Music at the Museum - Come Sing with the Saguaros!

Celebrate the Sonoran Desert with monsoon music and more! Sing along and serenade the saguaros as you learn more about this beautiful region’s biodiversity. Select the plus sign (+) for song lyrics, chords, and links to related activities and information.

Robin, Michelle, and Catherine playing instruments at a Desert Museum singalong.
Robin, Michelle, and Catherine playing instruments at a Desert Museum singalong.

In the Shade of the Saguaro


Monsoon Season

Lyrics PDF for Monsoon Season (opens in new window)

Verse 1

A Winter seems so far away
Been so long since E it has rained
So A hot and dry I just wanted to cry
E Hooray! Look, there’s some A water

Chorus

A Cause it’s monsoon season in the desert
It’s D monsoon season in the desert
Feels A like it hasn’t rained in forever
But now it’s E monsoon season in the A desert

Verse 2

A Animals hiding underground
Come to the surface to E look around
It A finally rained, time to celebrate
The E desert comes to A life again!

Chorus

Verse 3

A Toads and frogs dig out of the ground
To lay some eggs and E find some food
A Centipedes, millipedes, & beetles, too
E All come up — it’s a A critter zoo

Chorus

Verse 4

A Thirsty cactus is in luck
When there’s water E to drink up
To A save for later when they need it most
So the E sun doesn’t burn them — like A saguaro toast

Chorus

Bridge

D Termites and ants come out for mating A flights — oh, yeah!
E Hoping they don’t get eaten by velvet A mites — yum, yum!
D Gila monsters emerge, what a special A sight — wow!
B7 Vinegaroons love a good shower too
These E storms are a delight! Oh…

Chorus

OUTRO repeat 2x:

E Monsoon season in the A desert

Guitar Chords

A major - play strings 2-6, finger 1 on string 3 at fret 2, finger 2 on string 4 at fret 2, finger 3 on string 5 at fret 2

E major - play all strings, finger 1 on string 4 at fret 1, finger 2 on string 2 at fret 2, finger 3 on string 3 at fret 2

D major - play strings 3-6, finger 1 on string 4 at fret 2, finger 2 on string 6 at fret 2, finger 3 on string 5 at fret 3

B7 major - play strings 2-6, finger 1 on string 3 at fret 1, finger 2 on string 2 at fret 2, finger 3 on string 4 at fret 2, finger 4 on string 6 at fret 2

Ukulele Chords

Tarantula

Quail

Vulture

Snake

Syndenn dressed as a saguaro with a double bass.
Syndenn dressed as a saguaro
with a double bass.

Artists on this song

Michelle Miner — vocals & acoustic guitar
Syndenn Sweet — vocals, banjo guitar, & electric bass
Brian Hanner — drums & percussion

Explore water related information and activities!

I Think I Pan Experiment (PDF)
Gila Monster Coloring Page (PDF)
Make Your Own Rain Gauge (PDF)
Wildlife and Water Information (PDF)
Monsoon storm photos


I L O V E this D E S E R T

Verse 1

C Going on a trip, where F will it G be?
C Driving through the mountains, such F majesG ty
A C forest of saguaros inF stead of G trees
ToF day I have a feeling we’ll make G memories

Chorus

F I L O C V E this G D E S E R T
Yeah, F I L O C V E this G place I like to roam
F I L O C V E this G D E S E R T
And F I L O C V E our SonF oran G Desert C home

Verse 2

C Now we’re at the entrance, I F see the G sign:
The C Desert Museum, gonna F have a great G time
ExC plore the outdoors, how the F paths do G wind
How F many plants and animals G will we find?

Chorus

Verse 3

C If we’re really lucky we F might see G Cruz
C Up on his rock just F takin’ a G snooze
C Yawnin’ or playin’ like a F giant house G cat
A F rescued mountain lion in his G habitat

Bridge

A F rattler with a tail brown, white, and black
C Javelina snortin’ while they're eatin’ a snack
A F bear, a wolf, a fox, a spotted ocelot
G I enjoy today an awful lot

Chorus

OUTRO

F I L O C V E our SoF noran G Desert C home

Ukulele Chords

C major - play all strings, finger on string 4 at fret 3

F major - play all strings, fingers on string 1 at fret 2, on string 3 at fret 1

G major - play all strings, fingers on string 2 at fret 2, on string 3 at fret 3, on string 4 at fret 2

Bat

Fly

Moth

Rabbit

Artists on this song

Michelle Miner — vocals & ukulele
Syndenn Sweet — vibraphone

Explore Desert Museum related information and activities!

Cruz the Mountain Lion
Connect the dots (PDF)
So many things to explore!
Javelina vs. Wild Boar (PDF)


I Am A Packrat

Verse 1

C I am a packrat
G7 I live in the desert
C Searching for treasure
To G7 take back home
C I’m important
BeG7 cause you see
C I help plants
G7 Spread their seeds

Chorus

G7 I am a little desert packrat
C Looking for anything I can find
G7 I am a little desert packrat
C Looking for treasures G7 all the C time

Verse 2

C I collect cactus
With G7 pokey spines
To C help me protect
This G7 nest of mine
C I collect all
G7 Kinds of goodies
C Toys that are lost
G7 Jewelry that’s shiny

Chorus

Verse 3

C Humans might sigh
When I G7 chew things they like
But my C pee is like glue
And G7 preserves things too
So C thanks to my midden
My G7 collection that’s hidden
Humans C learn what was here
Back G7 thousands of years

Chorus

Verse 4

I C better be careful
G7 While I travel
Don’t C wanna get caught
By a G7 hungry owl — Aaahhhh!!!

Chorus

Outro

C Looking for treasures G all the C time

Guitar Chords

C major - play strings 2-6, fingers on string 2 at fret 3, on string 3 at fret 2, on string 5 at fret 1

G 7th - play all strings, fingers on string 1 at fret 3, on string 2 at fret 2, on string 6 at fret 1

Barrel Cactus

Fox

Bobcat

Packrat

Artists on this song

Mr. Nature — vocals
Michelle Miner — vocals & guitar
Syndenn Sweet — vocals & shaker
Brother Bear Eli — vocals & packrat puppet

Explore Packrat related information and activities!

Packrat House Coloring/Craft Page (PDF)
Virtual Packrat Party feat. Mr. Nature
Visit the Packrat Playhouse
Animal Fact Sheet: White-throated woodrat

All music content Copyright © Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 2023

Silhouette Icon

Support Desert Museum Education!

A donation of any size will help sustain our educational efforts. Simply select- Education, Conservation, Science, Research for your designation.