I Gotta Be Clean

I Gotta Be Clean is a Sesame Street song sung by Bert in the bath.

Lyrics
Background Singers: He's got to be clean. He's got to be clean. Ah.

Bert: I wash my hands whenever I eat.

And in the bathtub, I wash my ears, my elbows and feet.

I gotta be clean.

I gotta be clean.

Each healthy and sheen.

I gotta be clean.

Yes sir! I start each day by brushing my teeth.

Background Singers: Brush, brush.

Bert: And when the plaque is scrubbed off the smile underneath!

Background Singers:  'Neath.

Bert: I gotta be clean.

Background Singers: Clean.

Bert: And I floss in between.

Background Singers:  'Tween!

Bert: Like a tree must be green.

Background Singers: Green.

Bert: I gotta be clean.

Background Singers: He's got to be clean.

Bert: Each day's a fight with the forces of dirt.

Background Singers: Dirt, dirt, dirt.

Bert: Battling the smudge and the smear and the squirt.

Background Singers: Squirt, squirt, squirt.

Bert: What do I do when spaghetti's all over my shirt?

Background Singers: Shirt, shirt, shirt.

Does he just wear it and wear it and wear it for weeks?

Bert: No!

Background Singers: Not Bert.

Bert: I wash it. Then I wear it.

I understand. I may be Pete (?)

I may be cross or tired or mad but I'll always be neat.

I gotta be clean.

Animals: He's gotta be clean.

Bert: Like all the pigeons I've seen.

Or a fresh nectarine

Or some laundry that's been

Through a washing machine.

I gotta be clean.

All: I gotta be clean.