As a child of the ’70s, I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons, including the charms of Schoolhouse Rock in between episodes. Unlike much of that era’s weekend fare, the power of Schoolhouse Rock has endured, with younger kids aware of the songs and even (as my daughter did) growing up listening the the DVD versions. Though many people swear by ‘Conjunction Junction’, a catchy tune with Jack Sheldon’s dulcet tones, I preferred his work on ‘I’m Just A Bill.’ But for my choice for BEST Schoolhouse Rock moment, it’s gotta by ‘The Great American Melting Pot‘, a lesser-known pull that features Lori Lieberman at her best, leading to today’s
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) is even fully conversant in ‘Scooter Computer and Mister Chips’, but hopes that enough of you know what I’m talking about here, asking: Which song constitutes the BEST of Schoolhouse Rock?
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What an interesting question! I went through a bunch of the old Schoolhouse Rock songs, but it’s going to take me a while to figure out which is the best. I grew up on these! I think we mostly watched Schoolhouse Rock at school when we had to do learnings. I have to say, the great american melting pot– it slightly gave me the creeps to see the boats coming across the ocean and thinking about slavery, which was not mentioned. And of course how first nations (natives) were also not mentioned, but they’d probably be called Indians if they were mentioned which would only annoy me anyway. And in my mind’s eye I still see that recipe in the recipe book sometimes when people say “melting pot”. It was very effective marketing! I’m always looking for “Indians” in that recipe (I’m Indian), but happy to see a recipe at all!
Mmm, I don’t have a best, but I’ll have to watch these again!
South Asian, whatever. Sorry. I am correcting myself. I think these days I’m supposed to identify as South Asian. See? See what Columbus (and the subsequent 600 years of not correcting Columbus) has done to me?
I was always particular to “No More Kings” and “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” They’re great little encapsulations of aspects of the formation of the United States, and have some nice narrative arcs in their handful of lyrics.