{{short description|Song that teaches an alphabet}} {{redirect-multi|3|Alphabet song|The ABC|Elemenopee||ABC song (disambiguation)|and|ABC (disambiguation)#Music|and|LMNOP (disambiguation){{!}}LMNOP|and|Alphabet (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox song | name = ABC Song | cover = <!--just the file name-->Alphabet song.png | alt = ABC Song | type = | artist = | album = | B-side = | released = <!--{{Start date|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}}--> 1 January 1835 | recorded = 1 January 1835 | studio = Jacob Trey's Songs | genre = <!--do not add unsourced genres--> Kids | length = Depends | label = Kids | writer = <!--for both music and lyrics--> Jacob Trey | producer = Jacob Trey | prev_title = <!--for a singles chronology--> | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = }} "'''The ABC Song'''"{{Efn|"The ABC Song" is also referred to as "'''Now I Know My ABCs'''", "'''The ABC'''", "'''ABC Song'''", "'''ABCs'''" {{IPAc-en|ˌ|eɪ|.|b|iː|ˈ|s|iː|z}} or "'''ABC'''" {{IPAc-en|ˌ|eɪ|.|b|iː|ˈ|s|iː}}, as well as "'''The Alphabet Song'''", "'''The Alphabet'''", "'''Alphabet Song'''" or "'''Alphabet'''".}} is the best-known song used to recite the English alphabet in alphabetical order. It is commonly used to teach the alphabet to children in English-speaking countries. "The ABC Song" was first copyrighted in 1835 by Boston music publisher Charles Bradlee. The melody is from a 1761 French music book and is also used in other nursery rhymes like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", while the author of the lyrics is unknown. Songs set to the same melody are also used to teach the alphabets of other languages.
== History == The melody of "The ABC Song" was first published in the French book of music ''Les Amusements d'une Heure et Demy'' (''{{Translation|Amusements of an Hour and a Half}}'') (1761) without lyrics. It was adapted in Mozart's Twelve Variations and used in many nursery rhymes around the world, including "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and later "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep", before being used in this song.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fuld |first=James J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EVninY59ul0C |title=The Book of World-famous Music: Classical, Popular, and Folk |publisher=Dover Publications |year=2000 |isbn=9780486414751 |edition=5th |pages=593{{emdash}}594 |language=en |orig-date=1966}}</ref> The author of the lyrics is unknown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dwyer |first=Rachael |date=14 June 2017 |title=Curious Kids: Who made the alphabet song? |url=https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-who-made-the-alphabet-song-77297 |access-date=24 June 2023 |website=The Conversation}}</ref>
"The ABC Song" was first copyrighted in 1835 by Boston music publisher Charles Bradlee under the title "The A.B.C., a German air with variations for the flute with an easy accompaniment for the piano forte."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Uitti |first=Jacob |date=15 June 2023 |title=The Meaning Behind the ABCs of "The Alphabet Song" |url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-behind-the-abcs-of-the-alphabet-song/ |access-date=24 June 2023 |website=American Songwriter}}</ref>{{Efn|The alphabet song is sometimes said to come from another of Bradlee's publications, ''The Schoolmaster'', but the first line of that song is given as "Come, come, my children, I must see", in Yale University's [http://orbis.library.yale.edu library catalog]. It is described as "a favorite glee for three voices, as sung at the Salem glee club."}} The melody was attributed to 18th-century composer Louis Le Maire.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lynch |first=Jack |title=You Could Look It Up |year=2016 |isbn=9780802777942 |location=Bloomsbury Publishing |page=50 |language=en}}</ref>
"The ABC Song" is commonly used in preschools across English-speaking countries. The television series ''Sesame Street'' has covered the song many times, collaborating with popular artists such as Stevie Wonder, Katy Perry, Nina Simone and Usher.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ryzik |first=Melena |date=2019-09-27 |title=How 'Sesame Street' Keeps the ABCs Fresh, Every Single Time |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/arts/music/sesame-street-songs.html |url-access=limited |access-date=2023-06-24 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=}}</ref>
Due to the speed at which '<nowiki/>''L, M, N, O, P''<nowiki/>' is sung, it is possible for listeners to mistake these for a single letter "elemenopee". One variation avoids this by singing them evenly ('<nowiki/>''H-I-J-K-L-M-N, O-P-Q, R-S-T, U-V-W, X-Y-Z'''), but has been criticized by fans of the original song, as it eliminates the end rhymes between ''G, P, V,'' and ''Z''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fortin |first=Jacey |date=2019-10-30 |title=How Do We Sing Our ABC's? L-M-N-O-Please Not Like That |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/us/new-alphabet-abc-song.html |url-access=limited |access-date=24 June 2023 |website=The New York Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bruner |first=Raisa |date=29 October 2019 |title=The People Have Spoken and They Don't Want This Updated Alphabet Song Remix |url=https://time.com/5713054/new-alphabet-song-reaction/ |access-date=24 June 2023 |magazine=Time}}</ref>
== Composition and variations == {{Listen|type=music|filename=Alphabet song.ogg|title=Alphabet song|description=Tune for ''Alphabet song''}}
Lyrics: ''(each line represents two measures, or eight beats)'' :''A, B, C, D, E, F, G...'' ({{IPAc-en|eɪ|_|b|iː|_|s|iː|_|d|iː|_|iː|_|ɛ|f|_|dʒ|iː}}) :''H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P...'' ({{IPAc-en|(|h|)|eɪ|tʃ|_|aɪ|_|dʒ|eɪ|_|k|eɪ|_|ɛ|l|ɛ|m|ɛ|n|oʊ|_|p|iː}}; "L, M, N, O" spoken twice as quickly as rest of rhyme) :''Q, R, S.../ T, U, V...'' ({{IPAc-en|k|juː|_|ɑːr|_|ɛ|s|nbsp|!|_|t|iː|_|juː|_|v|iː}}; pause between S and T, though in some variants, "and" is inserted) :''W... X.../ Y and(/&) Z.'' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ʌ|b|əl|.|juː|_|ɛ|k|s|nbsp|!|_|w|aɪ|_|æ|n|d|_|z|iː}}; pause between X and Y, and W and X last for two beats) :''Now I know my ABCs.'' :''Next time, won't you sing with me?''<ref name="evaeaston_com">{{cite web|url=http://evaeaston.com/pr/media/r/alpha-song.ra |format=RealPlayer|title=Listen to the song sung |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928033936/http://evaeaston.com/pr/media/r/alpha-song.ra |archive-date=28 September 2007}}</ref>
<score lang="lilypond" sound="1">\relative c' { \key c \major \time 4/4 c4 c4 g'4 g4 \bar "|" a4 a4 g2 \bar "|" f4 f4 e4 e4 \bar "|" d8 d8 d8 d8 c2 \bar "|" \break
g'4 g4 f2 \bar "|" e4 e4 d2 \bar "|" g8 g8 g4 f2 \bar "|" e4 e4 d2 \bar "|" \break
c4 c4 g'4 g4 \bar "|" a4 a4 g2 \bar "|" f4 f4 e4 e4 \bar "|" d4 d4 c2 \bar "|." } \addlyrics { A B C D E F G, H I J K L M N O P, Q R S, T U V, W X, Y and Z. Now I know my A B Cs. Next time, won't you sing with me? }</score>
Lyrics for the alternate Zed version: ''(each line represents two measures or eight beats)'' :''A, B, C, D, E, F, G...'' ({{IPAc-en|eɪ|_|b|iː|_|s|iː|_|d|iː|_|iː|_|ɛ|f|_|dʒ|iː}}) :''H, I, J, K, L, M, N...'' ({{IPAc-en|(|h|)|eɪ|tʃ|_|aɪ|_|dʒ|eɪ|_|k|eɪ|_|ɛ|l|_|ɛ|m|_|ɛ|n}}) :''O, P, Q, R, S, T, U...'' ({{IPAc-en|əʊ|_|p|iː|_|k|juː|_|ɑːr|_|ɛ|s|_|t|iː|_|juː}}) :''V, W... X, Y and(/&) Z.'' ({{IPAc-en|v|iː|_|ˈ|d|ʌ|b|əl|.|juː|_|ɛ|k|s|_|w|aɪ|_|æ|n|d|_|z|ɛ|d}}; W lasts for two beats) :''Now I know my ABCs.'' :''Next time, won't you sing with me?''<ref name="evaeaston_com" />
<score lang="lilypond" sound="1"> \relative c' { \key c \major \time 4/4 c4 c4 g'4 g4 \bar "|" a4 a4 g2 \bar "|" f4 f4 e4 e4 \bar "|" d4 d4 c2 \bar "|" \break
g'4 g4 f4 f4 \bar "|" e4 e4 d2 \bar "|" g4 g8 g8 f4 f4 \bar "|" e4 e4 d2 \bar "|" \break
c4 c4 g'4 g4 \bar "|" a4 a4 g2 \bar "|" f4 f4 e4 e4 \bar "|" d4 d4 c2 \bar "|." } \addlyrics { A B C D E F G, H I J K L M N, O P Q R S T U, V W X Y and Z. Now I know my A B Cs. Next time, won't you sing with me? } </score>
=== Pronunciation of "Z" === In American English, the dialect in mind by the composer, the letter name for Z is pronounced /ziː/ (''Zee''), but in most other anglophone countries, the letter name is pronounced /zɛd/ (''Zed''). In such dialects, the absent ''Zee''-rhyme is generally not missed, although while singing the song, some children may accommodate for ''Zee'' which they would otherwise not use on a regular basis. Variants of the song exist to accommodate ''Zed''. One such variation is shown below:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of ZED|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zed|access-date=2020-10-29|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Zed {{!}} Definition of Zed by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also meaning of Zed|url=https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/zed|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807183749/https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/zed|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2020|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Lexico Dictionaries {{!}} English|language=en}}</ref>
<score sound="1">{ \time 4/4 c'4 c' g' g' | a' a' g'2 | f'4 f' e' e' | d' d' c'2 | g'4 g' f' f' | e' e' d'2 | g'4 \times 2/3 { f'8 f' f' } e'4 d' | c' r r2 | \bar "|." } \addlyrics { A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V dub- a- U X Y "Z(ed)" }</score> :''a-b-c-d-e-f-g'' :''h-i-j-k-l-m-n'' :''o-p-q-r-s-t-u'' :''v-w-x-y-z(ed)''
This version does not have a closing line, and the tune is modified accordingly. The W is not lengthened in this version.
=== Backwards alphabet === Several versions exist covering the alphabet backward, i.e., Z to A. One version is shown below.
:''z-y-x and(/&) w'' :''v-u-t, s-r-q'' :''p-o-n-m-l-k-j'' :''i-h-g-f-e-d-c-b-a'' :''Now you know your ZYXs'' :''I bet that's not what you expected!''<ref name="SchillerWillis2006">{{cite book|last1=Schiller|first1=Pamela Byrne|last2=Willis|first2=Clarissa|title=School Days: 28 Songs and Over 300 Activities for Young Children|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l02CH6yYI0sC&pg=PT26|year=2006|publisher=Gryphon House|isbn=978-0-87659-019-5|page=26}}</ref> The e-d-c-b-a part is as fast as the l-m-n-o-p part in the normal alphabet song.
=== Versions for other languages === The same melody used for "The ABC Song" has also been used for the Spanish, German, French, and Arabic alphabets.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-02 |title=Who Wrote The Alphabet Song? |url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/abcsong/ |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en-US}}</ref> A French-language version of the song is also taught in Canada, with generally no alterations to the melody except in the final line that requires adjustment to accommodate the two-syllable pronunciation of the French ''y''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=French Alphabet: Letters and Pronunciation |url=https://www.busuu.com/en/french/alphabet |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Busuu |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == === Traditional alphabet songs in other languages === * "A Haka Mana" recites the syllabary of the Māori language to the tune of "Stupid Cupid" * "Alef-Bet" by Debbie Friedman, a song commonly used in American Hebrew school classrooms to teach the letters of the Hebrew alphabet * "Iroha", a recital of the Japanese syllabary * "Shiva Sutra", Sanskrit * "Thousand Character Classic", Chinese and Korean Hanja * "Tam thiên tự", Vietnamese * "Ganada" ({{lang|ko|가나다}}), Korean Hangul * "Zengő ABC" by Ferenc Móra, Hungarian * "Adalama" ({{lang|ff|𞤀⹁ 𞤣𞤢⹁ 𞤤𞤢⹁ 𞤥𞤢...}} ''A, da, la, ma...''), devised for Fulani speakers in West Africa to memorise the Adlam script.<ref name="ms">[https://news.microsoft.com/stories/people/children-sing-the-adlam-alphabet.html Children sing the ADLaM alphabet], as obtained from {{Cite web |url=https://news.microsoft.com/stories/people/adlam.html |title=Adlam Comes Online |last1=Bach |first1=Deborah |last2=Lerner |first2=Sara |publisher=Microsoft |date=29 July 2019 |access-date=18 August 2019}}</ref> * There are several recordings of the Cherokee syllabary with this melody. * A singable version for memorising the Déné/Carrier syllabics chart.<ref>{{Citation|title=Dene Syllabics Alphabet|date=4 May 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMqX3qZkkXk| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211123/CMqX3qZkkXk| archive-date=2021-11-23 | url-status=live|publisher=Indigenous Languages of Manitoba Inc.|language=en|access-date=27 October 2021|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abc Song}} Category:Songs about language Category:Children's songs Category:Early childhood education Song Category:Traditional children's songs Category:American children's songs Category:American nursery rhymes