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| Music by | Joe Raposo |
| Lyrics by | Jon Stone and Joe Raposo |
| Date | 1970 |
| Publisher | Instructional Children's Music Inc. Jonico Music Inc. |
| First | Episode 0096 |
"ABC-DEF-GHI" is a Sesame Street song sung by Big Bird, which was first performed in the show's first season and re-recorded several times. In skits featuring this song, Big Bird sees the alphabet (often, written on a board or a sign) and interprets it as a long word that he doesn't understand. He sings it aloud, pronouncing it "ab-ca-def-gi-jeckle-mi-nop-kwer-stoov-wix-iz," attempting to decipher whatever meaning this word may have. He is eventually reassured by the adults that "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ" is not a word but the alphabet.
Performances[]
| Image | Year | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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1970 | Sesame Street (First: Episode 0096)
Big Bird learns words by reading signs all over Sesame Street, and points Susan to a sign in the yard, segueing into the song.
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1970 | The Sesame Street Book & Record
Sung by Big Bird, the opening and closing dialogue with Gordon and Susan is omitted on most subsequent album releases.
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1970 | The Flip Wilson Show
Big Bird sings the song and dances with Flip Wilson, who tells him that the word can mean anything he wants it to mean. | ||
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1970 | Sesame Street Episode 0133
In Gordon and Susan's apartment, Big Bird stumbles into the kitchen and ruins Gordon's peanut butter and jelly making music groove. He shows off a card he found with the alphabet on it and sings the song. | ||
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1970 | Children's Christmas at the White House
Sung by Big Bird, synced to The Sesame Street Book and Record recording. | ||
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1971 | Evening at Pops
Big Bird performs the song with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. | ||
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1971 | Sesame Street Episode 0298
Big Bird sings the song to Snuffy after having written the alphabet on a blackboard, claiming it to be a word. | ||
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1972 | Sesame Street Episode 0402
When Susan asks some kids about the longest words they know, Big Bird responds by singing the song. | ||
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1972 | Sesame Street (First: Episode 0436)
The song is retaped with Big Bird reading the alphabet signs plastered around his nest area. This version uses audio from The Sesame Street Book & Record. Excerpts of this version are seen in the specials Sesame Street Unpaved and A&E Biography: Sesame Street | ||
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1973 | Sesame Street Episode 0535
Big Bird sings this song with the signs plastered around the street, as David and the Kids watch. | ||
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1974 | You Will Be My Music
The song was covered by the Boston Pops, conducted by Arthur Fiedler. This performance was later included on Wish Upon a Star: All-Time Children's Favorites (1996). | ||
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1975 | Sesame Street (First: Episode 0793)
An instrumental version of the song is used for an Ice Follies sketch in which Big Bird does a solo dance on the ice. | ||
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1980 | Sesame Street Episode 1446
In a classroom, Big Bird reads out the alphabet banner and tries to guess what it means. Audio from the original first season recording is used when Big Bird performs the song. | ||
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1983 | Sesame Street Live - Around the World
Performed by Big Bird | ||
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1986 | Favorite Songs From Jim Henson's Muppets
A new recording of the song, sung by Big Bird, performed in a different key and with synth percussion instruments. | ||
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1987 | Sesame Street (First: Episode 2266)
The song is retaped again with Big Bird and two kids, Erica and Jessica, finding a scroll of the alphabet in his toy chest, which leads to a flashback sequence of him singing the song. The prologue is often removed on video releases.
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1987 | Big Bird and the ABCs (Sesame Street Live)
Sung by Tee Hee and Big Bird. | ||
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1987 | Big Bird's Animal Alphabet
Sung by Big Bird. | ||
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1988 | Big Bird's ABCs
Sung by Big Bird. | ||
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1989 | Sesame Street Episode 2616
Sung by Elmo.
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1996 | Sesame Street Episode 3457
Bird impressionist Michael Tweeter (Michael Jeter) does an impression of Big Bird by lip-syncing to the first verse of the 1987 recording. | ||
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1998 | Elmopalooza
Sung by Big Bird, as part of the "Songs" medley. | ||
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2000 | Sesame Street Episode 3875
Sung by Stinky the Stinkweed and Big Bird. | ||
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2000 | Evening at Pops
Sung by Big Bird in the closing medley. | ||
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2001 | Sesame Street Episode 3961
Big Bird sings a "la-la" version of the song. | ||
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2003 | Sesame Street Episode 4031
Big Bird sings the song as part of "Karaoke Night at Hooper's," hosted by Alan. | ||
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2009 | Plaza Sésamo Episodio 1049
Abelardo Montoya sings the song after seeing Manuel and Daniela make some letters.
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2014 | BBC Radio 4
Sung by Big Bird. | ||
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2019 | YouTube
An animated lyric video, using the recording from The Sesame Street Book & Record, was published on the show's YouTube channel in March 2019. The video features an animated cameo by Caroll Spinney. (YouTube) | ||
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2019 | Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration
Sung by Big Bird and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a part of a medley | ||
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2020 | The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley & Friends: Episode One: ABCs
Big Bird sings the first verse of the song in the episode. | ||
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2025 | Episode 5525
Grover sings a snatch of the song while disguising himself as Big Bird. |
Publications[]
- Sesame Street Songbook Vol. 1
- The Sesame Street Song Book (1971, 1992 and 2007 editions)
- Favorite Songs from Jim Henson's Muppets (1986)