Bein' Green

"Bein' Green" (also known as "It's Not Easy Bein' Green") is a popular song written by Joe Raposo, originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. It was later covered by Frank Sinatra and other performers.

In the Muppets version, Kermit begins by lamenting his green coloration, expressing that green "blends in with so many ordinary things" and wishing to be some other color. But by the end of the song, Kermit recalls positive associations with the color green, and concludes by accepting and embracing his greenness.

The song's signature line "It's not easy being green" is a phrase that has since appeared in many contexts in pop culture. It is often quoted as an expression of melancholy over one's lot in life. The song is associated with questions of identity and individuality, but also with themes such as self-love and celebration of diversity, especially in terms of race (or "color"), which was at the forefront of social debate within American culture at the time of the song's debut. With the growing usage of green as a reference to environmentalism, the phrase (or its counterstatement) is often used in that context as well. Most recently, the lyric "It's not easy being green" was used as the title for a 2014 episode of the TV series Once Upon a Time.

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Being Green

by: Diana Ross

(Joe Raposo)
One day, as I was walking through my garden, I saw a little frog lying on the ground. And I thought he was sick. So I picked him up and he wasn't sick at all. He was very sad, and he was crying. And I said: What's a matter with you, little frog? And he looked up at me with a lump in his throat, and he said: wribbit!
It ain't easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think, I think it would be nicer being red
Or yellow or gold
You see, it ain't easy being green
It seems to blend in with so many other ordinary things
And then, sometimes, sometimes people pass over you
Because you're not standing out like sparkles on the water
Or like the stars in the sky
But did you know that green is the color of Spring
And green can be big like an ocean
And important like a mountain
And cool and friendly-like
Or tall and skinny like a tree
And me
But when green is all there is to be
It kind of makes you wonder why
Why wonder, wonder why?
Hey, I'm green and I think it'll do fine
'Cause green is just what I wanna be
'Cause green is beautiful, baby
Right on green
And anyway, money's green
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