Stephen Colbert and Oscar the Grouch Sing About Whether Things Will Get Better or Worse

Sesame Street‘s very own Oscar the Grouch joined Stephen Colbert in a musical performance inspired by current events on Tuesday’s episode of The Late Show.

Colbert opened the segment by reflecting on the stress he experiences as the host of a nightly talk show. “Following the news is like being on a treadmill, except that I’m gaining more weight,” he said. “I really want to believe that things are gonna get better, but it’s tough and sometimes I just need to clear my head.”

He then asked band leader Jon Batiste to play music to help him calm down, as he left his desk to take a stroll backstage.

“What if things never do get better? I mean, the whole economy could collapse. The dollar could plummet. The housing market would implode, then we’d all end up living in trash cans,” Colbert said before Oscar popped out of a nearby garbage can.

Oscar explained that he loves when things go wrong and that bad news cheers him up. After Oscar shared his mindset, the two sang a song titled “Things Are Going to Get Better.”

“People say the night is darkest just before the dawn,” began Colbert. Oscar continued, “People say a lot of things and usually they’re wrong.”

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The original song touched on topics that they feel are stress-inducing, including that “everyone is fighting back in Washington, D.C.”

“The news is overwhelming and it’s hard to leave the couch,” Colbert sang, though Oscar added that he has found comfort in staying in his garbage bin.

The host then sang that humans are tough and we can get through anything. “You still have faith in humans after logging onto Twitter?” Oscar responded.

As the song concluded, Colbert reiterated that things will get better as Oscar repeatedly declared that the news will ultimately get worse.

“I guess you’re right, Stephen. Things will get better,” Oscar said at the conclusion of the song. “Which will just give me more things to complain about.”

Watch the full performance below.