TURTLESINGER SONG LYRICS FOR SECOND CD, DIFFERENT
1. DIFFERENT
Now something's been hap'nin to me
and it concerns conventionality
Just lately at the studio
My sound man felt the need to go
and say things weren't sounding like they should be...
(well)
(Refrain): I'm different and that's o.k.!
I do things in a different way!
You may never have heard an opera singer sing about turtles
'cause I'm different and that's o.k.
I hope the turtles mean a lot to all of you
'cause singing about them is what I'm meant to do
And be careful what you pray for
You never know quite what's in store
And just remember that it's true: (refrain)
So I tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna spell it out for you:
I'm gonna sing about turtle lore
and its never been done this way before
and here's another message that's true:
If you're different, well that's o.k.!
Just do things in a different way!
don't be stuck in what's been done before
Your new ideas may be called for
Be different, and that's o.k. 'cause
I'm different and that's o.k.!
I do things in a different way!
And you may never have heard an opera singer sing about turtles
'cause I'm different and that's o.k.!
You may never have heard a Turtlesinger sing about turtles
'cause I'm different and that's o.k.!
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
2. SNAPPING TURTLES
Here's a story you might doubt
you may be startled to find it's about
Some of the snapping turtles I have seen ...now
People say they're ugly and mean
Unlike some other turtles, snappers may fight
But don't you think that's their turtle right?
If someone ten times your size approached you,
you might fight to defend yourself, like I might do
(refrain)
And (oh) it may seem strange to hear this gentle song
About snapping turtles, too!
But if you think they're always fierce, you're wrong--
They're some of the gentlest creatures I ever knew.
Now when you pick up a snapper, it may bite
but you have to consider his plight:
Often a snapper's picked up just by his tail--and
That can hurt him! He probably wants to wail!
Most snapping turtles stay out of sight
Only when threatened will they stand and fight
And here's one thing that I know to be true:
If you won't bother a snapper, he won't bother you (refrain)
Snappers are some of the gentlest creatures ...I ever knew
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
3. TURTLE NAMES
(refrain):
What's a turtle? What's a tortoise?
and what's a terrapin?
What should I call these creatures:
What a state I'm in!
Well I'll tell you what I know
and I'll attempt to show
that whatever you call them
they're one of God's finest creatures here below!
You can use the word "turtle" to describe any of them:
A turtle can mean a tortoise
or a turtle's a terrapin.
But now just to confuse you
I'll tell you what a turtle's not:
a tortoise isn't a terrapin!
(Some further explaining I've got!) (refrain)
A tortoise only uses the water
to drink or bathe, not swim
But a turtle who swims in the water
Can be called a terrapin
But a terrapin's not a sea turtle
(of this song, you'll soon be rid--)
A certain kind of turtle who likes land and water's
called an emydid! (refrain)
There are many kinds of turtles:
Of them you may have no fears
They are beautiful, gentle creatures
around for 200 million years
So whatever you call the turtle
I hope that you'll elect
to help all the turtles any way you can
and show them a little respect! (refrain)
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
4. POP A BALLOON (AND SAVE A TURTLE'S LIFE)
(refrain): Pop a balloon and save a turtle's life!
Even though it's fun to see it in the air,
when leatherback turtles see balloons in the sea:
they think "Yum! A jellyfish for me!"
Leatherback turtles love jellyfish
They think jellyfish are so "delish"
When they see your balloon
in the sea
They can't tell the difference
and balloons they'll eat! So (refrain)
Don't let the turtles find your balloon in the sea
Many times they eat them and die, slowly...
Hold your balloon so tight
don't let it go
Then pop your balloon:
Be a hero! (refrain)
Carelessly tossing your plastic's a deadly act:
A plastic bag was found in the digestive tract
of a two-thousand sixteen pound leatherback:
One plastic bag killed a
One ton turtle!
Take plastic bags and save a turtle's life!
Even though you may not have put it there,
when leatherback turtles see plastic bags in the sea,
they think "YUM! A jellyfish for me!"
(So) Put all the plastic bags out of reach!
Pick up the trash on the beach!
Do your part to save a turtle, too:
Pick up the plastic bags
or pop a balloon! Oh,
Take plastic bags and save a turtle's life!
Even though you may not have put it there,
when leatherback turtles see plastic bags in the sea,
they think "YUM! A jellyfish for me!"
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
5. TURTLE SHIPS
Oh come, I've a tale about turtles for thee...
You may say, what have they to do with ships and the sea?
Just listen, oh listen, wait patiently:
They've everything to do with each other, you'll see
For when sailors sailed the seas of old
they came upon turtles a thousandfold
and with so little struggle, and no need to seek
they took with them turtles so mild, so meek
There are stories of how many turtles they found:
turtles literally covered the ground
And on some of these islands where once they did thrive
not one turtle's left, not one is alive...
For when the winds raged and the journeys were long,
(I sing for the sacrificed turtle, this song!)
For when food ran low, guess what they would eat?
You can bet they depended on fresh turtle meat...
(refrain) For it's known that a turtle could so long survive
on very little to keep it alive
How many turtles in how many ship's holds
kept sailors alive, saved sailors' souls?
So we owe it to turtles, yes, surely you see
To give back to them what they gave you and me
As our ancestors' ships with their sails unfurled
relied upon turtles to discover the New World
Oh thousands of turtles were harvested
from the sea to keep hungry sailors fed
In the mid-1800's on whaling boats
Often turtles to eat were their only hopes...
Please do what you can for the turtle, our friend
They saved us back then, can we save THEM again?
Save a turtle's life, keep a turtle free
and give back to them what they gave you and me...
To Galapagos Islands the whalers came
Giant tortoises there never will be the same
During eighty years while whalers plied their trade:
One hundred thousand giant tortoises were slayed...
(repeat above)
They sacrificed their lives....
for sailors on the sea....
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
6. TURTLE POOP!
(refrain): Whaddaya know! Whaddaya know!
One of the turtles had to go!
You've been so nice to him, your whole group
But one of the turtles....had to poop!
If you think that smells awful
It's worse for the turtle, you see:
A turtle's sense of smell is so developed!
It's called his olfactory
And yet, a baby tortoise
You may think it's very rude
Sometimes eats his mommy's turtle poop
to help him digest his food! Oh,
Whaddaya know! Whaddaya know!
One of the turtles had to go!
They don't use a bathroom like you and me,
And one of the turtles...had to pee!
Now Bart's a very good turtle
He's never ever mean
But he usually poops all over his tank
Just after I've gotten it clean!
And sometimes in the winter, in his tank
That Bart, quiet as a mouse
Poops right over his heated spot
so it smells poopy all over the house!! (refrain)
You can see that turtles think differently
about poop than me and you
And here's one more thing about our friend Bart
that he often tends to do:
Bart loves to eat cat poop in our yard
To him, it's a great delight!
We think that sounds awful but for Bart
the vet says "a little's all right!" (refrain)
Now it's good to be optimistic
It's good to stay cheery and bright:
Maybe since the turtle pooped right here
He won't poop on the way home tonight!
It's kinda fun to sing about turtle poop
although it can smell pretty vicious:
Who would've thought that what we think of as icky
a turtle can think is delicious?! (refrain)
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
7. REPTILE KEEPER'S BLUES
It's 5:00 in the morning in bed I'd like to stay
But the turtles are waitin', no time to play
It's time for workin'--no time to snooze...
I've got those humid, steamy Reptile Keeper's blues
It's time to make a salad and clean those dirty tanks
the hunger of the reptiles is our thanks
It's air-conditioned out where the public view
But here with the reptiles it's one hundred and two!
We feed 'em lots of mealworms jumbo, medium or small
We feed 'em lots of live food oh, hear those crickets call
those snakes are hungry and for them, to entice:
we offer them a rat, or snake babies get pinky mice.
Now I feel pretty triumphant and I don't want to complain
but I finally got some nasty thing out of the drain
Now water's flowin' cleanin' everyone
Having clean reptiles is a reptile keeper's job well done
One night I had a dream that water pulsed and flew
the next day my fellow keeper said "Your dream came true!"
You gotta watch that water flowin' quiet as a mouse...
Oh yes, I remember flooding the reptile house!
Now everyone needs cleaning no time to sit and pout
'cause everything we feed the reptiles must come out
and we soak those turtles and make them clean and new
And we write down what they ate to see if they liked our menu
It's time to chop the chicken and feed those crocodiles
the caimans are some of the nastiest! reptiles
and don't forget to check the incubator, too
You might find a baby turtle lookin' up at you!
It's almost time to go now but I gotta stay awake:
You need to keep your wits about you with a venemous snake
I love all those reptiles why else would I choose
to be a reptile keeper with my reptile keeper's blues?
I've got those humid, steamy reptile keeper's blues...("boy, it's hot in here...)
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
8. DEVIL'S HOLE
There's a place in Bermuda in the sea
where you can see green turtles swimmin' happily
It's so great you gotta see it soon
I know 'cause I went there on my honeymoon, it's called
(Refrain): Devil's Hole Aquarium
Devil's Hole Aquarium
Devil's Hole Aquarium
You gotta see the turtles there and have some fun!
Well the cab driver said "You wanna go WHERE?"
but he agreed to take us there
And out of this old cave the wind would blow
So that people thought the Devil'd take their soul (refrain)
So when you get there don't get taken aback
or think your cab driver's off the track
For just beyond that little wall
the old cave roof sunk in and made a natural pool called (refrain)
Now when you get there they treat you right;
give you little squids for turtles' appetite
then you tie that squid right on a line
and the turtles come and eat it down and think it's fine at (refrain)
You can feed the turtles cabbage, too
in 65 feet of caribbean blue
and with them, swimming merrily
are tropical fish of ev'ry variety at (refrain)
Oh, to see those turtles in that sunken cave
is the prettiest sight you'd ever crave:
Blue water flushed out naturally by the sea
seems to me the next best thing to living free, it's (refrain)
At Devil's Hole Aquarium,
Devil's Hole Aquarium, Bermuda.
Devil's Hole Aquarium,
You gotta see the turtles there and have some fun!
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
9. SPOT (THE SPOTTED TURTLE)
For Matt Pelligrine and all the staff at Cape May Point State Park
Now you may think it's funny
Or maybe it's not
but it's not hard to figure out
Why my name is spot:
I'm a spotted turtle!
I live here at Cape May Point park!
I'm covered with yellow polka dots
on my shell so black and dark!
Now this song was requested
By Matt Pelligrine 'cause he thinks it's a shame
And maybe sorta mean
When people and developers
Take my wet, wooded home!
Hey! That's my turtle habitat!
but people take and use it for their own
Now when I hatched out of my egg
And I was awfully cute
I had one yellow polka dot
On the center of each scute:
But as I grew up
I grew more dots, all right:
I may grow more than a hundred dots
Like stars in the sky at night!
I'm a freshwater turtle!
I've got orange in my eyes and legs!
and a female spotted turtle
lays only three to five eggs!
and there's just one more point I'd like
to make in this song:
hey little baby spotted turtles
are only about one inch long!
So please help spotted turtles
yes----help us all along!
you can be a Turtlesinger, too,
And sing my turtle song ...(repeat)
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
10. TURTLESITTERS
Dedicated to Andy & Lynn Moceri
When the Turtletoter and I
Take a little trip
Our turtles are so lucky
our neighbors like to turtlesit!
Andy and Lynn next door
Watch Rocky, Gracie and Bart
And because we know they're well-cared for
It's possible for us to part
So here's to turtlesitters everywhere
We're blessed to know these people who care
For us, freedom can abound
With Andy and Lynn around,
We know our turtles have someone there.
When I was a just a little girl
People came to babysit
Sometimes for my babysitter
I'd wear a new outfit!
And for the occasion
Us kids would get a treat:
Something we couldn't usually have;
Something special to eat!
One night we had a "Sitter's Dinner"
To thank our turtlesitters
And Lynn wanted to know the turtles' favorite foods:
Which ones were "the winners" ....
So here's to turtlesitters everywhere
We're blessed to know these people who care
For us, freedom can abound
With Andy and Lynn around,
We know our turtles have someone there.
So when my babysitter came
We'd play a special game
And though we don't leave a hidden camera
And I know it's not the same:
It's still fun, anyway
To think of turtle games they play
With their turtlesitters
While we're away!
So here's to turtlesitters everywhere
We're blessed to know these people who care
For us, freedom can abound
With Andy and Lynn around,
We know our turtles have someone there.
I bet the turtles can tell
Our turtlesitters by their smell (I mean that in a good way)
And our friends Jean and Mary
Take care of them, as well.
And so many of you, I bet
Have a special pet
And a special sitter
You were lucky enough to get:
So here's to turtlesitters everywhere
We're blessed to know these people who care
For us, vacations can abound
With Andy and Lynn around,
We know our turtles have someone there.
So here's to turtlesitters everywhere
We're blessed to know these people who care
For us, freedom can abound
With Andy and Lynn around,
We know our turtles have someone there.
We know Rocky, Gracie and Bart
Have someone there.
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
11. TURTLE FOOD
(Refrain):
Turtle food, turtle food, what do they eat?
Do they like things sour, do they like things sweet?
As I tell you about it, and as I sing,
Keep in mind, turtles eat most anything!
They eat lots of leafy greens:
Collards and kale and cabbage, too,
I've even seen turtles eat green beans
And fruits like bananas and honeydew!
They eat lots of wiggly things:
Earthworms and mealworms and even slugs,
Eels and crickets, and things with wings:
Boy, do some turtles like their bugs! (refrain)
There's also turtle food people make:
I've seen huge bags of turtle chow
And soon my turtle, Gracie will take
And eat her Reptomins, we'll show you how!
And oh yes, they like their sweets:
Cantaloupe, grapes, and blueberries,
Some of these are their favorite treats:
Oranges, clementines and strawberries! (refrain)
Don't forget the vegetables:
Tomatoes, eggplant, and it's a job
When my tortoise, Bart, tugs and pulls
To eat a favorite: corn-on-the-cob!
A desert tortoise will cactus eat
Growing in those hot desert climes
And he'll eat the flowers sweet--
And doesn't even mind the spines! (refrain)
Don't forget the turtles in the sea:
They eat shellfish, jellyfish: all kinds of fish!
Turtle grass grows abundantly
And squid's a sea turtle's favorite dish!
I saw a sea turtle on t.v.:
An appetite for lobster is what he had
And it's funny, if you ask me:
A diamondback terrapin wants his fiddler crab! (refrain)
As I've told you about it, and as I sing,
Keep in mind, turtles eat ...most anything!
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
12. TURTLE NESTING TIME
At turtle nesting time
Every day I see the crime
Of terrapins killed on the road
Run over by cars
turtle mothers working hard
to lay their eggs and ease their heavy load
Only yesterday
some people made a point to say
they saw one of these turtles try to cross
on Stone Harbor Boulevard
and though it looked real hard
They said a prayer that turtle would get across
(refrain):
Since I'm the Turtlesinger
I feel the need to tell you
That though I believe strongly in prayer,
Prayer won't save those turtles' lives
But you can: can you take
Five minutes time to stop and help them out?
There's not a lot I can do
hands-on to help the dolphins
or the poor elephant in Africa
But here's a hands-on tool:
You can make it a rule
to help a turtle, even though it's not the law
You can help the poor terrapin
trying to cross the road
And you can't leave it up to someone else
to help a turtle find her way
It's up to you to say: "I'm going to help that turtle myself!" (refrain)
Something else that someone said
got into my head
They said "boy, those turtles go so slow!" Well, could you outrun a car?
Those turtle mothers try so hard
to cross the roads as fast as they can go!
Nesting season's only 2 months
Maybe you'll be late for lunch-
but please stop when a turtle needs your help!
And make sure they get across
or all their eggs could be lost
It's so hard for them, it makes my heart melt ...(refrain)
If turtles could scream,
then how would it seem?
It's easier to kill them when they're mute
than hear their cries of agony
When all they want is just to be
allowed to thrive and live and reproduce
I thank you for your time
and for hearing this rhyme
about turtles, who seem insignificant-
But let's not reach the day
when we look around and say, "There were turtles here-I wonder where they went" (refrain)
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
13. LITTLE SEA TURTLE SONG
Now everybody gather round
Dig little turtles, dig!
It's time to climb out of the ground
Dig little turtles, dig!
With yolk sacs on, we're sort of stout
Dig little turtles, dig!
But we'll help each other to dig out!
Dig little turtles, dig!
Dig, brave little turtles, dig!
Watch out for a wild pig!
Dig as fast as you can go!
Dig, little turtles, dig!
Our eyes are open big and wide
Go little turtles, go!
It happens to be dark outside
Go little turtles, go!
We look for reflections off the sea:
Go little turtles, go!
That's the way to go, everybody follow me!
Go little turtles, go!
Go, brave little turtles, go!
Can't afford to go slow!
Go as fast as you can go!
Go little turtles, go!
Be careful as you run to the sea!
Run little turtles, run!
For a scary crab almost caught me!
Run little turtles, run!
And watch out, watch out over there!
Run little turtles, run!
Some hungry birds fly through the air!
Run little turtles, run!
Run, brave little turtles, run!
Or they'll eat you one by one!
Run as fast as you can go!
Run little turtles, run!
So many of us came out to crawl
Swim little turtles, swim!
Don't worry, they won't catch us all!
Swim little turtles, swim!
Just when we felt so very weary
Swim little turtles, swim!
A wave came and carried us out to sea!
Swim little turtles, swim!
Swim, brave little turtles, swim!
A shark is going after them!
Swim as fast as you can go!
Swim little turtles, swim!
A hundred turtles tried to flee
Rest little turtle, rest
Now only one remains, that's me
Rest little turtle, rest
I'm hiding in Sargasso weed
Rest little turtle, rest
The others didn't make it...
but I'll succeed!
Grow, little turtle, grow!
Grow, brave little turtle, grow!
Grow until you return to go
back to the beach from which you fled...
Grow, little turtle, grow!
Copyright 2000 Turtlesinger Songs
