Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical – The Songs

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical – The Songs is a blog that covers the songs from the Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical.

Introduction

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical is a stage adaptation of the educational animated television series Schoolhouse Rock!, which originally aired on ABC from 1973 to 1985. The musical features songs from the series, as well as new songs written for the stage adaptation.

The Songs

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical is a revue of the songs from the 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series Schoolhouse Rock. The songs are educational, covering topics such as grammar, science, history, multiplication and ecology.

The Characters

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical – The Songs is a children’s educational musical television show that aired on ABC from 1973 until 1985. The show was created by James Clifford, Dave McElfatrick, George Newall, and Tom Yohe. It featured a cast of characters who taught children various topics through song.

The characters of Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical – The Songs were:

-Lucky Seven Sampson
-Multiplication Rock
-Grammar Rock
-Conjunction Junction
-I’m Just a Bill
-Interplanet Janet
-Elbow Room
-Taxman
-3 Is a Magic Number
-My Hero, Zero

The Story

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical is a stage adaptation of the classic 1970s animated television series. The show debuted on Broadway in 2016, and the original cast recording was released that same year.

The story follows a group of students as they prepare for a big test by singing some of the most memorable songs from the TV series, including “Conjunction Junction,” “I’m Just a Bill,” and “Three Is a Magic Number.” Along the way, they learn some important lessons about grammar, history, math, and more.

The Music

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical is a musical stage adaptation of the 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series of the same name, which featured various songs that taught children grammar, science, history, mathematics, and civics. The stage adaptation features new lyrics by creator Bob Dorough and music by Grammy Award winner Tom Yohe, along with some of the original songs from the cartoon series.

The majority of the songs in Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical are original songs written for the stage adaptation, however there are a few that are adapted from the original cartoon series. Here is a list of all of the songs in Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical, both old and new:

New Songs
-Just a Bill
-Three Is a Magic Number
-Interplanet Janet
-Conjunction Junction (reprise)
-I’m Just a Bill (reprise)
-My Hero Zero
-Figure Eight
-Elbow Room
-Unpack Your Adjectives
-Ready or Not, Here I Come
Old Songs
-(I’m Not Exactly Sure How) Electricity Works -Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here -Conjunction Junction

The Lyrics

Along with the feel-good vibes of the original, Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical also teaches important life lessons. Here are the lyrics to some of the musical’s most memorable songs.

“Just a 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
From my introduction to my final passage
Down the hall of those who represent
The will of the people is what I’m here for
But talkin’ ’bout money is what gets me through
To be passed, there’s just one thing I need… doo-wah!”

“Conjunction Junction”:

“Conjunction junction, what’s your function?
Hooking up words and phrases and clauses
I got three favorite cars that get most of my attention
Gimme a chance to show you my comprehension

Chorus:
Conjunction junction, how’s that function? (function)
Your order of business is bringing things together (together)

As far as I can see conjunctions can only do one thing (thing) That sure could complicate my life without ’em!”

The Cast

The Cast of Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical – The Songs
-Bob Dorough as Bob
-Debra Harry as Debra
-Buck Henry as Buck
-Jonathan Darrow as Jonathan
-Blondie Chaplin as Blondie
-Gilda Radner as Gilda

The Songs:
-My Hero, Zero – Bob Dylan
-Just a Bill – Clint Eastwood
-Conjunction Junction – James Earl Jones
-I’m Just a Bill – John Lithgow
-3 Is a Magic Number – Mel Brooks
-Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here – Steve Martin

The Creators

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical is a musical stage production inspired by the educational animated television series Schoolhouse Rock!, which originally aired on ABC from 1973 to 1985. The show first premiered on Broadway in 1996 and ran for over 500 performances. The musical features songs from the original series, as well as some new songs composed specifically for the stage show.

The original creators of Schoolhouse Rock! were Bob Dorough (music), Dave Frishberg (lyrics), and George Newell (animation). The three men worked together to create over 50 songs for the original series. Newell also directed many of the animated shorts, while Dorough served as both composer and performer for many of the songs.

For the musical, a new team was brought on to adapt the existing material for the stage. The book was written by Scott Emmons, with additional contributions by George Newell. The music and lyrics were adapted and arranged by Dave Frishberg and Bob Dorough, with additional new songs composed by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and David Zippel.

The Legacy

Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical is a musical stage adaptation of the educational cartoon series Schoolhouse Rock, which ran on ABC from 1973 to 1985. The songs from the series were written by Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, George Newall, and Lynn Ahrens, with animation by Tom Yohe. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1996, and was revived Off-Broadway in 2012.

The Legacy
Schoolhouse Rock: The Musical has been performed all over the world, including in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. The songs from the show have been featured in commercials, movies, and television shows. “The Times They Are A-Changin'” was used in a 2016 commercial for Apple TV. “Just a Bill” was featured in an episode of The Simpsons. “I’m Just a Bill” was also used in an episode of School of Rock.

The Fun Facts

From Grammy-winning recordings to an Emmy-winning television show, Schoolhouse Rock! has been entertaining and informing children and adults since it debuted on ABC-TV in 1973. The musical features all of the original songs created for the iconic Saturday morning cartoon series plus 7 new ones written just for the stage. The story behind each song is brought to life with clever, fast-paced lyrics and eye-popping animation projections.