Songs/poems that recite lists (e.g. Tom Lehrer's "The Elements"

Cafe Society
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Most of us are familiar with Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements”, in which he sings the name of all 100+ chemical elements - with a reasonable rhyming scheme.

I found a similar one on Youtube, in which al 270 London Underground stations are “sung” - again, with a reasonable rhyming scheme. (I picked one in which the station names are displayed as they are being sung).

Can anyone think of others in a similar vein? Something like US Presidents? I’ve seen poems with the UK monarchs (in sequence) - but not put to music. Of course - the elements and Underground stations can be listed/sung in any order.

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There is an Animaniacs song with countries.
Brian

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Wikipedia has a list of “list songs,” though I don’t know if all of them would qualify for what you’ve got in mind.

Two that came to mind are R.E.M.'s “It’s the End of the World as We Know it (and I Feel Fine)” and Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

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Animaniacs also had one for state capitals.

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It’s not the primary lyrics, but in the background of Warren Zevon’s “Run Straight Down” he’s rattling off a list of chemicals (carcinogens, IIRC)

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Those Animaniacs are an informative bunch.

They also have one for the Presidents of the U.S.

mmm

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All the people who won’t be missed

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Does this one count?

mmm

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“Fifty Nifty United States” I learned it in elementary school, and still know it by heart. The states are listed in alphabetical order.

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For anyone else who doesn’t want to follow a blind link, it’s to Rick Astley’s song “Never Gonna Give You Up”, which doesn’t, as I remember, recite a list. So not sure why it was included.

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He’s Rick-rolling us.

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Rickrolling. Did you sleep through 2006?

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“The Intro and the Outro” by the Bonzo Dog Band is a list of members of the band. :wink:

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Tool’s “Die Eier von Satan” is a recipe for hashish cookies in German set to music. The first part is the list of ingredients:

Eine halbe Tasse Staubzucker
Ein Viertel Teelöffel Salz
Eine Messerspitze türkisches Haschisch
Ein halbes Pfund Butter
Ein Teelöffel Vanillezucker
Ein halbes Pfund Mehl
Einhundertfünfzig Gramm gemahlene Nüsse
Ein wenig extra Staubzucker
… und keine Eier

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Does Weird Al Jankovic’ parody of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” BOB count? It consist entirely of (all?) the palindromes discovered so far in English, so it is a list of sorts. And it sounds as if Bob Dylan could have written it! Bonus: I find it extremely funny.

Nice idea, but that is waaaay to little.

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Depends on how broad your knife is. :wink:

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I see, for türkischer Haschisch you use a turkish scimitar. Makes sense, silly me.

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:laughing: :+1:

(for our non-German speaking friends: “Eine Messerspitze türkisches Haschisch” means “one pinch of Turkish hashish”, where “Messerspitze” literally means “tip of a knife”)

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