Blame It On The Groundhog

We received a request to imitate The Jacksons' song "Blame It On The Boogie" and change it to "Blame It On The Groundhog." We thought it was a cute idea, so we ran with it, but creating a new song of our own, of course. (We even made this issue's cover go with it!)

Written as an impassioned plea to Punxsutawney Phil, we're asking him to NOT see his shadow on Groundhog Day. And if winter lasts longer than it should, we're placing the blame squarely on the fuzzy guy himself. We think your kids will have a blast singing this, but there might be a few challenging phrases thanks to some syncopated rhythms and 16th notes.

For performance, winter wear seems in order – coats scarves, mittens, etc. But if you really want to take it up a notch, have someone dress up as Punxsutawney Phil! He could be dancing to the tune as your students sing it, and they could point to him at appropriate times, like when the lyrics say "'Cause if you do, it's all on you!," the kids could point at Phil and he could cover his eyes and act all embarrassed. Then every time they say "blame it on the groundhog," he could point to himself with both thumbs. And at measure 21, Phil could dance and act like he's diving into his burrow by putting his paws together and aiming them downward pretending he's gonna dive in.