Another set of lyrics requested for Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla.

Now I have a friend named Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla,
and I could say that Rufus found a kangaroo
that followed Rufus home
and now that kangaroo belongs
to Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla.

Whew! I could say that, but I don’t have to
‘Cause I have pronouns I can say,
“HE found a kangaroo that followed HIM home
and now IT is HIS.”

You see, HE, HIM and HIS are pronouns
replacing the noun Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla,
A very proper noun,
and it is a pronoun replacing the noun kangaroo!
(How common.)

Now Rufus has a sister named Rafaella Gabriela Sarsaparilla.
If she found a kangaroo I’d say to you
“SHE found a kangaroo that followed HER home
and now it is HERS” but I can’t say that…
SHE found an aardvark
that fell in love with HER and THEY’re so happy.

And my name is Albert Andreas Armadillo.
(No relation to the Sasparillas.)
Because of pronouns I can say
“I wish SHE would find a rhinoceros for ME
And WE’d be happy.”
You see, a pronoun was made to take the place of a noun,
because saying all those nouns over and over
can really wear you down!

Now I could tell you Rafaella Gabriela
and Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla and Albert
Andreas Armadillo found an aardvark, a
kangaroo and a rhinoceros.
And now that aardvark and that kangaroo
and that rhinoceros belong respectively to
Rafaella Gabriela Sarsaparilla and Rufus
Xavier Sarsaparilla and Albert Andreas Armadillo.

Whew! Because of pronouns I can say in this way
“WE found THEM and THEY found US
and now THEY are OURs and WE’re so happy.”
Thank you pronoun!

See a pronoun was made to take the place of a noun
’cause saying all those nouns over and over
can really wear you down.

Sometimes when we take them all on the bus
people really raise a fuss.
They start shouting out a lota pronouns at us like,
“WHO brought that rhinoceros on the bus?”
And “WHAT made that horrible noise?”
And “WHICH one of them’s getting off first?”

WHO, WHAT, and WHICH are special pronouns
that can ask a question in the sentence
where you do not know the name of the noun.
But I know -
I have MINE and SHE has HERS and HE has HIS.
Do YOU have YOURS?
THEY love US and WE love THEM,
What’s OURS is THEIRS, that’s how it is with
friends.

And pronouns, you are really friends, yeah!
’cause saying all those nouns over and over
can really wear you down.

Had a few request for this so here goes:

(Hum), (hum), (hum)
Ready pop?
Yep!
Ready son?
Uh-huh!
Let’s go!
Let’s go!
One! two!

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here.
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, got some adverbs here.
Come on down to Lolly’s, get the adverbs here.
You’re going to need
if you write or read
or even think about it.

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly get your adverbs here.
Got a lot of lolly, jolly adverbs here.
Anything you need and we can make it absolutely clear.

An adverb is a word…
That’s all it is, and there’s a lot of them
that modifies a verb…
Sometimes a verb and sometimes
it modifies an adjective, or else another adverb,
and so you see that it’s positively, very, very, necessary.

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here.
Father, son, and Lolly selling adverbs here.
Got a lot of adverbs, and we make it clear.
So come to Lolly.

Hello folks, this is Lolly Sr. saying we have every adverb in the book so come on down and look.

Hello folks, Lolly Jr. here. Suppose your house needs painting, how are you going to paint it? That’s where the adverb comes in. We can also give you a special intensifier so you can paint it very neatly or rather sloppily.

Hi. Suppose you’re going nut-gathering, your buddy wants to know where and when. Use an adverb and tell him.

Get your adverbs…

Use it with an adjective it says much more.
Anything described can be described some more.
Anything you’d ever need is in the store.
And so you choose very carefully every word you use.

Use it with a verb it tells us how you did.
Where it happened, where you’re going, where you’ve been.
Use it with another adverb that’s the end.
And even more…

How, where, or when.
Condition or reason.
These questions are answered.
When you use an adverb.
Come and get it.

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly get your adverbs here.
Quickly, quickly, quickly get those adverbs here.
Slowly, surely, really learn your adverbs here.
You’re going need ‘em if you read ‘em.
If you write or talk or think about ‘em. Lolly.

(Announcer: If it’s an adverb we have it at Lolly’s. Bring along your old adjectives too, like slow, soft, and sure. We’ll fit ‘em out with our LY attachment and make perfectly good adverbs out of them.)

Get your adverbs here.

Lots of good tricks at Lolly’s so come on down.
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly!
Adverbs deal with manner, place, time.
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly!
Condition, reason.
Father, son, and Lolly!
Comparison, contrast.
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly!
Enrich your language with adverbs.
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly!
Besides, they’re absolutely free.
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly!
At your service.
Indubitably.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA69pmhrBiE

Three is a magic number.
Yes it is, it’s a magic number.
Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity
you get three as a magic number.

The past and the present and the future,
faith and hope and charity,
the heart and the brain and the body
give you three as a magic number.

It takes three legs to make a tripod or to make a table stand.
It takes three wheels to make a vehicle called a tricycle.

Every triangle has three corners.
Every triangle has three sides.
No more, no less.
You don’t have to guess.
When it’s three, you can see, it’s a magic number.

A man and a woman had a little baby.
Yes, they did.
They had three in the family.
That’s a magic number.

3,6,9
12,15,18
21,24,27
30
(repeat)

“Multiply backwards from three times ten.”

3 time 10 is 30.
3 times 9 is 27.
3 times 8 is 24.
3 times 7 is 21.
3 times 6 is 18.
3 times 5 is 15.
3 times 4 is 12.
And 3 times 3 is 9,
and 3 times 2 is 6,
and 3 times 1 is 3 of course.

“Now take the pattern once more.”
“Three!”
3,6,9
“Twelve!”
12,15,18
“Twenty-one!”
21,24,27,30

“Now multiply from 10 backwards.”
3 time 10 is 30.
3 times 9 is 27.
3 times 8 is 24.
3 times 7 is 21.
3 times 6 is 18.
3 times 5 is 15.
3 times 4 is 12.
And 3 times 3 is 9,
and 3 times 2 is 6,
And 3 times 1
“What is it?”
“Three!”
Yeah, That’s a magic number.

A man and a woman had a little baby.
Yes, they did.
They had three in the family.
That’s a magic number.

Figure eight is double four.
Figure four is half of eight.
If you skate, you would be great, if you could make a figure eight.
That’s a circle that turns ’round upon itself.

1 times 8 is 2 times 4.
4 times 4 is 2 times 8.
If you skate upon thin ice,
you’d be wise if you thought twice
before you made another single move.

1 times 8 is 8,
2 times 8 is 16,
3 times 8 is 24,
4 times 8 is 32,
and 5 times 8 is 40 you know.

6 times 8 is 48,
7 times 8 is 56,
8 times 8 is 64,
9 times 8 is 72,
and 10 times 8 is 80, that’s true.

11 times 8 is 88,
and 12 times 8 is 96.
Now, here’s a chance to get off on your new math tricks. ‘Cause 12 times 8 is the same as 10 times 8 plus 2 times 8.
“80 plus 16… 96!”

1 times 8 is 8,
2 times 8 is 16,
3 times 8 is 24,
4 times 8 is 32,
and 5 times 8 is 40 you know.

Figure eight is double four.
Figure four is half of eight.
If you skate, you would be great, if you could make a figure eight.
That’s a circle that turns ’round upon itself.

Place it on its side and it’s a symbol meaning Infinity…

Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up words and phrases and clauses.
Conjunction Junction, how’s that function?
I got three favorite cars that get most of my job done.
Conjunction Junction, what’s their function?
I got “and”, “but”, and “or”,  they’ll get you pretty far.

“And”… That’s an additive, like “this and that”.
“But”… That’s sort of the opposite, “Not this but that”.
And then there’s “or”, O-R, when you have a choice like “This or that”.
“And”, “but”, and “or”, get you pretty far!

Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up two boxcars and making ‘em run right.
Milk and honey, bread and butter, peas and rice.
Hey that’s nice!
Dirty but happy, digging and scratching,
losing your shoe and a button or two.
He’s poor but honest, sad but true,
Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up two cars to one when you say something like this choice,
“Either now or later” or no choice,”Neither now nor ever”.
Hey that’s clever!
Eat this or that, grow thin or fat,
never mind, I wouldn’t do that,
I’m fat enough now!

Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up phrases and clauses that balance, like,
out of the frying pan and into the fire.
He cut loose the sandbags but the balloon wouldn’t go any higher.
Let’s go up to the mountains or down to the seas.
You should always say “thank you” or at least say “please”.

Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up words and phrases and clauses in complex sentences like,
“In the mornings, when I’m usually wide awake, I love to take a walk through the gardens and down by the lake, where I often see a duck and a drake, and I wonder, as I walk by, just what they’d say if they could speak, although I know that’s an absurd thought.”

Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up cars and making ‘em function.
Conjunction Junction, how’s that function?
I like tying up words and phrases and clauses.
Conjunction Junction, watch that function.
I’m going to get you there if you’re very careful.
Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
I’m going to get you there if you’re very careful.
Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
I’m going to get you there if you’re very careful.

(Coughing)

When Reginald was home with the flu, uh-huh-huh,
the doctor knew just what to doOoo.
He cured the infection,
with one small injection,
While Reginald uttered some interjections.

“Hey! That smarts!”
“Ouch! That hurts!”
“Yow! That’s not fair givin’ a guy a shot down there!”

Interjections… “Hey!”
show excitement… “Yow!”
or emotion… “Ouch!”

They’re generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point,
or by a comma when the feeling’s not as strong.

Though Geraldine played hard to get, uh-huh-huh,
Geraldo knew he’d woo her yeEeeet.
He showed his affection,
despite her objections,
and Geraldine hollered some interjections.

“Well! You’ve got some nerve!”
“Oh! I’ve never been so insulted in all my life!”
“Hey! You’re kinda cute!”

Interjections… “Well!”
show excitement… “Oh!”
or emotion… “Hey!”

They’re generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point,
or by a comma when the feeling’s not as strong.

So when you’re happy… “Hurray!”
or sad… “Aw!”
Or frightened… “Eeeeeek!”
or mad… “Rats!”
Or excited… “Wow!”
or glad… “Hey!”
An interjection starts a sentence right.

The game was tied at seven all, uhhuhhuh,
When Franklin found he had the ba-aaall.
He made a connection,
in the other direction,
And the crowd started shouting out interjections.

“Aw! You threw the wrong way!”
“Darn! You just lost the game!”
“Hurray! I’m for the other team!”
(Booing)

Interjections… “Aw!”
show excitement… “Darn!”
or emotion… “Hurray!”

They’re generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point,
or by a comma when the feeling’s not as strong.

So when you’re happy… “Hurray!”
or sad… “Aw”
or frightened… “Eeeeeek!”
or mad… “Rats!”
Or excited… “Wow!”
or glad… “Hey!”
An interjection starts a sentence right.

Interjections… “Hey!”
show excitement… “Hey!”
or emotion… “Hey!”

They’re generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point,
or by a comma when the feeling’s not as strong.

Interjections, show excitement, or emotion,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, “yeaaaaaa!”

“Darn! That’s the end!”

Boy: Woof! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington. But I wonder who that sad little scrap of paper is?

Bill: I’m just a bill.
Yes, I’m only a bill.
And I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it’s a long, long journey to the capital city.
It’s a long, long wait while I’m sitting in committee,
But I know I’ll be a law someday,
at least I hope and pray that I will,
but today I am still just a bill.

Boy: Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage.

Bill: Well I got this far. When I started, I wasn’t even a bill, I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local Congressman and he said, “You’re right, there oughta be a law.” Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress. And I became a bill, and I’ll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.

I’m just a bill.
Yes I’m only a bill.
And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
Well, now I’m stuck in committee and I’ll sit here and wait
while a few key Congressmen discuss and debate
whether they should let me be a law.
How I hope and pray that they will,
but today I am still just a bill.

(arguing)

Boy: Listen to those congressmen arguing. Is all that discussion and debate about you?

Bill: Yeah, I’m one of the lucky ones. Most bills never even get this far. I hope they decide to report on me favourably, otherwise I may die.

Boy: Die?

Bill: Yeah, die in committee. Oooh!, but it looks like I’m gonna live! Now I go to the House of Representatives, and they vote on me.

Boy: If they vote yes, what happens?

Bill: Then I go to the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again.

Boy: Oh no!

Bill: Oh yes!

I’m just a bill.
Yes, I’m only a bill.
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill.
Well, then I’m off to the White House Where I’ll wait in a line,
with a lot of other bills for the president to sign.
And if he signs me, then I’ll be a law.
How I hope and pray that he will,
but today I am still just a bill.

Boy: You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the president can still say no?

Bill: Yes, that’s called a veto. If the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress and they vote on me again and by that time you’re so old…

Boy: By that time it’s very unlikely that you’ll become a law. It’s not easy to become a law, is it?

Bill: No!

But how I hope and I pray that I will,
but today I am still just a bill.

Congressman: He signed you bill! Now you’re a law!

Bill: Oh Yeah! (Cheering)

In 1973, ABC aired a series of very popular educational cartoons called “Schoolhouse Rock!”. Let’s face it. If you grew up in the 70s you probably can still remember the lyrics to one of these songs. Admitting is the first step.

The first batch to be released was multiplication rock which consisted of the following:

“My Hero, Zero” – 0
“Elementary, My Dear” – 2
“Three Is a Magic Number” – 3 (my second favorite)
“The Four-Legged Zoo” – 4
“Ready or Not, Here I Come” – 5
“I Got Six” – 6
“Lucky Seven Sampson” – 7
“Figure Eight” – 8 (my favorite)
“Naughty Number Nine” – 9
“The Good Eleven” – 11
“Little Twelvetoes” – 12

After the 1973 season two more sets of cartoons were released, Grammer Rock and America Rock.

Grammer Rock:

“Conjunction Junction” – conjunction
“A Noun Is A Person, Place Or Thing” – noun
“Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here” – adverb (my favorite)
“Interjections!” – interjections – (my third favorite)
“Verb: That’s What’s Happening” – verb
“Unpack Your Adjectives” – adjectives (my second favorite)
“Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla” – pronoun

America Rock:

“I’m Just a Bill” – Legislative Process
“No More Kings” – American independence
“The Preamble” – United States Constitution
“Elbow Room” – U.S. territorial expansion
“Fireworks” – Declaration of Independence
“The Shot Heard ‘Round The World” – American Revolutionary War – (my favorite)
“Sufferin’ Till Suffrage” – Women’s suffrage
“The Great American Melting Pot” – Immigration/Diversity
“Mother Necessity” – American inventions
“Three Ring Government” – separation of powers

This was followed by Science Rock which was released towards the end of the 70′s.

Science Rock:

“The Energy Blues” – energy conservation
“Interplanet Janet” – the solar system (my favorite)
“A Victim of Gravity” – gravity
“The Body Machine” – nutrition
“Do The Circulation” – cardiovascular
“Electricity, Electricity” – electricity
“Telegraph Line” – nervous system
“Them Not-So-Dry Bones” – skeletal system
“The Greatest Show on Earth/The Weather Show” – weather

There were others to come after this but that is for one of the 80s blogs out there.

These were released on DVD for those that want to share them with their children or for reminiscing purposes.