This is a list of songs from Sesame Street. It includes the songs are written for used on the TV series. The songs have a variety of styles, including R&B, opera, show tunes, folk, and world music.[1] Especially in the earlier decades, parodies and spoofs of popular songs were common, although that has reduced in more recent years.[1]
Many famous musicians have sung on the show.[2] Musicians were chosen for their skill and popularity, but also for having a public perception that was compatible with the show's values. For example, musicians who were associated with illegal drugs were not invited to perform.[1]
The lyrics of Sesame Street songs had to be wholesome. They could not suggest sexual activity or dangerous actions, such as leaning out of a window.[1]
"Bert's Blanket", sung by The Muppet sheep (Jerry Nelson, Kevin Clash and Ivy Austin) and Bert (Frank Oz) as they learn how the blanket is made from a sheep's wool, written by Christopher Cerf and Sara Compton.
"Calcutta Joe" sung by Jim Thurman, written by Jeff Hale and Anna Dibble
"Counting Crows 123", sung by the counting crows (actual crows; a parody of the real-life band Counting Crows)
"Counting is Wonderful", sung by Count von Count in The Count Counts and other audio releases, music by Sam Pottle and lyrics by Emily Kingsley and David Axlerod.
"Counting Song (Learning to Count)" – sung by Zoe and Celina (Annette Calud) Eva Maria Noblezada's aunt as a spoof of "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor; written by David Korr (lyrics).
"Daddy Dear" (The `D' Song) music by Bud Luckey, lyrics by Donald Hadley
"Daddy Helps with the Dishes", sung by three muppet families about how they help each other doing chores, cooking, and homework, written by Joe Raposo (music) and Luis Santeiro (lyrics).
"Do the Dinosaur Dance", sung by Big Bird, Rosita, and Elmo
"Dressed Up", sung/written by Joe Raposo over footage of birds. A remade version is sung by Ron Marshall over footage of kids dressing up in fancy clothes.
"Easy Goin' Day", sung by Big Bird (Caroll Spinney), from Follow That Bird
"Eating", sung by Joe Raposo. The song features Raposo singing with himself, created through double-tracking.
"Elmo Wrote His Name", sung by Elmo, with Big Bird, Susan Robinson (Loretta Long) and some anything muppets, written by David Korr (lyrics) and Stephen Lawrence (music); included on The Best of Elmo album.
"Elmo's Rap Alphabet", a rap version of the Alphabet Song rapped by Elmo, written by Emily Kingsley (lyrics) and Robby Merkin (music).
"Elmo's Circle Song", sung by Elmo about his love of circles and other circular objects, at the end of the song, he gets dizzy and falls unconscious, written by Molly Boylan (lyrics) and Steve Nelson (music).
"Five Feet High and Rising", written and performed by Johnny Cash.
"Five Jive", rapped by Elmo (Kevin Clash) and sung by two backup singers about the number 5 in a similar manner to MC Hammer, written by Christopher Cerf (music) and Norman Stiles (lyrics).
"Five People in My Family", sung by a Muppet family, written by Jeff Moss.
"Follow the Arrows", sung by Luis (Emilio Delgado), written by Peter Howard and Emily Kingsley.
"Fuzzy and Blue", sung by Grover, Herry Monster and Cookie Monster, eventually, Frazzle interrupts the song because he wants to be in it, despite not being blue, so they change it to "Fuzzy and Blue and Orange", written by David Axlerod (lyrics) and Stephen Lawrence (music).
"Game of Make Believe", sung by Cecille
"The Garbage Man Blues" accompanying a film about what the garbage truck does.
"Get Your Body Busy", performed by Baby Tooth and the Funky Funk
"High, Middle, Low", sung by an Anything Muppet barbershop trio, voiced by Jerry Nelson (high), Joe Raposo (middle) and Jeff Moss (low), music by Jeff Moss and lyrics by Emily Kingsley.
"Hold My Hand" sung by Hootie and the Blowfish with muppets and kids teaching them to hold their hands to their adults while crossing a street.
"I Put My Leg in My Pants", written by Jeff Moss, over footage of kids getting dressed.
"I Want a Monster to Be My Friend", sung in audio track by a little girl (Marilyn Sokol) in The Sesame Street Monsters!, later in an insert for the show, the Betty Lou puppet lip-synched to Sokol's vocal track, lyrics by Robert Pierce and music by Sam Pottle.
"I Wonder About the World Above Up There", sung by Kermit the Frog and three Anything Muppet kids (performed by Jerry Nelson, Camille Bonora, and Martin P. Robinson), written by Donald Alan Siegal; this was Jim Henson's final singing performance as Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street, included on Jim Henson: A Sesame Street Celebration.
"I'm Under the Weather Over You", sung by Polly Darton
"Il Alphabetto", the alphabet in the style of Mozart opera, sung by Madame Alma Cluck (a parody of Alma Gluck, voiced by Ivy Austin) and the Poultry Choir, she accidentally whacks into the other chicken while singing the climax part of the aria, written by Tony Geiss.
"Imagination Rain", sung by Richie Havens, written by Steve Zuckerman.
"Imagination Song", sung by Ernie (Jim Henson) and Bert (Frank Oz), written by Joe Raposo.
"Imagine If You Would (A Ship Inside Your Mind)", sung by Prairie Dawn (Fran Brill) to Captain Shnook and Mr. Shneeze (both respective parodies of Captain Hook and Mr. Smee from Peter Pan, performed by David Rudman and Jerry Nelson, respectively), aired in episode #3069, music by Jeff Moss and lyrics by Joey Mazzarino.
"Imagine That", sung by Ernie about things that he sometimes imagines to be, written by Jeff Moss
"It's Funny", sung by an Anything Muppet guitarist joined by other laughing Anything Muppets, later sung by Polly Darton (Fran Brill), music by Sam Pottle and lyrics by David Korr.
"Lambaba", sung by The Count (Jerry Nelson) with the singing, dancing lambs, in a spoof of the Lambada craze, written by Tony Geiss.
"Letter B", sung by The Beetles lead singer (Richard Hunt), a spoof of "Let It Be" by The Beatles, written by Christopher Cerf. This song resulted in a $5.5 million copyright lawsuit from Northern Songs, the owner of the Beatles' catalog; the suit was settled for $50 after Michael Jackson acquired the Beatles' catalog from Northern Songs.[4]
"The Letter N", sung by Nick Normal (Jerry Nelson) and the Nickmatics, written by Stephen Lawrence (music) and Mark Saltzman (lyrics).
"Lincoln Park Zoo", written and animated by Bob Kurtz with lyrics by Big Daddy, sung by Big Daddy. Later sung by Gordon, Big Bird, Elmo, Grover, Oscar, Cookie Monster, Snuffy, Herry, Ernie, and Bert in one episode.
"Listen to the Bells", sung by a hippy Anything Muppet in sunglasses (Jim Henson), written by Jeff Moss.
"Listen to the Music", sung by David (Northern Calloway) and the Ringers, written by Sam Pottle and David Axlerod.
"Little Plant", sung by Ernie about how he takes care of his plant, who "thanks" him, written by Joe Raposo (music) and Luis Santeiro (lyrics).
"Little Things", sung/written by Joe Raposo; Prairie Dawn later covered the song for Sing: Songs of Joe Raposo. And later sung by Tony Bennett and Lexine for Sesame Street: 35 years of Songs on the Street.
"Look a Little Closer", sung by Bob (Bob McGrath), written by Joe Raposo.
"Lowercase N" written by Steve Zuckerman over an animated film of a lonely lowercase N
"Long Hard Climb", sung/written by Joe Raposo; a version by Jerry Nelson is recorded on Elmo's Lowdown Hoedown, and the song retitled Long Hard Road.
"Mom and Me", sung by a girl in voice-over about how great having a family can be, written by Joe Raposo; the vocals were later rerecorded by Lexine Bondoc.
"Moonshine", sung by Jerry Nelson as a little boy wondering at the beauty of the Moon and its light, written by Jeff Moss and animated by Klasky Csupo; it was later sung by Zoe (Fran Brill) and Herry Monster (Jerry Nelson).
"Mother Goose Jamboree", sung by Cab Callowmouse (a parody a Cab Calloway) and various Mother Goose characters having a party at a bookstore all night, Ivy Austin performs the song's introduction, music by Paul Jacobs and lyrics by Sarah Durkee.
"Muppets Rhyme in School", sung by Mr. Essex's students, such as Prairie Dawn (Fran Brill), as Mr. Essex (Jim Henson) teaches his students about rhymes (such as nose and goes), to the tune of "Moses" from Singin' in the Rain, written by Sonia Manzano (lyrics) and Joe Raposo (music).
"The National Association of "W" Lovers", sung by Bert and various Anything Muppets in an organization devoted to recognizing and celebrating the virtues of the letter W, music by Joe Raposo and lyrics by Jerry Juhl.
"New Baby", sung by Frieda (Fran Brill) about the new baby monster (Richard Hunt) that her mother (Pam Arciero) recently had, written by Joe Raposo (music and lyrics) and Luis Santeiro (lyrics); all three monsters in this song would become a different monster family, Frieda would eventually be reworked as Ingrid, the same puppet used for Frieda's mother would be later used for Humphrey, and the baby monster became Baby Natasha.
"Night Bug Boogie", sung by three singing bugs (voiced by Ivy Austin) inside a wall full of dancing bugs, written by Nancy Sans (lyrics) and Stephen J. Lawrence (music).
"No Matter What", sung by Kevin Clash with footage of kids playing with a beach ball, written by Jeff Moss.
"None, Some, All", sung by Bip Bippadotta with various anything muppets and monsters, written by Joe Raposo (music) and Jeff Moss (lyrics).
"Numerical Correspondence Song", sung by a quintet of Anything Muppets in a Gilbert and Sullivan-style operetta, music by Sam Pottle and lyrics by David Korr and David Axlerod.
"Numero Comparsa", sung by Celia Cruz and the anything muppets with a salsa rhythm, written by Joe Raposo (music) and Luis Santeiro (lyrics).
"Peanut Butter", sung/written by Joe Raposo over footage of a peanut butter factory.
"The People In Your Neighborhood", usually sung by Bob (Bob McGrath), written by Jeff Moss. Variations highlighted different people and their careers.[1]
"Pigeons and Cookies and Trash", sung by Bert, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch, written by Jeff Moss.
"Planets, Moon, and Stars", sung by Elmo (Kevin Clash) to his doll David from his bedroom, later Jerry Nelson provided vocals for a CGI-animated version of the segment, written by Jeff Moss.
"Readers of the Open Range", sung by Vern (Jerry Nelson) and his group (Kevin Clash and Richard Hunt) who specialize in reading signs and they introduce themselves, music by Joe Raposo and lyrics by Sara Compton; it was also sung in audio track by Elmo and Noel Cowherd (Jerry Nelson) on Elmo's Lowdown Hoedown.
"Rock 'N Roll Readers", sung by Little Chrissy (Christopher Cerf) and the Alphabeats (voiced by Jeff Moss and Paul Jacobs), music by Christopher Cerf and lyrics by Sara Compton.
"Romeo and Juliet", accompanying a short animated insert where an acorn falls from an oak tree and grows into another oak tree.
"Run, Run, Everybody Run", sung by Joe Raposo
"Salt, My Salt", sung by Jerry Nelson over footage of sea salt production in India
"Salute to the Banana", sung by Ivy Austin
"The Salute to the Letter E", sung by Guy Smiley (Jim Henson) to the Letter E (who won on The Letter of the Day Pageant). Written by Tony Geiss.
"Scratch My Back", sung by Bip Bippadotta (Jim Henson) and two anything monsters, written by Jeff Moss.
"Seven Goldfish", sung by Elmo about counting seven goldfish, written by Cheryl Hardwick and Nancy Sans.
"Shake Your Head One Time", sung by Ernie
"Shake Your Rattle and Roll", sung by Baby Fats Domino (Kevin Clash), written by Christopher Cerf and Belinda Ward. In the tune of Shake, Rattle, and Roll by Fats Domino.
"Shapes in My Room", sung by Telly Monster, written by Donald Alan Siegal.
"Somebody Come and Play", sung/written by Joe Raposo. A re-written version of the song is used as the theme for Play With Me Sesame.
"Something Cold", sung by Elmo in Episode 3647; written by David Korr (lyrics). Elmo sings about wishing for Carlo Alban to give him a cold treat to cool him down on a hot day.
"Sometimes a Cookie", An animated insert song featuring an animated version of Cookie Monster. Composed by Christopher Cerf.
"Soundman Song", sung by Simon Soundman (Jerry Nelson) about how his ruff-ruff (dog) chased a meow (cat) up a tree and how the cat got down, written by Jeff Moss.
"Sound It Out", sung by Same Sound Brown (Northern Calloway) and Farley (Jerry Nelson) reading and sounding out words on the chalkboard, lyrics by Sara Compton and music by Sam Pottle.
"STOP!", sung by Luis (Emilio Delgado), Susan, and Bob, In an album version, it is sung by Biff, Roxie Marie, and Benny Rabbit. it is also in the home video Big Bird's Favorite Party Games.
"Standing at the Bus Stop Sign", sung by The Four Tops.
"Starfish", sung by a young girl, written by Joe Raposo.
"Still, We Like Each Other", sung by Grover to a Green Anything Muppet girl in a flower garden, written by Jeff Moss.
"Staying Overnight with a Friend", sung by Big Bird and Snuffleupagus. It is later sung by Big Bird, Elmo, and Ruth Buzzi.
"Sugar Beet (Beet, Beet, Sugar Beet)", Accompanying a film on how sugar is made.
"Take a Breath", sung/written by Joe Raposo over footage of live animals breathing; it was later re-recorded by Elmo for the tribute album Sing: Songs of Joe Raposo.
"Tall Short Texans", animated by Joey Ahlbum, sung by a tall cowboy (voiced by Paul Jacobs) and a short cowboy (Jerry Nelson) to the tune of "Long Tall Texan", music by Paul Jacobs and lyrics by Sarah Durkee; it was later re-recorded by Big Bird and Elmo as an audio track on Elmo's Lowdown Hoedown.
"The Dirtiest Town in the West", sung by Anything Muppet cowboys in the tune of "Ghost Riders In The Sky".
"The First Time Me Eat Cookie", sung by Cookie Monster (Frank Oz) over a flashback of him as a baby, being given cookies in his high chair by his mother (performed by Kevin Clash), lyrics by Christine Ferraro and music by Mike Renzi.
"This Frog" sung by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson), with backup vocals by the Tarnish Brothers (Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Christopher Cerf), music by Sam Pottle and lyrics by David Axlerod.
"Three Waltzing Chickens", sung by Marilyn Sokol over a cartoon of 3 chickens, animated by Bruce Cayard, written by David Axlerod (lyrics) and Sam Pottle (music).
"Toothpaste Factory Rap (How Do They Get That Toothpaste in the Tube?)", Accompanying a video on how toothpaste is made.
"Toucan Two-Step", sung/written/animated by Bud Luckey with lyrics by Don Hadley.
"Touch, Feel"/"Touch, Hold, Feel", sung/written by Joe Raposo.
"Trying And Trying Again", sung/written by Joe Raposo.
"Tu Me Gustas (I Like You)", sung by Maria (Sonia Manzano), and also sung by Luis (Emilio Delgado), written by Joe Raposo and Jeff Moss.
"Tweet in the Morning", sung by Bobby McFerrin and the Muppet birds.
"Upside Down World", sung by Ernie and Bert from Follow That Bird, written by Jeff Moss.
"Wait Right Here at The Bus Stop Sign", Sung by a group of Anything Muppets as they wait for their bus.
"Water Course" and "Exchange", accompanying a short film showing how crayons are made. written by Richard Harvey.
"Water Baby", sung/written by Joe Raposo over footage of seals and children swimming.
"We All Sing With the Same Voice" written by J. Philip Miller and Sheppard M. Greene
"Weaver Bird", sung/written by Joe Raposo over...well, y'know, a weaver bird.
"We're a Family", accompanied film.
"We Are All Earthlings" sung by an Anything Muppet (Jerry Nelson) and Elmo (Kevin Clash) with various animals, music by Jeff Moss and lyrics by Sara Compton. Later covered by Jill Scott in 2006.
"We Are All Monsters" sung by four Muppet monsters, written by Stephen Lawrence and Tony Geiss; originally, Jerry Nelson played the red monster that would be later known as Elmo, with a low, gruff voice, but after Elmo was established as a major character, his lines were redubbed by Kevin Clash in later airings.
"We are the Seven Dwarves"
"We can all Be Friends" Sun by Big Bird, Elmo, Alan, Abby Cadabby, and Julia.
^ abcdefghijklmnoDodero, Camille (8 October 2016). "From 'Rubber Duckie' to One Direction (but please, no Eminem): Questlove, Big Bird (!) and the creators of Sesame Street reveal the secrets behind the legendary show's music--stay away from controversial artists--which has yielded viral videos and a lawsuit from The Beatles". Billboard. Vol. 128, no. 25. p. 48.
^ abcdDodero, Camille (8 October 2016). "From 'Rubber Duckie' to One Direction (but please, no Eminem): Questlove, Big Bird (!) and the creators of Sesame Street reveal the secrets behind the legendary show's music--stay away from controversial artists--which has yielded viral videos and a lawsuit from The Beatles". Billboard. Vol. 128, no. 25. p. 48.
