Rockapella is an American a … Read Full Bio ↴Download "A-Punk" from Rockapella HERE.
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group best known for their series of Folgers Coffee commercials and the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? theme song. "Rockapella" is a portmanteau of "rock" and "a cappella". In addition to original vocal music, the group also perform a cappella covers of pop songs.
The original group members consisted of Brown University alumni Elliott Kerman, David Stix, Sean Altman, and Steve Keyes, who started performing together sheerly out of their love for music. Stix left the group early on and was replaced with Charlie Evett. After having performed on New York City street corners for passers-by the group met a producer who found them a spot on the television show Spike & Co.: Do It A Cappella, hosted by Spike Lee. It was this show that put them in the national spotlight.
The text "All sounds provided by the voices and appendages of Rockapella," the central idea of the group, appears on the group's label debut, Don't Tell Me You Do.
None of the original members of Rockapella currently remain in the group. Founding members Sean Altman and Steve Keyes, Rockapella alum Charlie Evett, and non-Rockapella-related baritone Kevin Weist now comprise an a cappella group called The GrooveBarbers. They can be seen on a current nationwide television ad for Astelin nasal spray as 'The Astelins'. Founding member Elliott Kerman, is working independently on jazz music compilations.
Frequently, songs downloaded on file-sharing programs are mis-tagged as Rockapella, when they are instead by other a cappella artists, including collegiate groups, Moxy Früvous, The Nylons, and Da Vinci's Notebook, as well as for other, less similar acts, such as Eddie From Ohio, or They Might Be Giants.
On December 11th, 2009 Rockapella made a free version of "White Christmas" available for download on Rockapella.com.
Members:
Current
* Charles S. ("Scott") Leonard (high tenor, joined 1991)
* Jeff T. Thacher (vocal percussion, joined 1993)
* George W. Baldi (bass, joined 2002)
* John K. Brown (baritone, joined 2004)
* Steven Dorian (tenor, joined 2010)
Former
* David Stix (bass, member 1986-1987)
* Charlie Evett (bass, member 1987-1988)
* Steve Keyes (high tenor, member 1986-1991)
* Sean D. Altman (tenor, member 1986-1997)
* Barry S. Carl (bass, member 1989-2002)
* Elliott S. Kerman (baritone, member 1986-2004)
* Kevin R. Wright (tenor, joined 1997)
Capital
Rockapella Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Albany, Atlanta, Tallahassee, Oklahoma City
Trenton, Nashville, Concord, Dover, Little Rock, Des Moines
Sacramento, Olympia, Montpelier, Jackson, Carson City
Juneau, Denver, Raleigh, Austin, Boston!
Capitol!
Where the governor and legislators stay up late
Got the name, got the fame, the political weight, hey!
Capitol!
Providence, Topeka, Santa Fe,
Indi(annapolis), Annapolis
St. Paul, Jefferson City, Honolulu, Baton Rouge
Harrisburg, Columbia, Augusta,
Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Salem
Madison, Cheyenne, I'm thinkin' Lincoln!
Capitol!
Just one city in every state
Where the shiny politicians contemplate our fate
Taking aim, making claims in the friendly debate, hey!
Capitol!
Bismarck, Boise, Springfield
Frankfurt, Richmond, Columbus
Charleston, Helena, Capitol
Lansing, Hartford, Montgomery!
Just one city in every state
Turn the political machine on, watch it percolate
Lots of Honest Abes kissing babes,
making each state great!
Capitol!
Just one city in every state
Just one city
Capitol Capitol!
(Oh, no! Oh, no! Pierre! Pierre! We forgot Pierre!)
The song "Capitol" by Rockapella is a tribute to the state capitals of the United States. It lists each capital city in alphabetical order and highlights the political importance of these cities as the headquarters for the state's governor and legislators. The chorus celebrates the power and fame of each capital city as they "contemplate our fate" and participate in political debates. The song emphasizes the role of the state capital in the political process and acknowledges the significance of each of these cities in the United States.
The song was originally released in 1997 on the album "In Concert" and has since become a fan favorite for Rockapella's live performances. The arrangement of the song features the group's signature a cappella sound and includes harmonies, vocal percussion, and vocal sound effects. The lyrics are catchy and memorable, making it an audience favorite and a fun sing-along.
Line by Line Meaning
Capitol!
A repetitive call to bring attention to the focus of the song, which is the U.S state capital cities.
Albany, Atlanta, Tallahassee, Oklahoma City
Trenton, Nashville, Concord, Dover, Little Rock, Des Moines
Sacramento, Olympia, Montpelier, Jackson, Carson City
Juneau, Denver, Raleigh, Austin, Boston!
A list of state capital cities in alphabetical order, each with its unique name being celebrated and remembered through the song.
Just one city in every state
Where the governor and legislators stay up late
Got the name, got the fame, the political weight, hey!
Capitol!
A description of how each of the state capital cities serves as the sole governing center for its state, where governors and legislators discuss and pass bills late into the night, earning the name, fame, and authority that befits the state capital cities.
Providence, Topeka, Santa Fe,
Indi(annapolis), Annapolis
St. Paul, Jefferson City, Honolulu, Baton Rouge
Harrisburg, Columbia, Augusta,
Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Salem
Madison, Cheyenne, I'm thinkin' Lincoln!
Capitol!
Another list of the state capital cities, with each one being acknowledged as a unique and vital part of the state's political machinery.
Where the shiny politicians contemplate our fate
Taking aim, making claims in the friendly debate, hey!
Capitol!
A description of how the politicians in the state capital cities debate and deliberate to make and enforce policies and laws that impact the fate of the people residing in the state.
Bismarck, Boise, Springfield
Frankfurt, Richmond, Columbus
Charleston, Helena, Capitol
Lansing, Hartford, Montgomery!
Another list of the state capital cities, each being highlighted as a unique and essential component of the state's administration.
Turn the political machine on, watch it percolate
Lots of Honest Abes kissing babes,
making each state great!
Capitol!
Encouraging the listener to realize the pivotal role of the state capital cities in shaping the state, with the politicians trying to excel their respective domains and create positive changes by working with peers and fellow citizens.
Just one city in every state
Just one city
Capitol Capitol!
Emphasizing the significance and exclusivity of state capital cities, with each state having only one city being selected as its political and administrative headquarters.
(Oh, no! Oh, no! Pierre! Pierre! We forgot Pierre!)
A playful interjection that reminds of the French word for 'capital' (Capitale) and how humorous it is to add another city to this already comprehensive list of state capital cities.
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@solavita306
I was an adult when this series came out....and I Loved It! Half the appeal was just the songs and Rockapella, total perfection. 🥰
@seanaltman
That's me yelling "Oh no, oh no! Pierre, Pierre! We forgot Pierre! Arrgghhhh!" Very proud to have written this song. Memorize it and you'll excel at social studies.
@ThatAdamGuy
Heh! Very awesome! And so glad I had the chance to catch y'all live in the South Bay (California) at some random school performance many years ago.
Now could you do a new song featuring international capitals or convince the current Rockapella folks to do that? :)
@Emilylucy505
They showed us this song in my 5th grade music class as part of music history, we jammed out to this song, and that was always our favorite part! We'd get all quiet and listen in to hear it. On behalf of all of us, thank you! :D
@tyrannosaurusburke
Sean Altman I like this song and another one you did with Rockapella about all the seas. You guys sang it on "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?", and it was to the tune of Billy Joel's "For The Longest Time". I've been trying to find it on YouTube (sorry, I can't help myself!) for the longest time, but have had no luck.
@andreabomer2926
Sean Altman, you are correct! My 7th grade social studies teacher gave us a state capital pre-test and said anyone who got them all right could skip the rest of the assignments for the quarter. After shocking him nearly to death with my smarts, I brought my walkman to class everyday for the rest of the quarter and jammed to your music while I waited for the stooges to catch up.
@Zhaanfan
Had this CD as a kid. Even saw Rockapella preform at our HS gymnasium, and won a ticket to the after concert pizza party!
Good times.
@99bottlesof
Ha! LOVE this song!! I learned all the state capitals when I was about 12 from listening to this song and dancing around my room... I'm 33 now and searched for this song to teach my 7yr old daughter the same!
@UncoordinatedPixie
This is how I memorized the capitals in 8th grade geography. WITWICS was still on TV.
@stansuderow1429
Love how catchy it is 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘👍👍👍👍👍