I found this song charmingly clever. I put the words sung by children in parentheses.


ALPHABET SOUP
As recorded by Tom Chapin on “Moonboat” (2009)

Now gather round, children; it’s time for a treat.
Dinnertime’s comin’; who wants to eat?
(I do.) (I do.) (I do, too.)
Then I’ll make alphabet soup with you.

CHORUS: Grab yourself a letter; throw it in the pot.
Stir it up; stew it up; serve it real hot.
Read it while you eat it; feed the whole troop.
Can’t get enough o’ that alphabet soup.
Alphabet soup!

A is for apple, B for beans,
Corn, dill, eggs, french fries, greens.
(What you got so far?) Look and see!
(A-B-C-D-E-F-G.)
What? (A-B-C-D-E-F-G.) CHORUS.

Hambone, ice cream, jelly, ketchup, lamb,
Meat, noodles, onions. (Peas, please, ma’am.)
What you got so far? (Look and see!
H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P.)
What? (H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P.) CHORUS.

Quince, radish, salt, turnip, unicorn horn,
Veal chop, watermelon. (Unicorn horn?)
Play my xylophone while it’s stewin’.
Let’s put yams in. (Let’s put you in!)

A big zucchini when no one’s lookin’.
Now we got the whole alphabet cookin’.
Alphabet soup couldn’t be better.
Let’s sing the whole thing letter by letter.

(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.)

Let’s go round and sing it again,
Then pass me an S-P-O-O-N. CHORUS.

Can’t get enough o’ that alphabet soup!
Alphabet soup!