In an early episode of Three’s Company, Jack says to a girl “Do you want to swing on a star, or would you rather be a mule?” What the heck does that mean? The “swing on a star” I get from context, but “rather be a mule”? Huh???
It’s from the lyrics to “Would you like to swing on a star?”
It’s from an old song.
Which someone at Macy’s – or at least the former Marshall Field’s on State Street in Chicago – is inordinately fond of, because I hear it on the musak every damn time I go there. 
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand. 
The song was featured in Hudson Hawk, a very underrated movie. Bruce Willis and Danny Aiello were cat burglars and stole stuff from museums and the like. They figured they had, say, four minutes and ten seconds to rob a place before they’d get caught, so as they were doing their work, they’d sing a song that lasted 4:10 so they’d know if they were still on track to finish in time.
Was it on the jukebox at the Regal Beagle?
This is good:
Enjoy! 
…great movie! My favorite critically panned movies!
By the way-- if you hate to go to school, you may grow up to be a mule.
I actually like this song a lot. Not only because it’s sung by Bing Crosby (whose voice I luuuuuurve), but because of the words. Yes, parts of it are quite preachy, but I sort of see it as an inspirational song about being the best you can be, etc. I especially like the line at the end:
So you see, it’s all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin’ on a star!
Thanks, all. Never heard the song before. Knowing Jack, I assumed it had some dirty doublr meaning. Dirty is in the eye of the beholder!
A dirty double meaning in a Three’s Company episode? I am shocked, SHOCKED to find suggestive dialog happening here.