Put Down the Duckie

Put Down the Duckie is a Sesame Street song by Hoots to Ernie about how you cannot play the saxophone whilst holding a rubber duck.

Lyrics
Ernie: Excuse me, Mr Hoots. I hate to bug a busy bird,

but I want to learn the sax and I need a helpful word.

I always get a silly squeak when I play the blues.

Hoots: Ernie, keep your cool. I'll teach you how to blow the sax.

I think I dig your problem. It's rubber and it quacks.

You'll never find the sound you seek 'til you pay your dues.

You gotta put down the duckie.

Put down the duckie.

Put down the duckie, yes, you gotta leave the duck alone.

You gotta put down the duckie.

Put down the duckie.

Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

You didn't hear a word I said!

You gotta get it through your head.

Don't be a stubborn cluck!

Ernie, lay aside the duck.

I learned a thing or two from years of playing in a band.

It's hard to play a saxophone with something in your hand.

To be a fine musician, you're gonna have to face the facts.

You gotta put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Man 1: Put down the duckie.

Woman 1: Put down the duckie. You gotta leave the duck alone.

You gotta put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Hoots: Put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Man 1: Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

Men 2 and 3: You gotta put down the duckie.

Put down the duckie.

Put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Woman 2: Put down the duckie, yeah you gotta leave the duck alone, oh.

Man 4: Put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Man 4: Put down that duckie.

Pee-wee Herman: Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

Men 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: Put down the duckie.

Man 5: Oh yeah, you gotta...

Men 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: Put down the duckie.

Man 5: Put down the duckie.

Men 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14: Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

Men 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9: Oh yeah, you gotta put down the duckie.

Man 5: Put down that duckie.

Men 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: Put down the duckie.

Man 5: Oh, yeah, you gotta...

Men 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14: Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

Hoots: Don't have to put it on a train.

Don't have to wash it down the drain.

Don't have to lock it in a drawer.

Don't have to shove it out the door.

Don't have to shove it in your pocket.

Or send it flying in a rocket.

Don't have to get it out of town.

Ernie, put the quacker down.

Woman 3: (something in another language, please translate for me as I'm not a linguist)

Man 15: Put down the duckie.

Man 16 and Woman 4: Put down the duckie, yeah, you got to leave the duck alone.

Man 17: You gotta put down the duckie.

Woman 3: (something in a foreign language)

Man 17: You gotta put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

Man 18: You gotta put down that duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Man 19: Put down the duckie.

Man 17: Put down the duckie.

Man 20 and Woman 5: Put down the duckie. You gotta leave the duck alone.

Men 21, 22, 23 and 24: You gotta put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Man 19: Put down the duckie.

Men 21, 22, 23, and 24: Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

Hoots: You gotta put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Hoots: Put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put it down!

Hoots: Put down the duckie, yeah, you gotta leave the duck alone, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, oh.

You gotta put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Hoots: Put down that duckie!

Background Singers: Put it down!

Hoots: Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone.

Put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put down the duckie.

Hoots: Put down the duckie.

Background Singers: Put it down!

Hoots; Put down the duckie, yeah, you gotta leave the duck alone.

Ba-diddly-dee-doodly-doo!

Background Singers; Put down the duckie.

Hoots: I said put it down!

Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone!