Bein' Green

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"Bein' Green" is a popular song originally written by Joe Raposo in 1970 for the children's show Sesame Street where it was performed by Kermit the Frog (voice of Jim Henson). It was later recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1971.

"It's not easy being green" is a phrase that appears in pop culture as an expression of melancholy. In the song, Kermit begins by lamenting his green coloration, claiming that green "blends in with so many ordinary things." The song is associated with problems with identity, and failure of individuality. It can also be interpreted in terms of social alienation, and more specifically, the inequalities created by race. Green has connotations of naïveté and jealousy, and descriptions of green have ranged from "high praise to pure disgust,"^[1] but these ideas are not represented in the song. By the end of the song, Kermit recalls positive associations with the color green, and concludes by accepting and embracing his greenness. Research by Sesame Workshop in 1989 discovered that "many preschool children failed to recognize that Kermit felt happy about being green by the end of the song." Other material created as part of Sesame Street's race relations curriculum was better understood.

There are at least 25 recording artists or groups who have recorded the song, including Don Henley (who recorded with Kermit).

A 2006 Super Bowl advertisement for Ford automobiles featured Kermit adventuring through the wild, while singing the song. Later Kermit comes across a Ford Escape Hybrid, and comes to the conclusion that "maybe it is easy being green."

[edit] Recordings of Bein' Green

• Tony Bennett, 1998 album The Playground
• Ray Charles, 1975 album Renaissance; this version gained popularity thanks to an episode of The Cosby Show. Charles then sang a duet with Kermit on Sesame Street.
• Van Morrison, 1973 album Hard Nose the Highway
• Frank Sinatra, 1970 album Sinatra & Company.
• Kermit the Frog, B-side of 1970 Sesame Street single "Animals" also The Sesame Street Book and Record, 1995 album Sesame Street Platinum: All Time Favorites, 2000 album Kermit Unpigged with Don Henley, 2002 album The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem and More - 25th Anniversary, 2003 Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music remastered original recording
• Rowlf the Dog, 1993 album Ol' Brown Ears Is Back
• Boston Pops Orchestra, 1996 album Wish Upon a Star/All-Time Children's Favorites
• Till Brönner, German jazz bugler, 2005 album That Summer
• Mike Campbell, 1994 album Easy Chair Jazz; leans to almost spoken word
• Daboa, 1997 album From the Gekko
• Urbie Green, 1994 cassette Bein' Green
• Keith Harris and Orville the Duck, 1983 single
• Shirley Horn, 1993 Album Light Out of Darkness (A Tribute To Ray Charles)
• Stan Kenton, 1992 album 7.5 on the Richter Scale, titled "It's Not Easy Bein' Green", includes what has been described as a "monotonous group vocal" [2]
• Donna Leonhart, 2001 album Bein' Green
• Johnny Lytle, 1997 album Easy Easy, completely instrumental
• Bob McGrath, 1998 album Bob's Favorite Street Songs
• Jackie McLean, 2000 album New Wine in Old Bottles
• Mark Murphy, 2005 album Once to Every Heart
• Jill O'Hara, 1993 album Jill O'Hara, titled "Green"
• Mandy Patinkin, 1990 album Dress Casual
• Buddy Rich, 1972 album Stick It
• Vanessa Rubin, 1995 album Vanessa Rubin Sings
• Paul Schmeling, 1995 album One for the Road
• Lemuel West, 2000 album In Good Company
• 2003 album Drew's Famous Kids St. Patrick's Day Party
• Andy Hallett, 2004 album, Angel - Music from The Original TV Series
• Maestro Pocero (Josele Santiago), 2002 album, Patitos feos, titled "Ser verde (Being Green)"
• Oscar the Grouch, 2005 season of Sesame Street
• Big Bird, during the memorial service for Jim Henson
• Audra McDonald, 2006 album Build a Bridge

[edit] Trivia

• David Brin novel Kiln People: The title of Chapter 6 is "It's Not Easy Being Green".
• Sara Elizabeth Lewis' Waterfront Property: The first line of the song is quoted at the start of Chapter 26.
• Lois Lowry novel Rabble Starkey: Gunther quotes the line, while in his pyjamas.
• Robert Schoen book What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism: The Preface begins "Kermit the Frog has said that it's not easy being green."
• Articles with reference to the song in their titles were published in American Way (1990), Annual Review of Energy and the Environment (1999; later published in The Earthscan Reader in Business and the Environment), Harvard Business Review (1994), Newsweek (1990), Voice Literary Supplement.
• ALF, Season one, episode 22: "It ain't easy bein' green".
• It's Not Easy Being Green is the title of a 2006 BBC TV documentary series about a family's attempts to take on a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
• A Weezer shirt issued in 2002 stated "It's not easy being weez" with a photograph of the band and the Muppets. [3]. The shirt was based on the video for Weezer's song "Keep Fishin'," which features the Muppets.
• In his comedy special No Cure For Cancer, Denis Leary mentions, in passing, Kermit singing the song at Jim Henson's funeral.

[edit] References

• ^ Leatrice Eiseman - Colors for Your Every Mood: Discover Your True Decorating Colors