The Turtle Song

Key

Bb Minor

Vocalists

Quick Draw, Turtle Trio

Releases

1985, 1991

"The Turtle Song" is a classic animated musical number known for its unusual composition in Bb Minor and its deeply silly, repetitive lyrical structure. The song features the character Quick Draw expressing his profound, singular love for "The Turtle", accompanied by the responses of the colorful Turtle Trio (Lily, Sam, and Sally).

The song has seen multiple variations over the years, most notably the Original 1985 Version, the Very Silly Songs rendition, and the 1991 Version & Boo Boo's First Love edition. It remains a cult favorite among animation enthusiasts for its surreal juxtaposition of a melancholic key signature with absurd lyrical content about health food, eggplants, and koopas.

Composition

Composed strictly in Bb Minor, the song creates a dramatic musical backdrop that starkly contrasts with lines like "I don't want no health food when it's time to feed." This stylistic choice elevates the comedic value of Quick Draw's bizarre fixation on turtles.

Lyrics

Choose a version below to view the documented lyrics for "The Turtle Song".

Quick Draw: The Turtle, The Turtle, Oh! I Love The Turtle I Don't Love My Mom or my Dad Just The Turtle The Turtle, The Turtle, Oh! I Love The Turtle I Gave Anythin' That I Had For The Turtle I Don't Want No Health Food When It's Time To Feed A Big Bad Ol' Turtles Is All That I Need I Don't Want No Hurtles That Come Out And Play I Sit On My Rock Eat Turtles All Day I Won't Go To Church And I Won't Go To School That Stuff Is For Sissies But Turtles Are Cool Turtles: I Don't Want No Pickles Or Don't Want No Honey, I Just Wanna Play With My Little Turtle [4×] Quick Draw: The Turtle, The Turtle, Oh! I Love The Turtle I Don't Love My Mom or my Dad Just The Turtle The Turtle, The Turtle, Oh! I Love The Turtle I Would Be Bad From The Turtle Yeah!

Characters

The song features a unique cast of vocalists. Tap a character to view their full encyclopedia biography.

Quick Draw

Lily

Sam

Sally

Extended Trivia

Production Notes

The original 1985 version of the song was famously sung by legendary voice actor Daws Butler, giving Quick Draw his iconic cadence.
In the 1991 "Boo Boo's First Love" version, vocal duties for Quick Draw were taken over by Greg Burson, who brought a slightly different energy to the track.
The key signature of Bb Minor is rarely used in children's or comedic animation songs, which typically favor brighter major keys. This gives the track an oddly intense, brooding atmosphere.

Lyrical Variations

The "Very Silly Songs" version notably alters Quick Draw's lyrics from "I Love The Turtle" to "I Ate The Turtle", shifting the tone of the song dramatically.
The Turtle Trio's chorus remains perfectly consistent across all versions: they steadfastly refuse both pickles and honey, insisting they just want to play.
The 1991 version introduces an aversion to "Eggplants", replacing the earlier versions' complaints about school and church.