# Three's Company: What Did This Mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111 "2012-07-13T15:04:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/1 "2012-07-13T15:04:42Z")
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??? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/2 "2012-07-13T15:08:54Z")
It’s from the lyrics to [“Would you like to swing on a star?”](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/frank+sinatra/swinging+on+a+star_20707021.html) > [@](#): > > …Or would you rather be a mule? > > A mule is an animal with long, funny ears > He kicks up at anything he hears > His back is brawny and his brain is weak > He’s just plain stupid with a stubborn streak ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/3 "2012-07-13T15:10:01Z")
It’s from an old song. > **[Swinging on a Star](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swinging_on_a_Star)** > > "Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year, and has been recorded by numerous artists since then. In 2004, it finished at No. 37 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. > Songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen was at Crosby's house one evening for dinner, and to discuss a song for the ... [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTUKHMlbYGA) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/4 "2012-07-13T17:27:17Z")
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. 😕😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/5 "2012-07-13T17:49:44Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s from the lyrics to [“Would you like to swing on a star?”](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/f/frank+sinatra/swinging+on+a+star_20707021.html) > [@DrFidelius](#): > > It’s from an old song. > [Swinging on a Star - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swinging_on_a_Star) > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTUKHMlbYGA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTUKHMlbYGA) Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/6 "2012-07-13T18:04:11Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/7 "2012-07-14T05:14:27Z")
Was it on the jukebox at the Regal Beagle? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/8 "2012-07-14T07:12:37Z")
This is good: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3zMjjMM6K0) Enjoy! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/9 "2012-07-14T08:26:07Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > 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. …great movie! My favorite critically panned movies! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2Jkxfb6ZACc/hqdefault.jpg "Swinging on a star - El Gran Halcón") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jkxfb6ZACc) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/10 "2012-07-14T13:53:52Z")
By the way-- if you hate to go to school, you may grow up to be a mule. ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/11 "2012-07-15T13:52:33Z")
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!_ ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/12 "2012-07-17T11:09:56Z")
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! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threes-company-what-did-this-mean/628111/13 "2012-07-17T11:27:21Z")
A dirty double meaning in a Three’s Company episode? I am shocked, SHOCKED to find suggestive dialog happening here.