Premiering in 1969, this educational television show aimed at preschoolers … Read Full Bio ↴Premiering in 1969, this educational television show aimed at preschoolers has charmed generations of youngsters ever since. The show - featuring a lovable cast of characters including Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Elmo, Snuffy, Grover and many others - has delighted and educated children and adults alike, with its collection of songs, skits, and celebrity guest appearances.

If You
Sesame Street Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, well, well, look who's here.
I haven't seen you in many a year.
If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake,
baked a cake, baked a cake.
If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake.
How-ja do. How-ja do, How-ja do.

Had you dropped me a letter I'd 've hired a band,

grandest band in the land.
Had you dropped me a letter I'd 've hired a band
and spread the welcome mat for you.

Now I don't know where you came from
'cause I don't know where you've been.
But it really doesn't matter
grab a chair and fill your platter
and dig dig dig right in.

If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake,
hired a band, goodness sake.
If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake.
How-ja do. How-ja do. How-ja do.

If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake,
baked a cake, baked a cake.
If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake.
How-ja do. How-ja do, How-ja do.

Had you dropped me a letter I'd 've hired a hall,
great big hall, band and all.
Had you dropped me a letter I'd 've hired a hall
and spread the welcome mat for you.

Now I don't know where you came from
'cause I don't know where you've been.
But it really doesn't matter
grab a chair and fill your platter
and dig dig dig right in.

If I knew you were comin' I'd 've kept the pot,
coffee pot nice and hot.

If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake.
How-ja do. How-ja do. How-ja do.

Overall Meaning

The Sesame Street song "If You" is a catchy and cheerful tune about welcoming unexpected guests. The singer begins by expressing surprise and delight at the arrival of an old friend they haven't seen in a long time. Had they known the friend was coming, they would have gone to great lengths to prepare to host them, from baking a cake to hiring a band to playing music and dance. The lyrics repeatedly emphasize how honored the singer is to have their friend join them, and how eager they are to share food, drink, and company with them. The message of the song is one of spontaneous generosity, making the most of a surprise opportunity to reconnect with someone special.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, well, well, look who's here.
Oh look, it's you! I haven't seen you in a long time.

If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake, baked a cake, baked a cake.
If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared something special for you, like baking a cake.

If I knew you were comin' I'd 've hired a band, grandest band in the land.
If I knew you were coming, I would have gone all out and hired the best band around to play music for you.

Now I don't know where you came from cause I don't know where you've been.
I'm not sure where you've been or what you've been up to, but that doesn't matter now that you're here.

But it really doesn't matter grab a chair and fill your platter and dig dig dig right in.
It doesn't matter what you've been doing, just sit down and enjoy the food and company.

Had you dropped me a letter I'd 've hired a hall, great big hall, band and all.
If you had let me know in advance that you were coming, I would have rented a large hall and hired a band for you.

If I knew you were comin' I'd 've kept the pot, coffee pot nice and hot.
If I had known you were coming, I would have been prepared with hot coffee ready for you.

How-ja do. How-ja do, How-ja do.
How are you? How are you doing? How have you been?

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., MUSIC & MEDIA INT'L, INC.
Written by: AL HOFFMAN, BOB MERRILL, CLEM WATTS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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