Blind Melon - Three Is A Magic Number

Artist: Blind Melon

Song:  Three Is A Magic Number

Album: VV. AA. - Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks (1996)

 

"Three Is a Magic Number" is one of the original 46 songs from the Schoolhouse Rock! series. Schoolhouse Rock! is a series of animated musical educational short films that aired during the Saturday morning children's programming on the U.S. television network ABC.

The inaugural song created for the series, the track was composed and performed in 1973 by Bob Dorough, musical director of the series.

In 1996, alternative group Blind Melon released a cover version of the song on the Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks album.

The song is also parodied by Jack Black in the movie School of Rock, when Black accidentally refers to the number 9 as "a magic number".

Jeff Buckley did a cover of this song in a live concert (1995-12-31: Mercury Lounge, New York City, NY, USA), and Embrace also covered the song.

De La Soul used some of the original lyrics in their version of "Three Is a Magic Number," although this hip hop version was very different from the original.

 

Blind Melon cover

Embrace cover from album Fireworks (Singles 1997-2002) 

Jeff Buckley cover

 

three is a magic number, yes it is, it's a magic number.
somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity, you get three as a magic number.
the past and the present and the future,
faith hope and charity,
the heart and the brain and the body,
give you three as a magic number.

it takes three legs to make a tripod, or to make a table stand.
it takes three wheels to make a vehicle called a tricycle.
ev'ry triangle has three corners; ev'ry triangle has three sides.
no more , no less; you don't have to guess.
when it's three, you can see it's a magic number.

a man and a woman had a little baby.
yes they did.
they had three in the family.
and that's a magic number.

three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen,
twenty-one twenty-four, twenty-seven, thirty.

three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen,
twenty-one twenty-four, twenty-seven, thirty.

three times ten is thirty. three times nine is twenty-seven.
three times eight is twenty-four. three times seven is twenty-one.
three times six is eighteen. three times five is fifteen.
three times four is twelve, and three times three is nine,
and three times two is six, and three times one is three, of course.

three times one: what is it? three!
that's a magic number.

a man and a woman had a little baby.
yes they did.
they had three in the family.
and that's a magic number.

 

Original video from Schoolhouse Rocks

 

Embrace video live

 

Jack Black in the movie School of Rock