Song Lyric Sunday – Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips

Song Lyric Sunday was a bit of a challenge for me this week with the prompts of Alligator, Crocodile, Snake and Lizard. Two obvious songs came to mind but I avoided them wanting to give others a chance to use them and stretch myself to search for something else. I am happy I did because I found a song performed by Bruce Springsteen, called Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips. I hadn’t heard it before but if you have young kids it’s a fun song to sing with them. The lyrics are hilarious! I hope you enjoy it.

Oh and just for balance, I included some Lizard Life by ZZ Top at the end!

Info

Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips is a 1986 song by Nancy Cassidy. See the original Nancy Cassidy version for more details.

Bruce Springsteen recorded a version of the song for the 1991 Disney charity various artists album For Our Children, benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The lyrics below are Bruce Springsteen’s official studio version as released in 1991.

Studio Recording

Bruce Springsteen recorded the song in late 1990 at Record Plant in Los Angeles, CA. The song was recorded and mixed by Toby Scott with Rob Jaczko and Allen Abrahamson. Springsteen first recorded the traditional song PONY BOY for the upcoming Disney charity album, but he replaced at the last minute with a cover of Nancy Cassidy’s song which he discovered in his son’s nursery. According to Brucebase, another recording of the song was made, featuring additional vocals by Patti Scialfa.

Official Releases

Bruce Springsteen’s cover of CHICKEN LIPS AND LIZARD HIPS was released in January 1991 on the Disney charity album For Our Children. The song was also released in 1991 on a withdrawn Australian CD single. A 10th anniversary edition of the album was released in October 1999. The song was also included on Every Child Deserves A Lifetime, an album released in October 2007 and compiling tracks from the For Our Children series.

Lyrics

Alright
A-one, two, a-one, two, three, four

This is for all you kids out there that hate your mom and pop forcing you to eat
everything that's on your dinner plate every night.

Yeah, when I was a little kid, see, I never liked to eat
And Mama'd put things on my plate and I'd dump 'em on her feet
But then one day she made this soup, I ate it all in bed
I asked her what she put in it, and, well, this is what she said:

Oh, chicken lips and lizard hips and alligator eyes
And monkey legs and buzzard eggs and salamander thighs
Well, rabbit ears and camel rears and tasty toenail pies
Stir 'em all together and it's Mama's soup surprise

Well, now I went into the bathroom and I stood beside the sink
I said, "I'm feeling slightly ill, and I think I'd like a drink"
Mama said, "I've just the thing, I'll get it in a wink
It's full of lots of protein, and vitamins, I think"

It was chicken lips and lizard hips and alligator eyes
Yeah, monkey legs and buzzard eggs and salamander thighs
Rabbit ears and camel rears and tasty toenail pies
Stir 'em all together, it's Mama's soup surprise

Information and Lyrics Courtesy of SpringsteenLyrics.com

Lyrics

I got the attitude
And that's all I ever say
Don't have to tell nobody
How their tail ought to lay
Had a sudden revelation
The heights that I've sunken down to
And I don't mind I can't find
My way out of this witch's brew
Livin' for the lizard life
Livin' for the lizard life
I stumbled on the way around
My own reality
Gettin' right-tightly wound
Past the pale of normality
I like big loungin' every day
On the iguana side of town
The lizard love, it mighty deep
Talkin' way underground
Livin' for the lizard life
Livin' for the lizard life
Livin' for the lizard life
Livin' for the lizard life
I be a reptile all day… More

Source: LyricFind

  5 comments for “Song Lyric Sunday – Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips

  1. December 6, 2020 at 10:16 am

    Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips is hilarious thanks for finding this song Christine. The ZZ Top song Lizard Life was also a treat,

    • Christine Bolton
      December 7, 2020 at 8:51 am

      Thank Jim. It needed a contrast, I thought. That song was hilarious! 🤣

  2. December 6, 2020 at 4:36 am

    Two great songs Christine and both completely new to me 💜💜💜

    • Christine Bolton
      December 6, 2020 at 9:41 am

      Thanks Willow! Me too. I thought the Springsteen one was hilarious 🤣

      • December 6, 2020 at 10:01 am

        Amazingly so 💜

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