"Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was sung by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for best song, and has been recorded by numerous artist since then.

Song writer Jimmy Van Heusen was at Crosby’s house one evening for dinner, and to discuss a song for the movie Going My Way. During the meal one of the children began complaining about how he didn’t want to go to school the next day. The singer turned to his son and said to him, “If you don’t go to school, you might grow up to be a mule. Do you wanna do that?”

Van Heusen thought this clever rebuke would make a good song for the movie. He pictured Bing, who played a priest, talking to a group of children acting much the same way as his own child had acted that night. Van Heusen took the idea to his partner lyricist Johnny Burke, who approved. They wrote the song.

The first recording of Swinging on a Startook place in Los Angeles on February 7, 1944, released by Decca Records. The Williams Brothers quartet, including legendary crooner Andy Williams, sang backup vocals to Crosby.

It was also featured in the Little Lulu cartoon, Bout with a Trout.,

Some additional recordings:

The song was parodied in a The Far Sidecartoon, which depicted a man-turned-pig saying to his wife, "Hey, so I made the wrong decision! [referring to the part of the song which says "Or would you rather be a pig"] But I wasn't sure I wantedto swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar!"

In 1969, Ray Stevens sang "Gitarzan", which featured the wrong notes from "Swinging on a Star". ("Carrying Moonbeams Home in a Jar").

During his 2009 Tour of Refusalindie legend Morrissey occasionally sang the chorus over the chorus of his 2004 hit 'First of the Gang to Die'.