, while Kermit is going over the checklists, he says "It's not that easy choosing green."
- In Episode 4232 of Sesame Street, in the midst of a vegetable protest, an angry stalk of broccoli yells out "It ain't easy bein' green!"
- In the extended version of "Let's Talk About Me" from The Muppets, Tex Richman raps "Ooo, it's easy havin' this much green!"
- In the "Kermit's Party" short "Gonzo's Stunt Spectacular!," Kermit, covered with yellow finger paint from Gonzo's failed balancing act, remarks, "It's not that easy being clean."
- In Muppets Most Wanted, the villainous Kermit doppelgänger Constantine spoofs the line saying "it's not easy being mean."
- In a Crash Course video, "Intro to Economics: Crash Course Econ #1", Kermit tells the hosts that it's okay if they're not green, that it's not easy being green, and tells them that he could sing a song about it, only to be stopped because, as they say, they couldn't afford the licensing for the song.
- Kermit lists "Bein' Green" as his favorite song in the 2002 special I Love Muppets.
- On the "Muppets Call Board" found on the Disney Cruise Lines featuring The Case of the Stolen Show, a pin reads, "It's Not Easy Bein' Green." The board also features a flyer advertising those needed for set painting for a "Bein' Green" set.
- While on The Late Late Show with James Corden in November 2018, Kermit says the side effect to being green is "it's not easy." (YouTube)
- In a 2019 Sesame Street YouTube video featuring Julia's family, Julia's father Daniel mentions the song as being a part of his set list. (YouTube)
- In the Amphibia episode "Swamp and Sensibility," Crumpet the Frog (voiced by Kermit himself) tells the players to keep their playing "cool and friendly-like."
Sources
- ↑ "Beatles and Beethoven, Move on Over: The Seventies Sounds is Sesame Street." CTW Press Release. January 10, 1971
- ↑ Sidney Herald "Going green: Ethanol may be part of country's path for energy independence" by Linsey Bright, 8/12/08
- ↑ Street Gang page 256
Source: https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Bein%27_Green
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