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Tim Nelson and Andrew Krueger

Climbing the charts: #mprraccoon gets its own song

A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS tower in St. Paul.
A raccoon scurries up the side of the UBS Plaza in St. Paul on June 12, 2018.
Evan Frost | MPR News

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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

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?

A raccoon scratches itself a window sill.
A raccoon scratches itself on the windowsill of the Paige Donnelly Law Firm on the 23rd floor of the UBS Plaza.
Evan Frost | MPR News

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 #mprraccoon was caught in a live trap baited with cat food overnight.
The #mprraccoon was caught in a live trap baited with cat food after scaling the UBS Tower in St. Paul.
Evan Frost | MPR News

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