The Presidents Song (song)

Animaniacs - Presidents

The Presidents Song is a song from episode 75 (year 1995) of Animaniacs. It is sung by the Warners to the tune of the finale of Gioachino Rossini's "William Tell Overture", describing the first 42 Presidents of the United States from George Washington to Bill Clinton. The lyrics were written by Randy Rogel. It is also the 12th track on the album Variety Pack, and contains lyrics that were originally written for the song, but did not end up in the show. In 2019, there are currently 45 US presidents (including Cleveland twice). 

Lyrics

Yakko:

Heigh Ho, do ya know

The names of the US residents

Who then became the presidents

And got a view from the White House loo

Of Pennsylvania Avenue? 

Wakko:

George Washington was the first, you see,

He once chopped down a cherry tree.

Dot:

President number two would be

John Adams, and then number three...

Yakko:

Tom Jefferson stayed up to write

A declaration late at night.

So he and his wife had a great big fight

And she made him sleep on the couch all night.

Wakko:

James Madison never had a son

And he fought the War of 1812.

Dot:

James Monroe's colossal nose

Was bigger than Pinocchio's.

Yakko:

John Quincy Adams was number six

And it's Andrew Jackson's butt he kicks.

So Jackson learns to play politics.

Next time, he's the one that the country picks.

Dot:

Martin Van Buren, number eight

For a one-term shot as chief of state.

Yakko:

William Harrison, how do ya praise?

That guy was dead in thirty days!

Wakko:

Old John Tyler he liked country folk...

Dot:

And after him came President Polk.

Yakko:

Zachary Taylor liked to smoke,

His breath killed friends whenever he spoke.

Wakko:

1850, really nifty,

Millard Fillmore's in.

Yakko:

Young and fierce was Franklin Pierce,

The man without a chin.

Dot:

Follows next a period spannin'

Four long years with James Buchanan.

Then the south starts shootin' cannon

And we got a Civil War.

The Warners:

(to the tune of "I Wish I Was in Dixie")

A war!

A war down south in Dixie!

Yakko:

Up to bat comes old Abe Lincoln.

Dot:

There's a guy who's really thinkin'!

Wakko:

Kept the United States from shrinkin',

Saved the ship of state from sinkin'!

Dot:

Andrew Johnson's next,

He had some slight defects.

Wakko:

Congress each would impeach...

Dot:

And so the country now elects...

Yakko:

Ulysses Simpson Grant,

Who would scream and rave and rant...

Wakko:

While drinkin' whiskey, although risky,

'Cause he'd spill it on his pants.

Yakko:

It's 1877 and the Democrats would gloat.

But they're all amazed when Rutherford Hayes

Wins by just one vote.

Dot:

James Garfield someone really hated

'Cause he was assassinated.

Wakko:

Chester Arthur gets instated.

Four years later, he was traded...

Dot:

For Grover Cleveland, really fat,

Elected twice as a Democrat.

Then Benjamin Harrison, after that,

It's William McKinley up to bat.

Yakko:

Teddy Roosevelt charged up San Juan Hill.

Wakko:

And President Taft, he got the bill.

Yakko:

In 1913, Woodrow...

The Warners:

Wiiiiillllllllllson

So, takes us into World War I!

(Military cadence)

Yakko:

Warren Harding, next in line.

Dot:

It's Calvin Coolidge, he does fine.

Wakko:

And then in 1929,

The market crashes and we find...

Yakko:

It's Herbert Hoover's big debut.

He gets the blame and loses to...

Dot:

Franklin Roosevelt, President who

Helped us win in World War II.

Wakko:

Harry Truman, weird little human,

Serves two terms and when he's done...

Yakko:

It's Eisenhower who's got the power

From '53 to '61.

Dot:

John Kennedy had Camelot

Then Lyndon Johnson took his spot.

Yakko:

Richard Nixon, he gets caught

And Gerald Ford fell down a lot.

Wakko:

Jimmy Carter liked campaign trips.

Yakko:

And Ronald Reagan's speeches' scripts

All came from famous movie clips,

And President Bush said, "Read my lips."

Dot:

Now in Washington, DC...

Wakko:

There's Democrats and the GOP...

Yakko:

But the ones in charge are plain to see...

Dot:

The Clintons, Bill and Hillary!

Yakko:

{slower}

The next President to lead the way,

Well, it might just be yourself one day.

Then the press'll distort everything you say...

The Warners:

{abruptly change to normal speed}

So jump in your plane and fly away!

Album lyrics

Yakko:

Heigh ho, do you know

The names of the U.S. residents

And then became the Presidents

And got a view from the White House loo

Of Pennsylvania Avenue?

George Washington was the first, you see.

He once chopped down a cherry tree.

Dot:

President number two would be

John Adams, and then number three...

Yakko:

Tom Jefferson stayed up to write

The Constitution late at night.

So he and his wife had a great big fight

And she made him sleep on the couch all night.

Wakko:

James Madison never had a son

And he fought the War of 1812.

Dot:

James Monroe's colossal nose

Was bigger than Pinocchio's.

Yakko:

John Quincy Adams was number six

And it's Andrew Jackson's butt he kicks.

So Jackson learns to play politics.

Next time, he's the one that the country picks.

Dot:

Martin van Buren, number eight

For a one-term shot as chief of state.

Yakko:

William Harrison, how do ya praise?

That guy was dead in thirty days!

Wakko:

Old John Tyler he liked country folk...

Dot:

And after him came President Polk.

Yakko:

Zachary Taylor liked to smoke,

His breath killed friends whenever he spoke.

Wakko:

1850, really nifty,

Millard Fillmore's in.

Yakko:

Young and fierce was Franklin Pierce,

The man without a chin.

Dot:

Followin' next a period spannin'

Four long years with James Buchanan.

Then the south starts shootin' cannons

And we got a Civil War.

The Warners:

(to the tune of "I Wish I Was in Dixie")

A war!

A war down south in Dixie!

Yakko:

Up to bat comes old Abe Lincoln.

Dot:

There's a guy who's really thinkin'!

Wakko:

Kept the United States from shrinkin',

Saved the ship of state from sinkin'!

Dot:

Andrew Johnson's next,

He had some slight defects.

Wakko:

Congress each would impeach...

Dot:

And so the country now elects...

Yakko:

Ulysses Simpson Grant,

Who would scream and rave and rant...

Wakko:

While drinkin' whiskey, although risky,

'Cause he'd spill it on his pants.

Yakko:

It's 1877 and the Democrats would gloat.

But they're all amazed when Rutherford Hayes

Wins by just one vote.

Dot:

James Garfield someone really hated

'Cause he was assassinated.

Wakko:

Chester Arthur gets instated.

Four years later, he was traded...

Dot:

For Grover Cleveland, really fat,

Elected twice as a Democrat.

Then Benjamin Harrison, after that,

It's William McKinley up to bat.

Yakko:

Teddy Roosevelt charged up San Juan Hill.

Wakko:

And President Taft, he gets the bill.

Yakko:

In 1913, Woodrow...

The Warners:

Wiiiiillllllllllson

Takes us into World War I!

(Military cadence)

Yakko:

Warren Harding, he does fine.

Dot:

It's Calvin Coolidge next in line.

Wakko:

And then in 1929,

The market crashes and we find...

Yakko:

It's Herbert Hoover's big debut.

He gets the blame and loses to...

Dot:

Franklin Roosevelt, President who

Helped us win in World War II.

Wakko:

Harry Truman, weird little human,

Serves two terms and when he's done...

Yakko:

It's Eisenhower who's got the power

From '53 to '61.

Dot:

John F. Kennedy, he got shot,

So Lyndon Johnson takes his spot.

Yakko:

Richard Nixon, he gets caught

And Gerald Ford fell down a lot.

Wakko:

Jimmy Carter liked campaign trips.

Yakko:

And Ronald Reagan's speeches' scripts

All came from famous movie clips,

And President Bush said, "Read my lips."

Dot:

Now in Washington, DC...

Wakko:

There's Democrats and the GOP...

Yakko:

But the one in charge is plain to see...

Dot:

It's Clinton, first name Hillary!

Yakko:

The next President to lead the way,

Well, it might just be yourself one day.

Then the press'll distort everything you say...

The Warners:

So jump in your plane and fly away!