[Intro] Ethal! Ethal! Come on out! We’ve got something to sing about! [Verse 1: Jay] Oh, Ethyl, why’re you hiding Way behind that apple slice? You skipped the seed, you ducked the bath— That isn’t like you, right? You saw yourself this morning And you nearly flew away, But every bird gets ruffled On a bad feather day! [Chorus] It’s only a bad feather day, A little bit patchy, and that’s okay. The old ones drop and the new ones grow— You’ll soon be starring in the backyard show! Shake that tail and peck that tray, Don’t let a funny molt spoil your day. Bald or fluffy, brown or red, We love our Ethyl from tail to head! [Call and Response] Bad feather! Better weather! Lose a feather! Grow another! [Verse 2: Jay] Now listen, Ethyl, I understand— Just take a look at me. My head is bald, my neck is long, I’m a lollipop with feet! My crest checked out, my crown fell off, There’s nothing there to flop. I’m blue below and bare above— A feathered lollipop! [Birds] A lollipop! A lollipop! Our Jay’s a walking lollipop! [Jay] But I still strut and grab a nut And holler from the treetop! [Chorus] It’s only a bad feather day, A temporary style that won’t always stay. Cardinals and Blue Jays lose their crowns, But brand-new feathers are coming around! [Verse 3: Ethyl] Then why do all the Mourning Doves Look polished, plump, and neat? Not one wild feather on a head, Not one bare patch I see! [Mourning Doves] Coo-oo, coo-oo, don’t blame us, dear, We molt more gradually. A feather here, a feather there, Much less dramatically! [Ethyl] Well, isn’t that convenient? You’re fresh from beak to toe! [Doves] One by one, the old ones drop, And one by one they grow. [Dove Sing-Along] One by one, the old ones go, One by one, the new ones grow. Coo to the left, coo to the right, Ethyl, you’re a lovely sight! [Ethyl] Lovely? [Doves] Beautiful! [Jay] Unforgettable! [Chorus] It’s only a bad feather day, The doves look pressed and Jay looks gray. Coo or squawk or chirp or sing, Every molt brings a brand-new thing! [Verse 4: Ethyl] My crest is crooked, my cheeks look thin, There’s fluff where sleekness should have been. My tail looks tired, my wings look worn— I hardly know what I’ve become! I tiptoed near the bathing bowl To freshen up my look, But someone strange stared back at me, So I turned around and booked! That bird looked startled, bald, and wild. She copied every face! [Jay] That bird was you! [Ethyl] Then tell her she Was standing in my place! [Verse 5: Jay] A feather cannot patch itself When worn by work and weather. It has to fall, then start anew— That’s how you change a feather. [Doves] They’re made of keratin, you know, Like fingernails and hair. [Jay] And little pinfeathers soon pop through That temporarily bare...area. [Ethyl] “Area”? [Jay] I needed something there to rhyme. [Doves] He tries his best. [Jay] Most of the time! [Big Chorus] It’s only a bad feather day, A late-summer makeover underway. After the nesting and raising the young, The old coat leaves and the new coat comes! Pin by pin and plume by plume, A beautiful cardinal soon will bloom. Bad feather! Better weather! Lose a feather! Grow another! [Verse 6: Squirrel] We heard there was a crisis, So we hurried down the rail. [Chipmunk] I brought emergency sunflower seeds In both my cheeks and tail! [Squirrel] We don’t know much of feathers, But we shed our fur as well. [Chipmunk] And if you need a fashion judge, We think you look quite swell! [Squirrel] A squirrel’s daily hairstyle Is “windblown from behind.” [Chipmunk] So if perfection’s mandatory, We’re all in quite a bind! [Build] [Jay] Your warm brown wings! [Doves] Your flashes of red! [Squirrel] Your lovely crest! [Chipmunk] What’s left on your head! [Ethyl] HEY! [Everybody] Feathers or no feathers, whatever you do, The very best part of Ethyl is you! [Final Chorus] It’s only a bad feather day, A little bit patchy, and that’s okay! The old ones drop and the new ones grow— You’ll soon be stealing the backyard show! Come to the bath, don’t fly away. You’re getting more fabulous every day. If that strange bird looks back at you, Give her a wink—she’s molting too! Bad feather! Better weather! Lose a feather! Grow another! Who looks lovely? Ethyl does! Who’s our cardinal? Ethyl is! [Outro] [Ethyl] All right, I’ll take a bath... [Jay] That’s the spirit! [Ethyl] But cover the mirror. [Everybody] ETHYL!
