African Alphabet
Sesame Street Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beautiful
Creatures
Dancing
Excites the
Forest
Glade, in my
Heart how
Jump like the
Kudo
Listen to the
Music so
Nice the
Organ
Plays.
Quietly
Rests the
Sleepy
Tiger
Under the
Vine tree at the
Water's side and
X marks the spot 'neith the
Yellow moon where the
Zulu king and I did hide.
The Sesame Street song titled "African Alphabet" is a joyful tribute to the diverse cultures of Africa. The lyrics of the song describe the beauty and excitement of the African continent through the use of alliteration and imagery. The song is divided into three stanzas that each begin with a letter of the alphabet, from A to Z.
The first stanza uses alliterative adjectives to describe African creatures that dance and excite in the forest glade. The lyricist makes a comparison to the singer's heart jumping like a Kudo, an antelope native to Africa. The second stanza is more ambient and imagines a sleepy tiger resting quietly under a vine tree near the water's edge. The final stanza uses the letter X to mark the spot where the Zulu king and the singer hid.
Line by Line Meaning
Amazingly
Incredibly, beyond belief
Beautiful
Appealing to the senses, aesthetically pleasing
Creatures
Living beings, often used in reference to animals
Dancing
Moving rhythmically to music or other sounds
Excites the
Causes a feeling of enthusiasm or eagerness in
Forest
An area filled with trees and underbrush, often considered wild or uninhabitable
Glade, in my
A clear space in a forest, surrounded by trees
Heart how
Expressing emotions or feelings
I do
I truly
Jump like the
Leaping into the air, like
Kudo
A type of antelope found in Eastern and Southern Africa
Listen to the
Pay attention to the sounds of
Music so
The sound of music is very
Nice the
Pleasant, enjoyable
Organ
A musical instrument that produces sound through the use of pipes or reeds
Plays.
Produces music through the use of the organ
Quietly
Softly, without making much noise
Rests the
Sleeps peacefully, lies in a calm and relaxed state
Sleepy
Feeling drowsy or tired, often in need of rest or sleep
Tiger
A large carnivorous feline animal, commonly found in Asia
Under the
Below or beneath
Vine tree at the
A tree that grows winding stems or tendrils, often used for its fruit or to make wine
Water's side and
Next to a body of water, such as a river, lake or ocean
X marks the spot 'neith the
A mark made in place of something significant or valuable, underneath the
Yellow moon where the
A brightly colored satellite that orbits the Earth, where
Zulu king and I did hide.
A historical figure of great significance, with whom I sought refuge
Contributed by Elena O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Megan
on Once Is Not Enough
I get it, it teaches kids you might not just have enough so you have to have more