Better Step Quick - Wintergreen

Once upon a time you could stroll all in the summer grass

And sit down underneath the big branches of a tree.

But riding on the backs of mice, creatures came bringing danger,

And waited to attack all the legs that they could see.

Chorus:

Better step quick, here come the ticks;

cover your legs or you’ll get bit.

Better step quick, here come the ticks;

cover your legs or you’ll get bit.

«This cannot be!»

the people cried, and called upon the scientists

To rid the land forever of this dreadful enemy.

After poisons, traps and hormone sprays, a voice cried out: «I have it!

The fire ant is the weapon that will make the green grass free.»

Chorus:

Better step quick, here come the ticks;

cover your legs or you’ll get bit…

Better step quick, here come the ticks;

cover your legs or you’ll get bit

The fire ants came and ate up all the little tiny ticks, and then

The land was safe again from the terrible disease.

The people put on shorts and skirts, and mowed their lawsn in bathing suits;

But the fire ants loved to sting all the feet and toes and knees.

Chorus:

Better step quick, here come the ants;

cover your legs or they’ll get in your

pants…

Better step quick, here come the ants;

cover your legs or they’ll get in your

pants.

«What can we do, these ants are bad, we have to walk on concrete,

And we cannot even mow our lawns or play a game of ball.»

Ecologists, entomologists, biologists and lawyers;

The professionals, they all agreed: «anteaters will save us all.»

Chorus:

Better step quick, here come the ants;

cover your legs or they’ll get in your

pants…

Better step quick, here come the ants;

cover your legs or they’ll get in your

pants.

The anteaters came in dozens and they ate up all the fire ants

But left a mess so thick that you could not walk around.

«Let's bring the mountain lions back, they’ll kill and eat the enemy,

And we don’t need very many.»

So mountain lions were found.

Chorus:

Better step quick, or you’re gonna slip;

it’s gooey and it’s gummy,

it’ll make you sick.

Better step quick, or you’re gonna slip;

it’s gooey and it’s gummy,

it’ll make you sick.

After a while the grass was free from mice and ants and anteaters

And the children played and frolicked while their parents mowed the lawn.

But one day while walking in the woods, a child was attacked by a lion;

So the hunters came and killed the cats until they were all gone.

Many mice were eaten by the mighty mountain lions,

But now it was safe for the rodents to return.

Far away the word was spread among the mouse population,

So they crept back to the lawns and fields with ticks all in their fur.

Chorus:

Better step quick, here come the ticks;

cover your legs or you’ll get bit…

Better step quick, here come the ticks;

cover your legs or you’ll get bit.