ABC
Jackson Five (The Jacksons) Lyrics

A buh-buh buh buh-buh
The song starts with a rhythmic sound to get the listener's attention.

You went to school to learn, girl
The singer wants to acknowledge the listener's education and knowledge.

Things you never, never knew before
The singer implies that there are new things to be learned that the listener may not have known before.

Like I before E except after C
The singer gives an example of something the listener may have learned in school - this is a spelling rule in English language.

And why two plus two makes four
The singer gives another example of something the listener may have learned in school - basic arithmetic.

Now now now, I'm gonna teach you
The singer now presents themselves as a teacher and promises to teach something new.

Teach you, teach you
The singer emphasizes that they will teach something important.

All about love, dear
The singer reveals that the topic of their teaching is love.

All about love
The singer repeats and reinforces the topic of their teaching.

Sit yourself down, take a seat
The singer instructs the listener to sit down and prepare to learn.

All you gotta do is repeat after me
The singer makes the lesson easy by instructing the listener to simply repeat after them.

ABC
The singer introduces the basic letters of the alphabet as the beginning of their lesson.

Easy as
The singer emphasizes how simple the lesson is going to be.

One, two, three
The singer presents a simple numeric sequence to reinforce the ease of the lesson.

Or simple as
The singer restates how simple the lesson is going to be.

Do re mi
The singer presents the basic notes of a musical scale as another way to reinforce the ease of the lesson.

ABC, one, two, three, baby, you and me girl!
The singer combines the lesson of letters, numbers, and music to bring the listener in and make it fun.

Come on, let me love you just a little bit!
The singer expresses their affection and interest in the listener.

I'm a going to teach how to sing it out!
The singer promises to teach the listener how to sing and enjoy the lesson.

Michael, come on, come on, come on
The singer specifically addresses Michael Jackson to come and participate in the lesson.

Let me show you what it's all about!
The singer reiterates that the lesson is going to be fun and enjoyable.

Reading, writing and arithmetic
The singer lists the basic components of education.

Are the branches of the learning tree
The singer metaphorically compares education to a tree with different branches to explore.

But without the roots of love every day, girl
The singer emphasizes the importance of love in daily life, and how it must be a part of any lesson.

Your education ain't complete
The singer implies that no education is complete without love.

T-T-T-Teacher's gonna show you
The singer re-introduces themselves as a teacher who is about to show something new.

Show you, show you
The singer emphasizes that they are about to reveal something worth learning.

How to get an A!
The singer is promising to teach the listener how to succeed in their education.

Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!
The singer playfully taunts the listener, as if to challenge them to do better.

Spell "me" "you"
The singer sets a task for the listener to spell out "me" and "you".

Add the two!
The singer instructs the listener to add the two words together - this is likely a play on words.

Listen to me baby, that's all you gotta do!
The singer encourages the listener to listen closely and follow their instruction for success.

Oh, ABC
The singer reintroduces the central element of the lesson.

As easy as
The singer reiterates that the lesson is simple and easy to understand.

Sing a simple melody
The singer uses music as an analogy to make the lesson more enjoyable and interesting.

That's how easy love can be!
The singer implies that love can be simple and easy, just like the lesson they are teaching.

Sit down, girl!
The singer instructs the listener again to sit and prepare to learn.

I think I love you!
The singer expresses again their interest and affection for the listener.

Get up, girl!
The singer now challenges the listener to stand up and participate in the lesson more actively.

Show me what you can do!
The singer wants to see the listener participate and engage in the lesson.

Shake it, shake it, baby, come on now!
The singer adds a playful element to the lesson, encouraging the listener to physically move and dance along to the music.

One, two, three, baby, ooh ooh!
The singer uses simple numbers to again emphasize the ease of the lesson and make it more fun.

ABC, baby, nah nah!
The singer repeats the central element of their lesson, and integrates playful sound effects.

Do re mi, baby, huh!
The singer adds another element of music to the lesson, while also continuing to engage the listener with playful sounds.

ABC, it's easy
The singer repeats the title of the lesson, which is a way of reinforcing the central idea.

Sing it out, sing it, sing it, sing it
The singer encourages the listener to sing along and participate more actively in the lesson.

Sing a simple melody (Do re mi, ABC)
The singer repeats a line from earlier in the song, tying together the various elements of the lesson into one fun and easy activity.

That's how easy love can be!
The singer reiterates that the lesson is all about making love easy and fun, and that it should be taken in that spirit.