ABC-DEF-GHI
From Muppet Wiki
| Written by | |
| Music by | Joe Raposo |
| Lyrics by | Jon Stone and Joe Raposo |
| Date | 1970 |
| Source | Sesame Street |
| Publisher | Jonico Music Inc. |
"ABC-DEF-GHI" is a Sesame Street song from the show's first season. When Big Bird sees a long word that he doesn't understand, he sings it aloud as he tries to figure out what it means, pronouncing it "ab-ca-def-gi-jeckle-mi-nop-kwer-stoov-wix-iz". He is eventually reassured by the adults that ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ is not a word but the alphabet.
In 1972, the sketch was retaped, using the soundtrack from The Sesame Street Book & Record, and in the 1980s, the original song was shown as a flashback in a sketch where Big Bird and some kids found a scroll of the alphabet in a trunk. (EKA: Episode 2955) He last performed "ABC-DEF-GHI" on Sesame Street on the Season 34 premiere, at a karaoke night that Alan hosted at Hooper's Store.
Outside of Sesame Street, Big Bird has performed "ABC-DEF-GHI" on several occasions, including with Flip Wilson on the premiere episode of The Flip Wilson Show, in Big Bird & the ABCs (a Sesame Street Live stage show), and on Evening at Pops: 2001. He also sang a verse of the song during the ending medley in Elmopalooza.
Elmo recorded his own version of "ABC-DEF-GHI" for the album Sing the Alphabet.
Contents |
Audio releases
Big Bird
- The Sesame Street Book & Record (1970)
- ABC-DEF-GHI/J-Jump (single, 1970)
- Big Bird Sings! (1974)
- Sing the Hit Songs of Sesame Street (1974)
- ABC-DEF-GHI/I Just Adore 4 (single, 1976)
- Muppet Masquerade (1978)
- The Best of Big Bird (1983)
- Favorite Songs From Jim Henson's Muppets
- The Best of Sesame Street
- Sing: Songs of Joe Raposo (1992)
- The Bird is the Word!
- Platinum All-Time Favorites (1995)
- Elmopalooza! (as part of the "Songs" medley)
- Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music (2003)
- Just Me! Music
Elmo
Miscellaneous
- Wish Upon a Star: All-Time Children's Favorites (instrumental)
Video releases
Original version
1980s version
Online releases
- Sesamestreet.org (original version)
