Like most of the other early Jackson 5 hits, "ABC" was written and produced by The Corporation, a team composed of Motown chief Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonzo Mizell, and Deke Richards and recorded in Los Angeles, California, away from the old Motown studio at Hitsville USA in Detroit, Michigan.
"ABC" was the first single from the second Jackson 5 album, ABC, issued with a cover of Diana Ross & the Supremes' "The Young Folks" as the B-side. It is today one of the Jackson 5's signature songs.
The song has also been sampled by Naughty by Nature for their 1991 single "O.P.P.", also by Girl Talk on his fourth album Feed the Animals.
ABC
Jackson Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A buh-buh buh buh-buh
You went to school to learn, girl
Things you never, never knew before
Like I before E except after C
And why two plus two makes four
Now now now, I'm gonna teach you
Teach you, teach you
All about love, dear
All about love
Sit yourself down, take a seat
All you gotta do is repeat after me
ABC
Easy as
One, two, three
Or simple as
Do re mi
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
ABC
Easy as
One, two, three
Or simple as
Do re mi
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me!
Come on, let me love you just a little bit!
Come on, let me love you just a little bit!
I'm a going to teach how to sing it out!
Michael, come on, come on, come on
Let me show you what it's all about!
Reading, writing and arithmetic
Are the branches of the learning tree
But without the roots of love every day, girl
Your education ain't complete
T-T-T-Teacher's gonna show you
Show you, show you
How to get an A!
Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!
Spell "me" "you"
Add the two!
Listen to me baby, that's all you gotta do!
Oh, ABC
As easy as
One, two, three
Or simple as
Do re mi
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
ABC
It's easy,
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
Sit down, girl!
I think I love you!
No!
Get up, girl!
Show me what you can do!
Shake it, shake it, baby, come on now!
Shake it, shake it, baby, ooh ooh!
Shake it shake it, baby, huh!
One, two, three, baby, ooh ooh!
ABC, baby, nah nah!
Do re mi, baby, huh!
That's how easy love can be.
ABC, it's easy
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
(I'm not gonna teach you how to sing it out)
Come on come on come on let me show you what it's all about
ABC, it's easy
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
(I'm not gonna teach you how to sing it out)
Sing it out, sing it, sing it, sing it
Oh baby, ABC, it's easy
It's like counting up to three (One, two, three)
Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
That's how easy love can be!
The lyrics of Jackson 5's song ABC are about a young man trying to teach a young woman how to love and communicate. The first verse shows the woman learning things she did not know before, like basic spelling and arithmetic. The chorus, which repeats several times throughout the song, shows the man trying to teach the woman about love, using the simple analogy of the alphabet: "ABC, easy as one, two, three, or simple as do-re-mi." In the second verse, the man emphasizes the importance of love as the foundation of education, stating that without love, her education would not be complete. The song's bridge breaks from the ABC metaphor and encourages the woman to let go and dance with him.
Line by Line Meaning
A buh-buh buh buh-buh
The Jackson 5's signature 'buh-buh buh buh-buh' sound, setting the playful and upbeat tone for the song
You went to school to learn, girl
Addressing a girl who has been studying and learning new things
Things you never, never knew before
Acknowledging that the girl is learning things for the first time
Like I before E except after C
Teaching a common spelling rule
And why two plus two makes four
Explaining a simple mathematical equation
Now now now, I'm gonna teach you
Confidently stating that the singer will impart knowledge
All about love, dear
Shifting focus from traditional subjects to love
Sit yourself down, take a seat
Encouraging the girl to listen and learn
All you gotta do is repeat after me
Emphasizing the simplicity of the lesson
ABC
Introducing the lesson of the song, which is the alphabet
Easy as
Reiterating the simplicity of the lesson
One, two, three
Counting up to three to continue highlighting the ease of the lesson
Or simple as
Offering an alternative comparison to emphasize simplicity
Do re mi
Referencing the popular musical scale to reinforce simplicity
ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
Combining the lesson of the song with an invitation to sing and learn together
Reading, writing and arithmetic
Listing traditional academia as part of the 'learning tree'
Are the branches of the learning tree
Comparing education to a tree with branches and roots
But without the roots of love every day, girl
Stating that love is an essential component to truly complete an education
Your education ain't complete
Suggesting that without love, one's education is lacking
T-T-T-Teacher's gonna show you
Announcing that the teacher is now going to impart more knowledge
How to get an A!
Teasingly suggesting that the girl will soon be able to excel academically
Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!
Childishly teasing the girl to build excitement
Spell 'me' 'you'
Challenging the girl to spell a simple phrase
Add the two!
Instructing the girl to add the letters together
Listen to me baby, that's all you gotta do!
Offering encouragement that all the girl has to do is listen and learn
Oh, ABC
Returning the focus to the lesson of the song
As easy as
Continuing to emphasize the simple nature of the lesson
Sing a simple melody
Encouraging the girl to participate through singing
Sit down, girl!
Playfully commanding attention and focus
I think I love you!
Expressing a lighthearted and innocent infatuation
No!
Abruptly rejecting the previous suggestion
Get up, girl!
Encouraging participation and engagement
Show me what you can do!
Challenging the girl to demonstrate her skills
Shake it, shake it, baby, come on now!
Encouraging the girl to let loose and enjoy the moment
One, two, three, baby, ooh ooh!
Counting up to three again while expressing excitement
ABC, baby, nah nah!
Returning to the lesson of the song in a playful way
That's how easy love can be.
Connecting the lesson of the song to a simple truth about love
Sing it out, sing it, sing it, sing it
Encouraging continued singing and participation
Oh baby, ABC, it's easy
Summing up the lesson of the song one last time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Berry Gordy, Dennis Lussier, Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theharshtruthoutthere
Being a Christian (the follower of Christ):
- calls upon the name of THE LORD: Psalms 145:18 ,
Psalms 55:16 ,
Isaiah 55:6
- coming to repentance,
Luke 5:32
- going through new birth (baptized by the SPIRIT and by the water), 1 Corinthians 12:13 , John 3:7
- coming out from Babylon (the city life), Revelation 18:4, Mark 8:36 ,
Matthew 16:26 , Luke 9:25 ,
Ecclesiastes 1:3
- flees from fornication: 1 Corinthians 6:18 ,
1 Thessalonians 4:3
- analysing their own life and life in general, 2 Corinthians 13:5
- have their Inner mans eyes and ears open: Mark 8:18 , 2 Chronicles 7:15 , Matthew 13:16
- Judges – judges – judges, themselves and life in general in: John 7:24
- seeks out 1st the KINGDOM OF GOD: Matthew 6:33
- have no worries nor thoughts about what they shall eat or wear: Matthew 6:31 ,
Luke 12:22 ,
Matthew 6:25 ,
Luke 12:29
- is not a friend with the world, but exposes the wicked: Ephesians 5:11 , Psalms 26:5 , James 4:4
- goes through the persecution: Luke 6:22 , Matthew 5:44 ,John 15:18 , 1 John 3:13
- has outworldly peace: John 14:27
- fears not any man, but has the sobering fear of GOD in him: Matthew 10:28 , 1 John 4:18
- rightly dividing the word of truth: 2 Timothy 2:15
- is both, the believer of the word and the doer of it also:
James 1:23 ,
Matthew 7:21
- have no idols not graven images: Isaiah 42:17 , Micah 5:13 , Isaiah 42:8 ,
Deuteronomy 7:5 ,
Habakkuk 2:18
Psalms 78:58
- worship GOD in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH:
John 4:24
- are peacemakers: Matthew 5:9, Hebrews 12:14 ,
Romans 12:18
- are sober minded: 1 Peter 1:13 , Titus 2:6 , Titus 2:2 , 1 Peter 4:7 ,
1 Peter 5:8
@iamunknown5894
My Grandad was part of the audience,he told me how amazing Mj was
@Yaro2
Yes micheal jackson was amazing
@gloryngore7
that’s crazy. your grandpa is so lucky holy shit
@pathos3433
well now we know scary things about that man
@caleb3295
@max bandy Like what?
@pettyofficermasterchieflin3602
It’s funny u keep deleting my comment
@smoks4833
A 10 years old child?!?!? So much drip, groove, rythm, fun, enthusiasm, moves, dedication.
@michelboudewins
Its Michael Jackson 😉
@elainerussell3583
And u know Michael he got the moves
@anonymousalphabet3907
I don’t think anyone of that age could so effortlessly display such coolness and talent, maybe Stevie Wonder, he was a prodigy!