So TV Squad listed out their five favorite Sesame Street songs the other day. More precisely, contributing writer Adam Finley did in relation to Joe Raposo, Sesame Street composer.
In the spirit of Muppet-related discourse, I’m putting my own list below:
- It’s not easy being green
- One two three four five six seven eight nine ten. Eleven Twelve.
- Theme from Teeny Little Super Guy
- C is for Cookie
- Ladybug Picnic
Just plain classic Henson/Muppet/Sesame Street goodness.
The pinball song. Simple, effective and catchy as hell. I had a high school math teacher use this song as an explanation of base 12 numbering. Don’t ask. I couldn’t explain it now anyhow.
Male Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Teeny Little Super Guy
Female Singers:
Teeny Little Super Guy
Pops right up before your eye
He’s no bigger than your thumbTeeny Little Super Guy:
Snap your fingers, here I come
Now stop me if you’ve heard this one…Female Singers:
Don’t look in the sky
Don’t look in the sea
He’s inside of you and meTeeny Little Super Guy:
Did I ever tell you about the time?…Female Singers: You can’t tell a hero by his size
All: I’m just a Teeny Little Super Guy
Beautifully simplistic.
One two three
Four five six
Seven eight nine
Ten eleven twelve
Ladybugs
Came to the ladybugs’ picnicOne two three
Four five six
Seven eight nine
Ten eleven twelve
And they all played games
At the ladybugs’ picnicThey had twelve sacks so they ran sack races
And they fell on their backs and they fell on their faces
The ladybugs 12
At the ladybugs’ picnicThey played jump rope but the rope it broke
So they just sat around telling knock-knock jokes
The ladybugs 12
At the ladybugs’ picnicOne two three
Four five six
Seven eight nine
Ten eleven twelve
And they chatted away
At the ladybugs’ picnicThey talked about the high price of furniture and rugs
And fire insurance for ladybugs
The ladybugs 12
At the ladybugs’ picnic
12!
I must be a real sucker for the number twelve.
There’s my list. And yes, I realize there’s no Mahna Mahna (which I think of as a Muppet Show song). Feel free to agree, disagree, suggest or defend your own choices in the comments.
The Count’s “Batty Bat” song! The singing bats are so cute!
***
Count: In old Transylvania, when I was a lad
Our castle was poor, but we never were sad
We learned to be happy!
We’d dance ‘round the hall
And learning to count was the key to it all
By counting each count, I knew just where to start
And one special step has stayed close to my heart
[He begins to waltz about the room]
One, two, three, spread out the cape
One, two, three, twirl ‘round the floor
One, two, three, left foot you swing
One, two, three, then start to sing
One, two, three, loud as you please!
One, two, three, counting with ease!
One, two, three, doing the batty bat!
Bats: Batty, batty bat; batty bat; batty bat; batty bat!
Count: One, two, three, count!
Bats: Batty, batty bat; batty bat; batty bat; batty bat!
Count: One, two, three, count!
Bats: Batty, batty bat; batty bat; batty bat; batty bat!
Count: One, two, three, count!
Won’t you dance with me, doing the batty bat?
[speaking] Ah, my happy childhood in the Carpathian mountains!
[singing]
So now, in my own castle, I can enjoy
This wonderful dance that I learned as a boy
I see just how wise was my whole family
They taught me to count, and so now look at me!
I’m counting and dancing, and I swear that it’s true
If you do the same, you will be happy, too!
[speaking] Come! We try again!
[He resumes waltzing and singing]
One, two, three, spread out the cape
One, two, three, twirl ‘round the floor
One, two, three, left foot you swing
One, two, three, then start to sing
One, two, three, loud as you please!
One, two, three, counting with ease!
One, two, three, doing the batty bat!
Bats: Batty, batty bat; batty bat; batty bat; batty bat!
Count: One, two, three, count!
Bats: Batty, batty bat; batty bat; batty bat; batty bat!
Count: One, two, three, count!
Bats: Batty, batty bat; batty bat; batty bat; batty bat!
Count: One, two, three, count!
Won’t you dance with me, doing the batty bat?
The ladybug’s picnic is indeed great–haven’t thought about that song in years. Another great favorite: “Lovely Eleven Morning”:
It’s a lovely eleven morning
I heard eleven worms yawning (yawn)
I saw eleven cows sleeping ‘midst the buttercups
I said, How’s the cottage cheese?
And they said, Oh, dry up…
Eleven little birdies in the trees
Bright yellow beaks and pinky knees
Eleven chicks hatching
Eleven cats scratching
Eleven’s the number for me
Eleven ducklings, quacking,
(quack-quack-quack)
Eleven pigs, lip-smacking.
One two three four five six
Seven eight nine ten eleven
Eleven’s the number for me
Don’t you see?
Eleven’s the number for me!
(Then the cartoon shepherdess tumbles into a pigpen.)
I can’t believe that they didn’t pick the rainbow connection as number 1. While it might not have been a pure sesame street song, it was clearly the best muppets song.
Perfect. Exactly the list I would have chosen. I was worried for a minute when I didn’t see Ladybug Picnic, but it was there. To this day, on any occasion I have to count to twelve, I do it to that beat.
I don’t know if you guys still remember this but…
there is this Sesame Street song which still haunts me to this day and I don’t know the title, but
the clip shows pictures of a sunflower in a pot on an apartment window sill and there is an acoustic classical guitar playing in the background.
and I don’t know the title, arrgh.
I don’t know the episode
But it was like 25 yrs or more ago
The scene was a sunflower on a flower pot
sitting on the ledge of a balcony
just after the rain.
There is a solo nylon/classical guitar playing on the background
Does anybody know the title of the song played?
Any in fo is appreciated pls post the answer.
me too! i’ve been searching for that for years!!! what’s the title of the music???
It is, I believe, Vivaldi’s Concerto for lute, 2 violins and continuo in D Major, II – Largo. Go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nDK67jZviY and have a good cry like I just did.