I know many lawyers who claim that “I’m Just a Bill” inspired them to pursue law.
Also a SchoolHouse Rock fan here. So much so that I plan to play some selections at my wedding reception. I also have the “Alterna-Bands do SHR” CD and while a lot of versions are hit and miss, I enjoy listening to it.
And of course, let’s not forget the Simpsons’ “I’m an Amendment to Be”.
Speaking of which, I heard an interview with the guy who does the music for The Simpsons (not Danny Elfman), and they asked him about that episode. Turns out that he was friends with the guys who did SHR, so he called 'em up and got the guy who sang the original "I’m Just a Bill to do the “I’m an Amendment to Be!” He seemed to indicate that it was one of his favorite episodes to work on. 
they actually turned schoolhouse rock into a play, a musical, of course. and so when i was 12, my middle-school summer-theater group did the show. imagine how embarassing it was to be doing the conjunction junction in front of people you know on a stage when you’re in middle school…but i still love schoolhouse rock. so i know all the songs, even to this day. among my favorites:
unpack your adjectives
i’m just a bill
conjunction junction
interjections
lolly lolly lolly
the circulation
the preamble to the constitution
rufus xavier sasparilla
oh, the memories that have just been unleashed… 
I rented the DVD a while back and loved every miute of it. I gave a copy to my nephew as a Christmas present. My faves include “Figure Eight,” “Conjunction Junction,” and “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here.” I remember the American history/propaganda growing up, but was always able to disassociate it from the Canadian governmental process.
Strangely, featherlou has no recollection of watching these little gems growing up, although all three of her sisters do. I feel sad for her. 
Alf Clausen.
Sheldon also performed in the aforementioned Johnny Bravo episode, and made a quick cameo in a Family Guy episode where Peter takes over the school singing about sex ed.
My favorites are the History Rocks: No More Kings, Shot Heard Round the World, Great American Melting Pot, etc and then the Science Rocks, especially The Telegraph Line and Mother Necessity. The best Grammar Rock is Interjections!
“Propaganda” is right. Remember the song “Rockin’ and a-rollin’, Splishin’ and a-splashin’”? That had to be the most slanted, inaccurate description of Colonial America I’ve ever heard. What about salutory neglect? What about the French and Indian War? That song made it look like George III was a tyrranical father figure, when in fact he was just another bumbling monarch.
Thanks for these great memories! I’m thinking that one of the little ditties had something to do with “Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School”, but perhaps I’m mistaken. Anyone else remember this phrase from the early '70s?
When I was little watching SHR I thought that the rolled up bill from the I’m just a Bill cartoon was a burrito.
Hey I was a little mexican girl, what can I say.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but Roosevelt Franklin (and his narcissistically named elementary school) were from Sesame Street.
What a great thread - I’ve learned so much! I never knew that was Blossom Dearie on vocals!!
My favorite has always been “A Noun is a Person Place or Thing.”
Now, when are they coming out with the “Time for Timer” DVD?
Oh, I know! However, it’s easy to remember “of the US”, and add it in, and the tune helps you remember the rest. It always breaks my rhythm, though:
[singing]We the People,…[now mumbling] wait, “of the United States”, in order to… hmm… start over… [humming to self]We the People, in [more singing]order to form a more perfect union… [etc.]
When I was 6 watching the American History rocks I was taught that the British were evil and we drove them out. Of course no one corrected me until school.
"What do you mean some American Colonists fought with the British? What do you mean the large portion of the English Speaking Canadians are decendents of those “Loyalists”?
They can’t be loyal they turned against America!
That little shock helped me learn to love History… that and Proffesor Kitzel and Max the 2000 year old mouse.
I’ve always thought Canadian history teachers had a tough row to hoe. Not only because of America Rock, but also because of the sheer amount of American information that made its way over the border–when I was six, I learned about Valley Forge and the Revolutionary War from kids’ magazines like Jack and Jill and Golden Magazine–but I didn’t learn about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham until I was 12. It would have been much easier for my teachers to teach American history, I’m sure, since many of us already knew a lot of it.
That said, I’m another fan of Schoolhouse Rock (America Rock notwithstanding; and if truth be told, I actually did enjoy those too). In fact, I used to teach night school courses in English grammar, and I’d actually get the class of adults singing “Conjunction Junction” at times.
Grammar Rock was probably my favourite series, with “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly,” “Interjections,” and “Conjunction Junction” (of course) being among my favourite songs.
I don’t know, but I’m ready:
I hanker for a hunk of–
A slab, a slice, a chunk of–
I hanker for a hunk of–
Cheese!
I always loved “Sufferin’ for Sufferage”… the video was kind of trippy, eh?
I saw that years ago when it was on Off Broadway. I still have the adjective they unpacked and gave to me (they went thru the audience pulling out pieces of yellow poster board with adjectives written on them)… I kept it because they handed me “angelic” and I can point to it and say “but hey, I’m angelic!” whenever something happens and my husband makes some sort of comment. It’s come in handy over the years.
I have the dvd… the cd of cover songs… the book… a few t-shirts (Interplanet Janet!)… I’m quite a fan. My personal faves were the history ones. Every year on 7/4 I do indeed sing:
Oooh! There’s gonna be fireworks (fireworks)
On the fourth of July (red white and blue)
Red white and blue fireworks like diamonds in the sky…
I pity the poor audience members that got stuck with “ugly” and “stinky”.
Count me as one of the confused Canadians. I didn’t actually think I was American… I just thought Canadians were a type of American. Thanks to America Rock, I certainly ended up knowing far more about American history and culture than I knew about Canadian history/culture (that hasn’t changed much).
I remember running around the house yelling “The Red Coats are coming! The Red Coats are coming!”, and being really disappointed when I was told that Canadians were on the side of the Red Coats (it was like finding out we were Nazis or something)
He was a hairy bear
He was a scary bear
We beat a hasty retreat
From his laaaaair…
It’s been great fun introducing these to my two daughters. We found CD-ROMs with Math and Grammar rock that have quizzes and games on them as well.
*Faith and Hope and Charity
They make Three
It’s a magic number
Hey! It’s no fair to give a guy a shot down there!*