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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Bein’ Green

  • Bein’ Green…

    Bein’ Green…

    Spring has sprung here in Texas! It’s not that easy “Bein’ Green” when you have allergies!

    Fortunately, where we live in Texas, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of pollen, so my allergies aren’t flaring up too much at the moment. Still, I’m reminded of an old Muppets song about the color green. Why? Because the other day, I was listening to the many stylings of “Bein’ Green” on YouTube. I found some really good renditions of a great song. And it’s green here in Texas… or as green as it can get in a place where there are very few deciduous trees.


    The original “Bein’ Green” from 1969.

    There’s something very moving about the plain, melancholy way Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) sings this sweet song about being sad about being ordinary. Done right, this song becomes extraordinary.


    Big Bird sings “Bein’ Green” at Jim Henson’s memorial service in May 1990.

    I cannot watch this rendition of “Bein’ Green” without crying. When Jim Henson suddenly died of pneumonia in May 1990, I felt like I’d lost an old friend. Big Bird singing this at Jim Henson’s memorial service is just so incredibly moving. I can tell that he’s about to cry.


    The lovely Sophie Milman sings her wistful jazzy version of “Bein’ Green” live…

    I love the way Sophie Milman sings this, explaining why this song means something to her. She’s come a long way from being a picked on kid to a beautiful jazz chanteuse.


    Of course, “Bein’ Green” is not always done in such a sad way.

    CeeLo Green sings with Kermit on The Voice. It’s poignant, but not a tear jerker. I think CeeLo’s church lady outfit helps keep the levity alive.


    The folks on Glee sang “Bein’ Green” too…

    I like Glee, but their songs sound a bit auto-tuned sometimes.


    I think this may be my favorite version of “Bein’ Green”.

    Ray Charles just kills this song. The first time I heard this version of it was on The Cosby Show, when Rudy Huxtable got in trouble for trying to wear a summer dress on a chilly day. I love watching Ray Charles sing this while he plays piano. He turns a sad song into something triumphant and magnificent.


    Shirley Horn’s tribute to Ray Charles…

    Shirley Horn’s jazzy version of “Bein’ Green” is poignant and lovely, with elegant, dramatic piano playing accompanying her rich, velvety voice. Listening to this version makes me wish I had stuck with piano lessons. I’d love to be able to play this the way Shirley Horn does.


    And here’s the version that made me decide to write about this song today…

    Van Morrison gives this song more of an upbeat styling, with funky guitars, swanky saxophone, and his own assertive voice. While this version of “Bein’ Green” is not quite as shattering as some of the other renditions, I still like it. In fact, I liked what Van Morrison did with this song so much that I went looking for the album it came from, which is now out of print. I ordered a used copy of Hard Nose The Highway after listening to several tracks on YouTube and determining I had to have it.

    I have myself also sung this song…


    I need to learn how to play piano… and lose lots of weight so I look good on camera. *Sigh*… It’s not easy bein’ green.

    I hope your green days of spring are just lovely. Remember all the ways green can be beautiful! Especially if you have good allergy meds.

  • Missing The Muppets…

    Sometimes, when I get into a funk, I starting missing the Muppets…

    You know, The Muppet Show? It originally aired from 1976 until 1981. When I was growing up, I was a big fan of Jim Henson’s Muppets and their corresponding guest stars. I saw most of the movies and even watched Muppets Tonight when it was on in the mid 1990s. Granted, Muppets Tonight wasn’t nearly as funny and entertaining as the original show was, even though it featured guest stars like Prince (then going by The Artist Formerly Known As Prince), Coolio, and Paula Abdul.

    Paula Abdul guests on Muppets Tonight…

    Coolio performs on Muppets Tonight…

    Of course, in my day, the original Muppet Show was on and it exposed me to some great 70s era stars like Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, John Denver, Paul Simon, Diana Ross, and even Raquel Welch!

    Elton John guests on The Muppet Show…

    I should probably break down and buy the DVDs of this show. There’s nothing really like it on TV anymore. Of course, the 1970s was the era for variety shows. That was the decade that brought us Donny & Marie, Sonny & Cher, and even The Brady Bunch Hour, which I am convinced was invented under the heavy influence of some kind of hallucinogenic drug. Donny & Marie had ice skaters and The Bradys had synchronized swimmers. Sonny and Cher had each other and it seems the Osmonds were making the rounds on all the shows, though I don’t remember seeing them on The Muppet Show.

    More than just entertaining family style fun, The Muppet Show and Sesame Street also brought us some timeless, beautiful songs. Consider the lovely ballad, “Bein’ Green”, which was sung by Kermit the Frog and then covered by some very notable musical worthies like Van Morrison, Sophie Milman, and Ray Charles. Yesterday, I was feeling a little depressed over the prospect of the crown I have to get tomorrow and went to YouTube to listen to Ray Charles sing…

    Here Ray Charles knocks “Bein’ Green” out of the park with his perfectly glorious rendition of this Muppets classic on Sesame Street…

    There’s something about the way Ray Charles sings this song that just radiates empathy. I feel better every time I hear it. It gives me goosebumps. It simultaneously gives me a lump in my throat while it makes me smile.

    The lovely Russian jazz singer Sophie Milman found comfort in “Bein’ Green”, too…

    Van Morrison performs “Bein’ Green” live in 1973. Listening to this reminds me it’s time to see if I can hunt down the album this came from. It rocks! Don Henley also took a crack at “Bein’ Green” on the Muppets Unpigged album.

    The Rainbow Connection covered three ways…

    Another special Muppets song that comes to mind is “Rainbow Connection”, again sung by Kermit the Frog and covered by a diverse host of talented singers ranging from Willie Nelson to Debbie Harry to Kenny Loggins to Karen Carpenter.

    There’s something very touching about the way Willie Nelson sings this song. I was so moved by Willie’s rendition that I used it in a memorial video I made for my much loved dog, MacGregor, who died last December after we found an inoperable tumor near his spine. There’s something about this song and the way Willie sings it that suited MacGregor. Even today, when I listen to it, it makes me emotional.

    The Carpenters’ version of “The Rainbow Connection” is very different, of course. It’s very clear and pristine, a little schmaltzy, and yet somehow touching.

    And here, Debbie Harry and Kermit the Frog team up to sing “The Rainbow Connection” on The Muppet Show. I never knew her voice went that high! This is a charming side of the lead singer of Blondie I’ve never seen.

    I often find that when I’m in a crummy mood, I get a lot of joy out of singing. And sometimes I sing songs from The Muppet Show. I recorded my own version of “Bein’ Green” yesterday…

    and I felt better afterwards, even though I still dread getting a crown. On the other hand, I suppose I dread the alternative even more. Tomorrow might be a good day to pull out my favorite Muppets CD.

    I can’t stay sad when I hear this song. Incidentally, I happen to own a copy of the CD linked below. It’s well worth the money if you are a Muppets fan!