Climbing the charts: #mprraccoon gets its own song
You watched the world-famous ascent. Now, see the music video.
Joining posters and sketches, parodies and countless internet memes, The Current has released an homage to the #mprraccoon, made famous by an astonishing climb up a 25-story office tower this week. It's called "Raccoon Climber."
Raccoon climber / Keep on climbing
We need someone / someone to believe in today
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
So begins the song written by The Current program director Jim McGuinn and performed by "The Raccoon Climbers" featuring Mark Mallman.
Let's count the floors! / 15-16-17-18 / 19-20-21
Did you know the world was watching / Or were you just having fun?
Also performing on the song are Ed Ackerson, Jimmy Olson and McGuinn. The video — shot on location outside of the Minnesota Public Radio headquarters and in view of the UBS Plaza building the raccoon scaled — was filmed and edited by Nate Ryan.
The raccoon's death-defying exploits drew attention not just in the Twin Cities, but around the nation and the world. On social media, thousands followed the progress of #mprraccoon and pulled for her to reach the top.
The song ends with a tip of the metaphorical hat to another female made famous for a skyward gesture in Minnesota: the tam-tossing Mary Tyler Moore seen among the skyscrapers in Minneapolis during the credits of her eponymous CBS television series:
Raccoon climber / Please don't fall /
Because you're gonna make it after all /
Because she's going make it after all /
You know we're gonna make it after all