[Intro] [Instrumental - Ragtag, playful, slightly chaotic] [Verse 1] Crack-a-lack, crack-a-lack, out of the shell Wibble-wobble, no one could tell Fluffy-puffy, yellow and small But one little duckling wasn't like them all Peep-a-peep, peep-a-peep, what do I see? Wiggle-jiggle, who can this be? Bigger and grayer, odd as can be That's not a duckling — or is it just me? [Chorus] Ugly-wugly, odd little thing Higgledy-piggledy, what will life bring? Topsy-turvy, out of place Wonky-bonky, different face But somewhere, someday, wait and see There's a place for you and me [Verse 2] Quack-a-quack, quack-a-quack, go away! Shoo-a-boo, you can't stay! Pokey-jokey, point and stare Missy-hissy everywhere Stumble-tumble, out the gate Lonely-only, runs from hate Drizzle-fizzle, cold and gray The ugly duckling ran away [Chorus] Ugly-wugly, odd little thing Higgledy-piggledy, what will life bring? Topsy-turvy, out of place Wonky-bonky, different face But somewhere, someday, wait and see There's a place for you and me [Verse 3] Shiver-quiver, winter's here Nippy-tippy, frozen fear Huddle-puddle, all alone Far away from any home Creaky-sneaky, cold and still Icy-dicey, against his will Barely-fairly made it through The darkest dark he ever knew [Bridge] But wait-a-state, what's that sight? Glimmer-shimmer, morning light Ripple-tipple, still and clear Something beautiful is near... [Verse 4] Stretchy-fetchy, long white wings Graceful-spaceful, neck that sings Swoop-a-loop above the lake What a sight for him to make Gaze-a-daze into the stream Was it always just a dream? Not a duckling, never was A swan — because he always was [Final Chorus] No more wugly, no more wrong Higgledy-piggledy turned to song Right-side-truly, found his place Wonder-thunder, full of grace And somewhere, someday, now I see There was always room for me [Outro] Swish-a-wish upon the lake... Ripple-tipple in his wake... He always was... He always was... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Ragtag retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling," told entirely through Rhyming Reduplication. From the crack of the egg to the stillness of the winter lake to the final revelation on the water's surface — the story follows its familiar path, but every word bounces, echoes, and plays with itself. The ugly duckling was never wrong. He was just early. This song was created as an inspirational example outside of competition for Nordic Discord Challenge Week 66 (Week 13, 2026), where the genre was Ragtag and the theme was Rhyming Reduplication. As the challenge setter, I was ineligible to compete — so this serves as a demonstration of how the theme can be applied throughout an entire song, from the first crack of the egg to the final ripple on the lake. The full challenge playlist can be found here: https://suno.com/playlist/5324199f-6d4a-485e-8d31-925b0561e16d ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © 2026 Ande Records Lyrics by Ande All rights reserved. https://ande-records.se/
