Songs from Movies and Musical Theater, 45-114 words

• Born Free
• Singing in the Rain
• Summertime ​Porgy and Bess
• Goldfinger
• Somewhere over the Rainbow Wizard of Oz
• The Way We Were
• As Time Goes By  Casablanca
• The Sound of Music
• Ol' Man River ​Showboat
• High Noon
• Impossible Dream ​Man of la Mancha
• Staying Alive Saturday Night Fever
• I Just Called To Say I Love You ​Woman in Red
• I Could Have Danced All Night ​My Fair Lady

Gilbert and Sullivan, 87-105 words

• ​​Oh, Better Far to Live and Die, or Pirate King
• When a Merry Maiden Marries
• A Magnet Hung in a Hardware Shop
• Captain of the Pinafore

Others, 39 - 101 words

• Take Me Out to the Ballgame
• Autumn Leaves
• Fly Me to the Moon
• I Need You Now
  
• There but for Fortune
• Yesterday
• A Winter's Tale
  
• That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine
  
• Country Roads
• You Are My Sunshine
• Clementine

Another collection of songs has words and videos. It does not show the number of words to learn in each song.

​►​Happy Birthday, published in 1903, with unclear authorship, now in the public domain (4 words)

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Note: Usually the name of the person having a birthday is said in the third line, which becomes, for example,
Happy birthday, dear Paul

►Are You Sleeping? Brother John Traditional in French as Frère Jacques (11 words)
Note: Sung as a round: When the 1st person reaches "Brother John", the 2nd person starts "Are you..."
 
Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?
Brother John, Brother John,
Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing!
Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.

Alphabet, traditional (13 words)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y and Z
​Now I know my ABCs. Next time won't you sing with me?

►0-2016, (30 words)
​Note: This and the next 3 songs are not well-known, but they are easy for beginners

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 101 1000 2000 2016​

►Listen to the Drum (10 words)

Listen to the drum, everybody come.
Come to the circle, everybody come (repeat)

Listen to the drum, can you echo the drum (repeat)

Listen to the drum, everybody come
Come to the circle, everybody come (repeat)

►Diversify and Balance Your Life (12 words)
 
Take a little bit of this / Take a little bit of that
Take a little bit of this / Take a little bit of that
Diversify and balance your life

►Talk a Lot (14 words)
 
I love us playing
I love us singing songs
I love us interacting when we talk a lot
 
We talk a lot / we learn a lot
We talk a lot / we laugh a lot
We talk a lot / we learn a lot when we talk a lot

►Give Peace a Chance 1969 by Lennon, unknown singer (12 words)
 
(Everybody out there on YouTube, can you hear me?)
 
All we are sayin', give peace a chance
All we are sayin', give peace a chance
Yeah yeah
All we are sayin', give peace a chance
All we are sayin', give peace, give peace a chance
Baby
All we are sayin', give peace a chance
Hey yeah yeah
All we are sayin', all we are sayin',baby yeah, give peace a chance
 
All we are sayin', is give peace a chance
 
►We Shall Overcome 1900, by Tindley, sung by Morehouse College (21 words)
 
We shall overcome, We shall overcome, We shall overcome some day
Oh deep in my heart I do believe that we shall overcome some day
 
We'll walk hand in hand, We'll walk hand in hand, We'll walk hand in hand today
Oh deep in my heart I do believe that we shall overcome some day
 
We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid today
Oh deep in my heart I do believe that we shall overcome some day

►Edelweiss 1959, from The Sound of Music by Rogers and Hammerstein, sung by Douglas Wright, who has many other easy songs (25 words)
Note: Edelweiss is a white flower
 
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever.
​
►4 Songs: Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here (1917), The More We Get Together (1926?), For He's a Jolly Good Fellow (1800s?), The Bear Went over the Mountain (57 words)
 
​(11 words)
Hail, hail, the gang's all here
What the heck do we care? What the heck do we care?
Hail, hail, the gang's all here
What the heck do we care now?   (2x)
 
​(30 words)
The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together the happier we'll be
For your friends are my friends and my friends are your friends
The more we get together the happier we'll be
 
​Oh how's for getting friendly? Quite friendly, real friendly
Oh how's for getting friendly? Both your friends and mine.
If your friends like my friends and my friends like your friends
We'll all be friends together, now won't that be fine?
 
​(10 words)
For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow
Which nobody can deny, which nobody can deny, which nobody can deny
For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow
Which nobody can deny.
 
​(18 words)
The bear went over the mountain The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see
Oh What could he see? What could he see?
The other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain was all that he could see
 
Hail, hail, the gang's all here
What the heck do we care? What the heck do we care?
Hail, hail, the gang's all here
What the heck do we care now?

►Old MacDonald Had a Farm, traditional (25 words)
Note: E-I-E-I-O is not a word, and has no meaning. It shows excitement.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
And on that farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O.
With a moo-moo here, and a moo-moo there.
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo-moo.
Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
And on that farm he had a pig, E-I-E-I-O.
With an oink-oink here, and an oink-oink there.
Here an oink, there an oink everywhere an oink-oink.
Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
And on that farm he had a duck, E-I-E-I-O.
With a quack-quack here, and a quack-quack there.
Here a quack there a quack, everywhere a quack-quack.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
And on that farm he had a dog, E-I-E-I-O.
With a woof-woof here, and a woof-woof there.
Here a woof there a woof, everywhere a woof-woof.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.
And on that farm he had a cat, E-I-E-I-O.
With a meow-meow here, and a meow-meow there.
Here a meow there a meow, everywhere a meow-meow.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

►Swear Thou the Jury (37 words)
Other songs by Gilbert and Sullivan are better known, but they have more words.
​'Twixt is an archaic word for "Between"

Swear thou the Jury
Kneel, Jury men, oh, kneel
O, will you swear by yonder skies,
Whatever question may arise,
'Twixt rich and poor - 'twixt low and high,
That you will well and truly try.

To all of this we make reply,
To all of this we make reply,
By the dull slate of yonder sky:
That we will well and truly try.

They will well and truly try

►Opposites, (60 words)
​Note: This song is not well-known, but it helps beginners learn important words.

CHORUS:
Let’s sing a song about opposites,
Two things as different as they can be
Let’s sing a song about opposites
You can sing along with me

The opposite of good is bad
The opposite of happy is sad
The opposite of hot is cold
The opposite of young is old    (CHORUS)

The opposite of short is tall
The opposite of none is all
The opposite of old is new
The opposite of many is few    (CHORUS)

The opposite of heavy is light
The opposite of day is night
The opposite of open is close
The opposite of yes is no   (CHORUS)

The opposite of black is white
The opposite of wrong is right
The opposite of water is ice
The opposite of mean is nice    (CHORUS)

The opposite of fast is slow
The opposite of stop is go
The opposite of near is far
The opposite of easy is hard    (CHORUS)

​Alphabet, Listen to the Drum and Opposites are from NancyMusic.com
Diversify and Balance, and Talk a Lot are from ​Tim Murphey

The singer has a website at NancyMusic.com, with more songs.
​Twinkle Twinkle is much better known than the other songs.

►Bluebird through My Window, traditional (13 words)

Bluebird, bluebird, through my window,
Bluebird, bluebird, through my window,
Bluebird, bluebird, through my window,
Oh Johnny I’m tired. Night, night.
 
Red bird, red bird, through my window ...
Oh Johnny I’m tired. Night, night.
 
Yellow bird, yellow bird, through my window ...
Oh Johnny I’m tired. Night, night.
 
Purple bird, purple bird, through my window ...
Oh Johnny I’m tired. Night, night.

►Dancing Rainbow Colors (29 words)

I am dancing around with my rainbow colors. Dancing around and around
I am dancing around with my rainbow colors. Dancing around and around
I can reach up high and twirl them around, then twirl them slowly to the ground
I am dancing around with my rainbow colors. Dancing around and around

I am jumping up and down with my rainbow colors. Jumping, jumping up and down
I am jumping up and down with my rainbow colors. Jumping, jumping up and down
I can reach up high and twirl them around, then twirl them slowly to the ground
I am jumping up and down with my rainbow colors. Jumping, jumping up and down

I am swaying back and forth with my rainbow colors. Making a rainbow in the sky
I am swaying back and forth with my rainbow colors. Making a rainbow in the sky
I can reach up high and twirl them around, then twirl them slowly to the ground
I am swaying back and forth with my rainbow colors. Making a rainbow in the sky

►An Owl Sat Alone, traditional (49 words)

An owl sat alone on the branch of a tree.
And she was as quiet as quiet could be.
It was night, and her eyes were wide open like this.
And when she looked around, not a thing did she miss.

Some little birds perched on the branch of the tree
And they were as quiet as quiet could be.
​The solemn old owl said who-who-who.
​And up jumped the birds, and away they all flew.

►Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, traditional, (68 words)

​Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are.

When the blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark, Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go, If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep, Often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye, Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark, Lights the traveler in the dark.
Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are.

►Hard Times Come Again No More, chorus, sung by Nashville Session Players (22 words)
Note: 'Tis is a contraction of "It Is"

'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times come again no more
Many days you have lingered
Around my cabin door
Oh hard times come again no more
Oh hard times come again no more

►Old Folks at Home, or Swanee River, first verse and chorus (42 words)
Note: Swanee is a mis-spelling of the Suwannee River in Georgia and Florida.

Way down upon the Swanee River, Far, far away
That's where my heart is yearning ever, That's where the old folks stay
All up and down the whole creation, Sadly I roam
Still longing for the old plantation, And for the old folks at home
All the world is sad and dreary, Everywhere I roam
Oh, brother, how my heart grows weary, Far from the old folks at home

►Jamaica Farewell traditional (36 words)

My heart is there
Though I've been from Maine to Mexico

But I'm sad to say I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down, my head is turning around
I had to leave a little boy in Kingston town

►Moon River 1961, from Breakfast at Tiffany's, by Mancini and Mercer. Won Academy Award (47 words)

Moon river
Wider than a mile
I'm crossin' you in style
Some day
Old dream maker
You heart breaker
Wherever you're goin'
I'm goin' your way

(2x)
Two drifters
Off to see the world
There's such a lot of world
To see
We're after the same
Rainbow's end
Waitin' round the bend
My huckleberry friend
Moon River
and me

►Take Me Out to the Ballgame, 1908 by Norworth and Von Tilzer, (39 words)
Note: The singers start one minute and two minutes after the start of this recording. Usually sung by the crowd in the middle of the seventh inning of a baseball game. "Cracker Jack" is a brand of candied popcorn. The words in parentheses are on this recording, but are not part of the song.
 
(Batter up. Strike 1, strike 2, strike 3, they're out)
 
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.
 
(Throw the bum out. Hey umpire, play ball)

►Autumn Leaves, 1945, music by Joseph Kosma, French lyrics by Jacques Prévert, adapted to English by Johnny Mercer, sung by Douglas Wright (44 words)

The falling leaves
Drift by the window
The autumn leaves
Of red and gold

I see your lips
The summer kisses
The sunburned hands
I used to hold

Since you went away
The days grow long
And soon I'll hear
Old winter's song
But I miss you most of all
My darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

►Fly Me to the Moon, 1954, written by Bart Howard, singer unknown (44 words)

Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby, kiss me

Fill my heart with song
And let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you

►I Need You Now, 1953, by Al Jacobs and Jimmie Crane, sung by Eddie Fisher (46 words)

If I ever needed you, I need you now
I can't remember when I've ever been so blue

If I ever needed love, I need it now
I feel so all alone I don't know what to do

No day or night goes by
When I don't have my cry
I feel like I could die
From wanting you

I can ease my achin' heart but you'd know how
If I ever needed you, I need you now

If I ever needed love, I need it now
I feel so all alone I don't know what to do

No day or night goes by
When I don't have my cry
I feel like I could die
From wanting you

I can ease my achin' heart. Honey you'd know how
If I ever needed you, I need you now

►There but for Fortune, 1963, sung by Joan Baez, written by Phil Ochs (59 words)

Show me the prison, show me the jail,
Show me the prisoner whose life has gone stale
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or I, mmmm.

Show me the alley, show me the train,
Show me the hobo who sleeps out in the rain,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or I, mmmm.

Show me the whiskey stains on the floor,
Show me the drunkard as he stumbles out the door,
And I'll show you a young man with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you or I, mmmm.

Show me the country where the bombs had to fall,
Show me the ruins of the buildings once so tall,
And I'll show you a young land with so many reasons why
There but for fortune, go you and I. You and I.

►Yesterday, written by Lennon and McCartney, sung by Michael Bolton (61 words)

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday

Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be
There's a shadow hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly

Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say
I said, I must have said something wrong, now I long for yesterday

Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
I believe in yesterday
I believe in yesterday
I believe in yesterday

►A Winter's Tale, 1991, written and sung by Freddie Mercury, of the British band Queen (72 words)
Note: e'en is a contraction of even

It's Winter-fall
Red skies are gleaming - oh -
Sea-gulls are flyin' over
Swans are floatin' by
Smoking chimney-tops
Am I dreaming...
Am I dreaming...?

The nights draw in
There's a silky moon up in the sky - yeah -
Children are fantasising
Grown-ups are standin' by
What a super feeling
Am I dreaming...
Am I dreaming...?

woh-woh-woh-woh
(dreaming)
So quiet and peaceful
Tranquil and blissful
There's a kind of magic in the air
What a truly magnificent view
A breathtaking scene
(With the dreams of the world
In the palm of your hand)

A cosy fireside chat
A little this, a little that
Sound of merry laughter skippin' by
Gentle rain beatin' on my face
What an extraordinary place!
(And the dream of the child
Is the hope of the hope of the man)

It's all so beautiful
Like a landscape painting in the sky - yeah -
Mountains are zoomin' higher - mm -
Little girls scream an' cry
My world is spinnin' and spinnin' and spinnin'
It's unbelievable
Sends me reeling
Am I dreaming...
Am I dreaming...?
Oooh - it's bliss.

►That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, 1932, written and sung by Gene Autry and Jimmy Long (75 words)

In a vine covered shack in the mountains
Bravely fighting the battle of time
Is a dear one who's weathered my sorrows
'Tis that silver haired daddy of mine
 
If I could recall all the heartaches
Dear old daddy, I've caused you to bear
If I could erase those lines from your face
And bring back the gold to your hair

If God would but grant me the power
Just to turn back the pages of time
I'd give all I own if I could but atone
To that silver haired daddy of mine

Oh, I know it's too late, dear old daddy
To repay all those sorrows and cares
Though dear mother is waiting in heaven
Just to comfort and solace you there

If I could recall all the heartaches
Dear old daddy, I've caused you to bear
If I could erase those lines from your face
And bring back the gold to your hair

If God would but grant me the power
Just to turn back the pages of time
I'd give all I own if I could but atone
To that silver haired daddy of mine

I'd give all I own if I could but atone
To that silver haired daddy of mine.

►Country Roads, 1970, by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver, (77 words)

Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.

CHORUS:
Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads.

All my memories gather round her, miner's lady, stranger to blue water.
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky, misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye.  CHORUS

I hear her voice in the morning hour, she calls me, the radio reminds me of my home far away.
And driving down the road I get a feeling that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.  CHORUS 2x

Take me home now, country roads,
Take me home now, country roads.

►You Are My Sunshine, 1939, unclear authorship (82 words)
 
The other night dear as I lay sleeping I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke dear I was mistaken and I hung my head and cried
 
You are my sunshine my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you please don't take my sunshine away
 
I'll always love you and make you happy if you will only say the same
But if you leave me and love another you'll regret it all some day
You are my sunshine...
 
You told me once dear you really loved me and no one else could come between
But now you've left me and you love another and you have shattered all of my dreams
You are my sunshine...
 
In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me, When I awake my poor heart pains
So won't  you come back and make me happy, I'll forgive dear, I'll take all the blame
You are my sunshine... 
​
►Clementine, 1884, written by Percy Montrose, sung by Verna "Esmereldy" Boersma (87 words)
Note:  Miners in the 1849 California gold rush were called forty-niners. Topses is an incorrect plural of top; the correct plural is tops. Doth is an archaic version of does.

In a cavern, In a canyon,
Excavating for a mine,
Dwelled a miner, forty-niner
And his daughter Clementine

CHORUS:
Oh my Darling,
Oh my Darling,
Oh my Darling Clementine.
You are lost and gone forever,
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine
Herring boxes without topses
Sandals were for Clementine.  CHORUS

Drove she ducklings to the water
Every morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter
Fell into the foaming brine.  CHORUS

Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles
Soft and fine,
Alas for me I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.  CHORUS

In a church yard near the canyon
Where the myrtle doth entwine
There grow roses, other posies
Fertilized by Clementine. CHORUS

Goodbye forever
Goodbye forever
Goodbye my darling Clementine

There are more songs with words on YouTube.