Your not going to be happy about the truth

So, you wouldn't happen to be looking for the lyrics to the Chicken dance, would you? "I don't want to be a chicken, I don't want to be a duck." Yes. Well, my friend you are in luck. I'm about to save you hours of research and searching and have it all resolved in less than a minute.

THERE ARE NO LYRICS

There. I said it. The truth had to be told by someone.

"But wait" you say. Didn't I find your site googling for the lyrics listed above? Why yes. Yes, you did. But trust me, there are no lyrics. Well, that's not entirely true. There are lyrics, but they are not the lyrics you think they are. Don't believe me. Well, here. I will give you the official lyrics to "Dance Little Bird" aka "The Chicken Dance".

Do you wanna feel good,
wanna laugh and play? (let's laugh and play)
Wanna have some fun,
throw your blues away? (your blues away)
Are you feelin' sad?
Got a problem? - Here's the cure (we got the cure.)
Do the chicken dance;
make you happy for sure.
Reach out your arms and swing your partner.
Make like a bird and try to fly.
Come on out there you hens and roosters.
Just hook your arms now, and don't be shy.
Hey you're in the swing
You're cluckin' like a bird. (Pluck, pluck, pluck, pluck.)
You're flappin' your wings.
Don't you feel absurd. (No, no, no, no.)
It's a chicken dance,
like a rooster and a hen. (Ya, ya, ya, ya.)
Flappy chicken dance;
let's do it again.
Relax and let the music move you.
Let all your inhibitions go.
Just watch your partner whirl around you.
We're havin' fun now; I told you so.
Now you're flappin' like a bird
and you're wigglin' too. (I like that move.)
You're without a care.
It's a dance for you. (Just made for you.)
Keep doin' what you do.
Don't you cop out now. (Don't cop out now.)
Gets better as you dance;
Catch your breath somehow.
Reach out your arms and swing your partner.
Make like a bird and try to fly.
Come on out there you hens and roosters.
Just hook your arms now, and don't be shy.
Now we're almost through,
really flying high (bye, bye, bye, bye.)
All you chickens and birds,
time to say goodbye (to say goodbye.)
Goin' back to the nest,
but the flyin' was fun (oh it was fun.)
Chicken dance is the best,
but the dance is done.

Nope. No where in there is the "I don't want to be a chicken..." portion of the song. Wikipedia has a good page devoted to the history of the song. Here is my cliff note version of the history I have discovered during my research.

Swiss guy creates song in the 50's (Der Voglertanz = The Bird Dance). He played it all over and in the 80's another guy released it in the US as "The Chicken Dance". It became famous because of the huge demand for the song at weddings and the rest is history.

I know, I know... this can't be true. You keep telling yourself you've heard people singing the lyrics before. I had never heard the lyrics before until my daughter was singing them one day. I had no idea what she was singing until she did the clap thing at the end. Then it hit me. That's the Chicken Dance. She did not know any other lyrics other than the same three lines.

Have you ever known anyone that knows more than the same three lines? If you are reading this, then I would guess no.

I don't wanna be a chicken,
I don't wanna be a duck,
so I shake my tail

The last line has other variations, but most people repeat these same three lines. They do the beak thing, the wing thing and then clap. So far I discovered the modified lyrics were created by a ten year old girl scout attending a wedding in Wisconsin after a freak blizzard snowed in a wedding reception for a whole weekend.

Okay, I made that last part up. I could not find any evidence of where the variation to the song first originated. But you can continue to search and if you find out, drop me a line.

Your Welcome.