You may have heard the Daft Punk song “Get Lucky.” If not, here’s a Youtube video:
I enjoy this song, and find it very catchy. I also enjoy those snazzy sequin suit jackets they’re all sporting. Classy. However, I think they got the lyrics wrong. It’s pretty good as-is, but there’s a better way. One involving birds (therefore of course it’s better).
Here are the original lyrics, as best as I can figure. There is some discrepancy between the different sources I consulted during a quick Google search. Pharrell needs to learn to enunciate properly, then we wouldn’t have this problem. And what’s with the hand in the pocket in the video? Get your hand out of your pants, it looks weird.
“Get Lucky” (original version)
(first verse)
Like the legend of the phoenix
All ends with beginnings
What keeps the planet spinning
The force from the beginning
(bridge)
We’ve come too far to give up who we are
So let’s raise the bar and our cups to the stars
(chorus)
She’s up all night ’til the sun
I’m up all night to get some
She’s up all night for good fun
I’m up all night to get lucky
(repeat multiple times, changing the “I’m up all night…” to “We’re up all night…”)
(second verse)
The present has no ribbon (or possibly rhythm)
Your gift keeps on giving
What is this I’m feeling?
If you wanna leave I’m with it
(repeat the part about cups, then repeat the chorus a gazillion times. It’s a pretty simple song as far as lyrics go).
Why stay up all night if there are no owls involved?
Phoenixes, cups, presents, ribbons, all well and good. But owls? Better.
The first time I heard this song I didn’t really listen to the words of the two verses, just the chorus: “She’s up all night to the sun/ I’m up all night to get some…” Obviously, I thought, they’re talking about owl banding. Why else would you stay “up all night til the sun” unless you were catching owls?
So I rewrote the lyrics. Someone had to.
I used saw-whets in this version, as they are the only owls I have experience banding (and therefore the only ones I have decent pictures of), but I’m sure we could easily modify for other species.
“Get Lucky” (saw-whet version)
(first verse)
We are not amused.
We’re gonna catch some saw-whets
They’ll fly in our mist nets
And then we’re gonna band them
To study their population
(bridge)
They’ve flown so far to get to where they are
So let’s raise our nets and our poles to the stars
(chorus)
We’re up all night to the sun
We’re up all night to catch some
We’re up all night for good fun
We’re up all night to catch saw-whets
Bonding time.
(second verse)
Now hold your wing out lightly
I’ll shine my black light brightly*
What is this I’m seein?
Got my data, now you’re leavin’
(repeat bridge, which I am too lazy to type out again)
(repeat chorus)
*biologists use UV light (a black light) to age saw-whets based on molt pattern (the way their feathers have grown, and how old they are). They do this by looking at the underside of their wings. Young birds will have pinkish-looking feathers, and older birds will have a combo of pinkish and whitish feathers. Check out the McGill Bird Observatory’s Northern Saw-whet Owl banding page for more information and pictures.
What does an owl with an attitude have?
A scowl!
And here’s one more bad owl joke to send you on your way:
What do you call an owl with a sore throat?
A bird that doesn’t give a hoot!
All pictures were taken in 2011 while banding in Presque Isle State Park, Erie Pennsylvania.
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