# Longest spelled-out lyric? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 8, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984 "2010-07-08T17:24:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/1 "2010-07-08T17:24:45Z")
What is the longest spelled-out word or lyric in popular music? At first I thought “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!” from KC and the Sunshine Band. But then the Squirrel Nut Zippers _Hell_ has “D and the A and the M and the N and the A and the T and the I-O-N” being longer. Doper-hive-mind…what’s the longest? ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/2 "2010-07-08T17:44:40Z")
The Pulp song “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E” spells out the title. That’s pretty long. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHQHnViAvLM) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/3 "2010-07-08T18:01:01Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > The Pulp song “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E” spells out the title. That’s pretty long. Well, that trumps my suggestions from the Elvis Costello catalog (P.P.S. I L-O-V-E Y-O-U and I S-T-A-N-D A-C-C-U-S-E-D). How about longest single word? I’ll submit the Jam’s “‘A’ Bomb in Wardour Street”: A-P-O-C-A-L-Y-P-S-E. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/4 "2010-07-08T18:03:19Z")
A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E is also 10 letters. Be aggressive, Faith No More, B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. ---
**Author:** ![Simmerdown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simmerdown/32/14859_2.png) [@Simmerdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simmerdown)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/5 "2010-07-08T18:03:24Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > At first I thought “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!” from KC and the Sunshine Band. I believe that was by the [Bay City Rollers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBn2ux5vRHk). Not KC et al. ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/6 "2010-07-08T18:21:55Z")
[The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putnam_County_Spelling_Bee) has “hasenpfeffer” (12) in _Magic Foot_, and “elanguescence” (13) and “weltanschauung” (14) in _Second_. Although “elanguescence” is more of a spoken line in the middle of the song. ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/7 "2010-07-08T18:24:24Z")
Do kids’ songs count? My kids love the I-L-O-V-E-C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E-M-I-L-K song. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/8 "2010-07-08T18:38:51Z")
Aesop Rock’s “Coffee” has T-A-K-E-N-O-P-R-I-S-O-N-E-R-S. It’s not even the longest in the thread, but it’s up there. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/9 "2010-07-08T18:44:06Z")
There was a song in the early 70’s called Scrumpdillyicious. It had 2 versions. One was a generic version that did not make reference to Dairy Queen and did not spell out the word in the song (the kids sang S-C-R-U-M-P dillicious scrmpdilliious is a land for you and me). There was a second, commercial version that mentioned Dairy Queen and did spell out the entire word in the song. Both versions were released on a 45 single. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/10 "2010-07-08T18:46:17Z")
Forgot to mention the Rutles: _Do I have to spell it out? C-H-E-E-S-E A-N-D O-N-I-O-N-S O no…_ ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/11 "2010-07-08T18:47:21Z")
M-E-T-H-O-D-O-F-L-O-V-E Hall and Oates. What do I win? (I love spelling songs) There’s also the S-A-F-E-T-Y D-A-N-C-E. Why were there so many spelling songs in the 80s? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/12 "2010-07-08T18:50:04Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > There’s also the S-A-F-E-T-Y D-A-N-C-E. > > Why were there so many spelling songs in the 80s? Add on to that that they say each letter TWICE and you may have a winner. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/13 "2010-07-08T18:53:42Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Add on to that that they say each letter TWICE and you may have a winner. In that case I’ll nominate Robert Fripp’s “Exposure,” which has the title spelled out over and over throughout the entire song. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/14 "2010-07-08T18:57:24Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > Why were there so many spelling songs in the 80s? Here’s another one. The B-52s “Communicate.” > [@](#): > > C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E > (Your brain that is) > C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/15 "2010-07-08T19:02:00Z")
As far as spelling out one word, “I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T do you know what that means?” It’s by Webbie: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCUiGArhW2M](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCUiGArhW2M) ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/16 "2010-07-08T19:05:04Z")
I guess [“A-L-B-U- . . . querque!”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque_(song)) doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/17 "2010-07-08T19:05:12Z")
Well, for painfully dragging the process out, I nomimate _American Woman_. The song, too. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/18 "2010-07-08T19:34:44Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Add on to that that they say each letter TWICE and you may have a winner. Actually, each letter in SAFETY is said four times, but DANCE isn’t spelled out. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/19 "2010-07-08T19:35:18Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, for painfully dragging the process out, I nomimate _American Woman_. I think Frank Zappa spends more time spelling out “mar-juh-reen” in ["Australian Yellow Snow’](http://globalia.net/donlope/fz/lyrics/One_Shot_Deal.html#Yellow) than the Guess Who take to get through their whole song! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984/20 "2010-07-08T19:38:28Z")
What’s the matter with you people? Does no one remember the alphabet song? A-B-C-D-E-F-G, etc. 26 letters. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-spelled-out-lyric/545984.md?page=2)