Stop
Sesame Street Lyrics
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And there's no one else around
Your arms are really working and you're swimming real hard
And your feet can't touch the ground
Yeah you're really goin' at it and you're having a ball
And then you hear this sound..... Buzz!
That means stop!
Now make believe that you're a monster and you're really mean
And you're jumping up and down
You're making monster noises and you're growling really loud
You're scaring everyone in town!
Yeah you're really bein' scary and you're having a ball
And then you hear this sound...... Buzz!
Now stop! Don't move a muscle!
Ring!
Now make believe that you're a birdie and you're flyin' high
You're way above the ground!
Your wings are really flappin' and you're goin' real good
And you're never comin' down
You're feelin just as happy as a birdie can feel
And then you hear this sound.... Buzz!
Don't flap a wing, don't move a muscle
Just stop!
The lyrics to Sesame Street's song Stop are about playing an imaginary game and having to stop when a particular sound is made. The first verse talks about pretending to swim in the deep blue sea and enjoying the experience, until a buzz sound is heard which signals the end of the game. The second verse is about pretending to be a monster and scaring everyone in town, until again, the buzz sound is heard and the game is over. The third verse is about pretending to be a bird and flying high, until once again, the buzz sound is heard and the game comes to a halt.
The song teaches children the importance of stopping the game when they are told to stop, no matter how much fun they are having. This is an important lesson as it helps children understand the concept of boundaries and teaches them to respect rules and instructions. The song also encourages children to use their imagination and creativity, which is a key aspect of learning and development.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh make believe that you are swimming in the deep blue sea
Imagine you are swimming in the ocean
And there's no one else around
There's no one near you
Your arms are really working and you're swimming real hard
You are using your arms to swim with great effort
And your feet can't touch the ground
Your feet are not touching the sea floor
Yeah you're really goin' at it and you're having a ball
You're enjoying yourself while doing it
And then you hear this sound..... Buzz!
Suddenly you hear a buzzing noise
That means stop!
The buzzing is a signal for you to stop
Ring!
Another sound is heard, like ringing
Now make believe that you're a monster and you're really mean
Imagine you're a ferocious monster, very angry-looking
And you're jumping up and down
You're hopping energetically
You're making monster noises and you're growling really loud
You're producing scary sounds with your mouth
You're scaring everyone in town!
People are getting frightened by your monster act
Yeah you're really bein' scary and you're having a ball
You're enjoying yourself despite the terror you're causing
And then you hear this sound...... Buzz!
Another buzz sound commands you to cease the frightening act
Now stop! Don't move a muscle!
You must stop and stay still
Ring!
A ring sound is heard again
Now make believe that you're a birdie and you're flyin' high
Imagine you're a bird flying up high
You're way above the ground!
You're far from the ground, flying up high
Your wings are really flappin' and you're goin' real good
Your wings are flapping with great intensity and you're flying well
And you're never comin' down
You're going to keep on flying
You're feelin just as happy as a birdie can feel
You're as contented as a bird can be while flying
And then you hear this sound.... Buzz!
A buzzing noise suddenly disrupts your pleasant flight
Don't flap a wing, don't move a muscle
You must stop all bodily movements, even the flapping of your wings
Just stop!
Just stop and stay still
Contributed by Samantha J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shades Below
A fondly-remembered clip, one that didn't get shown much. The 0:26 mark is a riot, where he piously motions to the pianist that maybe he was the one who made the mistake, and then gets startled by the opening chords...hilarious! Watching it now, it seems like something from "Seinfeld", like a flashback to George's younger days.
MrJamieMurph4141969
The part near the end, of the violinist annoying the conductor the third time, and then being ordered out(and then it sounds like he either crashes into something, as he leaves, or maybe even kicks or knocks something over, as if in anger and resentment, over being ordered out), has especially remained in my memory, all these years.
Shades Below
I always thought that he clumsily tripped over a row of chairs or fixtures in the dark, looking for the exit.
Peter Miller
I assumed he slammed the door!
jeopardy60611
I didn't understand what was going on here when I was a kid. I started watching Sesame Street and Electric Company at 3 years old in 1973. Now, from what I gather, understanding it better being grown up, the violinist keeps playing a screechy note, and the conductor restarts the piece for that reason. Now that I think about it, I really hadn't come across a conductor tapping the stick on the podium and having everyone restart until I got to high school in the Marching Band.
PaNoWa
I remember this in preschool days back in the early 1970s.
puppetsnob
The conductor (and maybe the director?) is Glenn Conner Johnson, who did the "Boys flying a kite" film on Sesame Street with that lovely guitar music.
rayandreina
Yes, I remember it was The Electric Company (Episode #372, 1974); Jim Boyd kept interfering with his tuba. The wigged conductor (Luis Avalos) kept saying "...That is not the right note!" It was the "silent e" that was being featured. Boyd was trying to play Beethoven's 15th Symphony, even though Beethoven only wrote and completed nine symphonies! Actually, it was Shostakovich who wrote 15 symphonies, not Beethoven; Boyd's notes were from Shostakovich's 15th (1971)!
MrJamieMurph4141969
Yes, I do remember Jim telling Luis that, near the end, after about the third or fourth time he played the wrong note, and Luis finally lost it with him-Jim: "I was playing Beethoven's 15th symphony!" Luis:"But Beethoven did not even have a 15th symphony! He only wrote NINE symphonies!"(the ninth, and last, is the famous "Ode to Joy,"the melody of which some religious hymns are sung to.) And of course it makes sense, that the notes Jim was playing,every time Luis cued him,would have been by another composer; what he played sounded NOTHING like Beethoven's fifth.
Steven Scott
"Yagga! Oogy googy yaggy yagu guaga!"