Welcome to the Electric Company Song Lyrics Archive!

(Click here to go straight to the archive.)

Why a TEC song lyrics archive?

            Those of us who grew up on TEC still have a lot of those catchy tunes in our heads, but in many cases we've forgotten some (or most, or even all) of the words.  It's not as much fun to sing a song when you have to da-da-da your way through the murky patches.  This archive is intended primarily as a memory-jogger, although you may well find some songs that are "brand new" to you.

Are these the "official" song titles and lyrics?

            Absolutely not.  In most cases the titles are provisional, and the lyrics are just a best-guess interpretation based on repeated listenings.  The credits (composers, performers, etc.) are also uncertain in some places, especially for the cartoon songs.  (When in doubt, I generally tend to default to Joe Raposo as the most likely composer.)

How is the information organized on this site?

            Since the "official" titles of most of these songs are not well known, an attempt to create a master list by title might be ambiguous and confusing.  The songs are therefore organized based on a key phonetic sound or combination of sounds that is being taught.  (In some cases, a given song is filed under more than one category.)  For example, "Springing from a Sponge" can be found under "sp", and "Sneaker Freak" can be found under "ea".  Or if you’d rather not think that hard, songs can also be searched by lead vocalist if you happen to remember who sang the one you’re looking for.

What's with the bracketed capital letters interspersed among the lyrics?

            Those are the initials of the person singing those lines.  That person's vocal begins at the initials, and continues until a new set of initials is encountered.

Why do some song titles have asterisks in front of them?

            Those are songs for which many of the lyrics are still missing.  Basically they are works in progress.

What's the meaning of "Short Circus #1", etc. in the vocalist credits?

            Due to cast changes over the run of the series, there were four distinct Short Circus lineups, with some members appearing in more than one incarnation.  Here is a complete list of Circus performers, with a parenthetical notation of the lineup(s) in which each appeared:  June Angela (1, 2, 3, 4), Gregg Burge (3), Irene Cara (1), Todd Graff (4), Douglas Grant (1, 2), Stephen Gustafson (1, 2, 3), Melanie Henderson (1, 2, 3), Bayn Johnson (3), Rodney Lewis (4), Rejane Magloire (4), Janina Matthews (4), and Denise Nickerson (2).

What can you tell me about the Electric Company songwriters?

            Most of the TEC songs were composed by Joe Raposo, Gary William Friedman, and Tom Lehrer.  Joe Raposo, who also composed many songs for Sesame Street, is sadly deceased.  However, you can learn all about Gary William Friedman at his web site.  A tribute page to Tom Lehrer can be found here.

How can I contribute song lyrics, make corrections, or suggest improvements to this web site?

            All such input is welcomed with something bordering on desperation.  Just send me an e-mail.  If submitting new songs, please try to follow to the extent possible the format used for the songs already posted on this site.  Also, please specify whether you would like your name and/or contact info to be included with the credits.

You didn't put this archive together all by yourself, did you?

            No, I'm a cybermoron.  Special thanks go to Angela Kaye Broadus for technical advice and assistance.  This web site would never have seen the light of day without her help.

Where else can I go on the internet for information about the Electric Company?

            Sesame Workshop (formerly the Children's Television Workshop) has established an official web site for TEC.  This site includes information about the show and the cast, audio and video clips, and a discussion area.

            Some basic background on the show, including some episode summaries, can be found here.  If you'd like to read or post memories, visit the TEC pages on the Internet Movie Database and at Jump the Shark.

            Many video clips of songs and other skits from the show are now available on YouTube.  In particular, check out the collection of a member called "NantoVision1", whose postings consist almost entirely of TEC and classic Sesame Street.

            If you happen to be interested in Sesame Street song lyrics, check out this amazingly thorough archive.

Is it possible to get in touch with any of the cast members from the show?

            Yes!  June Angela (“Julie”) has her own web site, through which you may send her an e-mail.

Click here to enter the TEC song lyrics archive!