From the recording Imagination Station
(Through narration at the beginning of the song,) children often love to pretend that they are some sort of animal; accordingly, the lyrics encourage them to imagine that they are a bird flying high, a whale in the sea splashing its tail, a bear combing its hair, or even a jumping kangaroo. At the end of the song, the children realize they are happy just being themselves and having fun with their friends.
Lyrics
I wish I could be on top of a tree,
I wish I could be a bird, then you see,
I’d fly and fly and fly and fly way up to the sky, the sky.
A bird’s what I wish to be.
I wish I could swim; I wish I had fins,
I wish I could be a whale in the sea,
I’d splash and splash and splash and splash,
And give my tail a mighty crash,
A whale’s what I wish to be.
Just wiggle my nose, then my mind goes,
I could be what I want to be,
I might be a bear, combing my hair,
Or playing ball in the breeze.
I wish I had paws; I wish I had claws,
I wish I could be a lion, you see,
I’d run and run and run and run,
Then lie in the sun, the sun,
A lion’s what I wish to be.
I wish I could hop; I never would stop,
If wishes come true, I’m a big kangaroo,
I’d jump and jump and jump and jump,
And everyone would hear me thump,
A kangaroo, I wish to be.
Just wiggle my nose, and then my mind goes,
I could be what I want to be,
I might be a bear, combing my hair,
Or playing ball in the breeze.
I like to pretend, have fun with my friends,
So happy to be especially me,
I’ll clap my hands to this song,
I’ll clap while I sing along,
It sure feels good to be me,
Yes, it sure feels good to be me,
Yes, it sure feels good to be me.