Music Monday: Schoolhouse Rock! The Clean Rivers Song

"Fat Cat Blue and The Clean Rivers Song" was released in 2009 as part of a series called "Schoolhouse Rock! Earth," and is one of 11 environmentally-themed songs from the series. Schoolhouse Rock was originally designed as between-program educational animated songs aired on public television and first launched in 1973. Originally airing from 1973 to 1984, new songs were released along with the old in the mid-1990s and in the early 2000s a new crop of songs were created and released.

FAT CAT BLUE: THE CLEAN RIVERS SONG - LYRICS

Mouse: That's one swell river, huh, Cat?

Fat Cat: Yeah, it's a real cat's meow. But you know, Mouse, it ain't always been such a dandy. Now let's get a wiggle. Lily Delight, your paintbrush is dripping white.

Chorus: (singing) Down it goes, it's going down the river

Mouse: It's floating in the river

Fat Cat: Backyard Barber throws clippings right down the drain.

Chorus: Down they go, they're going down the river

Mouse: It ends up in the river

Fat Cat Blue: A swanky old blankie. (singing) A trash can or two

(speaking) Hey there. Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue".

Ooh

Little Betsy, those fish lay their eggs upstream.

Chorus: Down they go, they're swimming down through the river

Mouse: They can't swim up the river

Fat Cat Blue: Hey there, skipper. That slime's blooming everywhere.

Chorus: Down it goes, it's going down the river

Mouse: It's floating in the river

Fat Cat: Now, that's a clean river, skipper. (singing) A fish ladder too

(speaking) Hey there. Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue".

Chorus: We're gonna listen to "Fat Cat Blue"

Fat Cat: Now for hundreds of years, these waters were sparkling clean.

Lily Delight and Little Betsy: Hey, that's cool

"Fat Cat Blue"

Mouse: So what happened?

Fat Cat: Well, I'll tell you. All of a sudden, folks started building over there, and making a dog-awful mess over there. And after a while:

(singing) Down it goes, down it goes, going down

Drifting through the estuary, tributary, stream or book

And through the prier, down

Chorus: To the river

Fat Cat: Going down

Chorus: Through the river

Fat Cat: Going down

Mouse: It's floating in the river

Chorus: Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue"

Fat Cat: Come on, now, we're not down yet. Let's get a wiggle. Gizmo maker, that's really quite some toxic stew.

Chorus: Down it goes, it's going down the river

Mouse: It's floating in the river

Fat Cat: Landfill Baron, that rubbish has gone adrift.

Chorus: Down it goes, it's going down the river

Mouse: It's floating in the river

Fat Cat: Recycle that rubbish. (singing) And clean up that stew

(speaking) Hey, there. Get on board with "Fat Cat Blue".

Ooh

Well, Mouse, I figure we should call it a day. You see, we got a lot of work to do tomorrow to make sure that this here river never gets like that again.

Mouse: Yeah, Cat. That river is quite a dandy.

Chorus: A beautiful river

We'll leave it to you

Fat Cat Blue: Now that's why you gotta get on board with "Fat Cat Blue".

Special thanks to Bill Peckmann for suggesting this song!

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