Schoolhouse Rock was a memorable series of animated shorts that ran with the Saturday morning cartoons that cleverly used music to teach kids about everything from correct grammar to this catchy song about politics, which explains how a bill becomes a law (or not).
Schoolhouse Rock is rockin’ once more (1996)
Brandes Breitbarth isn’t surprised by the resurrection of “Schoolhouse Rock,” a musical series of educational cartoons that ran on TV in between its Saturday morning shows.
Breitbarth remembers sitting in social studies class her senior year… when her teacher played “I’m Just a Bill,” a ditty about a frustrated legislative bill’s quest to become a law.
“We were learning about how laws are made, and she played it. We all watched and everyone sang along,” she said.
– Excerpted from The Central New Jersey Home News (New Brunswick, NJ), published on September 26, 1996
MORE: Buy the classic TV segments here at Amazon!
I’m Just A Bill – original Schoolhouse Rock song & video (1975)

I’m Just A Bill – lyrics
I’m just a bill.
Yes, I’m only a bill.
And I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it’s a long, long journey
To the capital city.
It’s a long, long wait
While I’m sitting in committee,
But I know I’ll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.
I’m just a bill
Yes I’m only a bill,
And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
Well, now I’m stuck in committee
And I’ll sit here and wait
While a few key Congressmen discuss and debate
Whether they should let me be a law.
How I hope and pray that they will,
But today I am still just a bill.
I’m just a bill
Yes, I’m only a bill
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
Well, then I’m off to the White House
Where I’ll wait in a line
With a lot of other bills
For the president to sign
And if he signs me, then I’ll be a law.
How I hope and pray that he will,
But today I am still just a bill.
But how I hope and I pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Song written by Dave Frishberg, and sung by Jack Sheldon