Do you have random things that you Google once in a while? I do. One of them was my search for the lyrics to a song that I learned at Increase Miller Elementary School, written by one of my teachers, Mr. Kahn. In the past I’d looked online and even contacted the school looking for the lyrics, to no avail.
But recently I found a group on Facebook that was formed just to remember all the lyrics. Yes-the song is that good. It’s a catchy little ditty called “The Presidents Song,” and if you learn it, you, too, “can name all the Presidents/All the White House residents/Of the United States.” Hooray! I was so excited to find it.
I don’t know how to write music, and I wish I did. But if you know me, I’ll sing it to you. My kids love the song. And I’ve used it for years to remember the order of the presidents, even though my memory gets murky around Millard Fillmore.
UPDATE: The Facebook group that I’d found has dissolved, as not-so-active FB groups do. But we’ve located music! Dave offers to email you a copy in comment #14 below. Thanks, Dave!
UPDATED UPDATE: Will R shared this recording on YouTube of Mr. Kahn singing the song! Thanks, Will!
UPDATE TO THE UPDATED UPDATES: Ben shared his old-school photocopy of the song that he found at his mom’s house! Thanks, Ben!
People’s versions differed a bit, so this is not absolutely exact, but it’s my best guess after gleaning from all the different recollections. Mr. Kahn kept updating the song long after I graduated elementary school, and there was a rumor that he got as far as George W. Bush before he died. I didn’t find that very last line. The Clinton line is Mr. Kahn’s, and I added the very last one on Bush & Obama. Here it is:
The Presidents Song by Jeff Kahn
Washington, then John Adams, followed by Jefferson, number three,
Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Jackson (Old Hickory)
Martin Van Buren, a little obscure, and he was number eight
William Henry Harrison died too early. . . or came too late.
Chorus:
So you need not be hesitant–
You can name all the Presidents,
All the White House residents
Of the United States!
In a little while there came John Tyler, James K. Polk was next,
Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, check any history text.
Franklin Pierce, then James Buchanan, Lincoln did supplant
When he was gone, came Andrew Johnson, then U. S. Grant.
[Chorus]
Rutherford Hayes, then count the days of James A. Garfield’s run.
Chester Arthur followed right after, then Grover Cleveland won.
Benjamin Harrison stayed 4 years but Cleveland’s support was firm–
Again he ran to be the only man with split presidential terms.
[Chorus]
William McKinley’s luck spread thinly, shot by a mad man’s gun.
Theodore Roosevelt ran two terms and William Taft for one.
Woodrow Wilson went to the Front, then Warren G. Harding died,
And after Calvin Coolidge, we had Hoover’s landslide.
[Chorus]
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, to Eisenhower’s eight-year stay,
When John F. Kennedy died in Dallas, next came LBJ.
Richard M. Nixon, Watergate’s victim, pulled out of Vietnam,
Gerald R. Ford, then James Earl Carter suckered by Iran.
[Chorus]
Ronald Reagan, Star Wars fadin’, Hollywood’s greatest ham,
George Bush cracked the whip on Iraq, but couldn’t drive out Saddam.
William Clinton strayed with an intern, nearly got the sack,
Bush next, then Obama, first president who’s black!
[Chorus]
. . . Now, that’s what I call a teaching legacy!
– – – – – – – – – –
In other news, my struggles to enjoy the many offerings of my CSA continue, and I have to strongly recommend the Grilled Coconut Kale that I found in an old New York Times Magazine. It is seriously tasty.
I took this picture, then sat down and ate this entire plate. When I was grilling I was concerned about burning it, and when I make it again, I won’t be so fretful. The slightly-more-done pieces were absolutely the tastiest.
UPDATE: I made more of this and presented it to my family with great fanfare and enthusiasm. . . . Alas, no one else was particularly thrilled with it. And by not “particularly thrilled” I mean that perhaps there were some muted gags. But I swear, it’s delicious. The kale chips, just baked with some olive oil and season salt, were more popular with the rest of the family.
Ken B
Please sing the song to us!
Katie
Next time I see you, absolutely.
michelle
I have an awesome recipe for a gratin with kale and navy (or cannolini) beans. Sooooo yummy.
Katie
Now, do your girls eat it? If so, I need the recipe. Pretty please.
Maureen
Thanks for the lyrics to the president song. I too learned it in elementary school. Not sure who the author is because the last verse I learned was “Richard M Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, right to this present day, who the nation picks in ’76 your vote will say ” so this was in 1975.
Katie
@Maureen–yeah, I’m sure it was Mr. Kahn. He used to rewrite it as they were elected. So the very last line of this one is mine. Have no idea what we’ll all do in 2016!
Brian McCauley
Thank you for your blog. I googled the presidents song . Mr Kahn, and found your blog. It’s amazing what you remember from school. I’m sure Mr Kahn wrote that song, I told my history class today that we stopped with Carter. Thanks
Brian
Katie
@Brian, glad to help!
Earl
Thank you for posting The Presidents Song . Been looking for the lyrics for quite some time . Mr. Kahn was my teacher in 1974 – 75 . I remember him fondly .
Katie
@Earl, my pleasure! Except I don’t know what we’ll do next time, because we’ll need a whole new verse. . . .
Jeff
Katie,
We Sang it at North Salem too. Could you give me the link for the facebook page. Anyone find the music to it?
Katie
@Jeff, I think that the FB page faded out. Generally speaking, if a FB page is inactive for a while, they’ll dump it, and when I tried to look for it again the last time, I couldn’t find it, so I suspect that’s what happened.
Neal
I remember the song, a brilliant piece of music & lyrics written by a brilliant, creative man. Jeff Kahn, Mr. Kahn, proved to many of us over many years just how influential a great teacher can be.
Dave
I learned this song at PQ in North Salem (1981-1985) from Chuck Thatcher. To help teach it to my own kids I decided to transcribe the tune. With help from an old PQ friend with musical talent we now have the sheet music with new lyrics from Bush to Obama. If anyone would like a copy feel free to contact me at deehmann@gmail.com.
Beth Senko
Katie — I can’t believe I googled this and it came up. I too was in Jeff’s 6th grade class – (1975 — the year before the election)… we were the second class (I think to learn the song)…Jeff passed away in 2009 and several of my class members have been looking to revive the song somehow. It would be great to hear from anyone who might have music. You can also find the lyrics (both pre 76 and after the 76 election…but alas nothing past 76….although maybe we can finally use the “will it be a lady…but not in 1980” …any questions feel free to contact me bsenko@mindspring.com
krista
HI! I Just sang this song to my son last night (of what I could remember!) So loved that song from Mr. Kahn’s class… I was in his homeroom at Increase Miller in 77-78… I would love the music as well. What a great teacher he was to have made such an impact on his students through his love of music! Be well all!
gretchen
mrs. head was my music teacher in lewisboro elementary and she taught us this terrific song…my twins love it and when we forget what name comes next, we look at our placemats with the presidents on them…thanks for posting!
Barb
I just found your blog and these great lyrics to Mr. Kahn’s Presidents Song! Thank you so much for posting them. I was a 6th grader in Mr. Kahn’s class in 1979-80. He was definitely one of the best!
Chris Rubeo
“Who the nation picks in ’76, your vote will say!”
Katonah Elementary School – ’78
Jamie
I have been looking for this musical version of this song for a while. I had and loved Mr. Kahn in 5th grade in ’93 and remember this song! I used to have a tape of him singing it, but no longer do. I teach 4th grade and taught my students the states song he sang to us. Wish I still had his tape of this song. He was the best!
Danielle
OMG! I loved this song as a kid. I could only remember the first line, so I was trying to google it to see if anything came up. It was from Mr Kahn, he was a very favorite and memorable teacher. Glad I found this! Thanks!
Sheila Hart Stafford
Dear Katie – I am OVER THE MOON to have found the words to this song. I tried to find the lyrics a few times over the years with no success…until today! I learned the song in music class in Cold Spring Harbor, NY…circa 1975. I remembered the chorus and the first verse, but was stumped as the to rest of the lyrics. I am a school librarian in a K-5 school in Livingston, NJ. You made my day. I sang it with a bunch of 5th graders today. Awesome!
Katie
@Sheila, glad to hear it made your day!
Karla E
Love! Was just talking about this today. I learned it the year it was written when I was in 6th grade. Maybe 1975. Mr Kahn was my teacher
David S.
So glad to find the lyrics and remember this tune. I’ve mostly remembered it all these years, tho never all at once… that is, one verse will come to me one day, then another on a different day. I recall gathering (in Mr. Craffey’s room I think) to sing it for a recording Mr. Kahn was submitting to a bi-centennial song-writing contest. Good times. I’m sad to hear of his passing.
Cheryl Weisser
Hi…I am not sure if this blog is still current. However, I found it due to a google search for the President’s Song which is presently being used on the Jeep Cherokee President’s day sale promotion!!! My son had Mr. Kahn in the 6th grade…thinking of him brings back the best memories. It is wonderful to hear his song…but I do think that this is an infringement on copyright and if Mr. Kahn has living relatives, perhaps they should be alerted if they haven’t already been. Anyone know how to go about doing this?
Thanks for the blog and the words to the song.
I loved Mr. Kahn!!!!
Cheryl Weisser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDAvqzb19Hs
Katie
Hi Cheryl, thanks for writing. I watched the commercial & that’s not the same as Mr. Kahn’s song–his words and music are different, and his song is much better! 😉
Cheryl Weisser
Yes…Katie. I posted it on Facebook…and was corrected by several students…and Mr. Kahn’s was much better! I am actually sharing your verses with them because they can’t quite remember them. My son saw the latest additions on Clinton and Obama..and was so disgusted and said that Mr. Kahn would never have used those words~
What year did you go to Increase Miller?
Katie
Oh, my goodness. . . I guess it would have been 1980-1983? For a while, several years back, there was a Facebook page devoted to trying to remember what the exact lyrics were, but then when a page becomes inactive for a while it disappears, and I suppose that’s what happened to this one. And one of the commenters had a pdf version with the music and slightly different lyrics–I think he listed his email in the comments if you’d like him to send you a copy.
David
Mr. Kahn was my 6th grade teacher in 74-75. We would sing the President’s Song over and over as he recorded us on a cassette player so that he could enter it in a songwriting contest.
Sony
oh wow!
i learned this song in west orchard elementary school in New York State like 25years ago!
I’m Japanese and now living back in Japan
I’m giving birth to my daughter by the end of this year, and thought of singing this song as a part of education to her
But I was not successful to find it on you tube and was not sure if the song even existed
Glad to know it did!!
Does anyone have this song uploaded??
Katie
Not that I know of; sorry. If you ever find it, I’d add a link.
Debbie
I’m so excited to find this song. I learned it in the late 70;s in Orlando, Florida by my history teacher, Mr. Godfrey. I thought he told us he wrote it. I know Mr. Godfrey is no longer with us and I’m elated to find the song. Thanks for sharing it and I love the ending!
Eric
Thanks for posting this! I was in Mr. Kahn’s class in 1983-84 and always hummed along and faked it after the 2nd verse.
Great teacher!
David R. Godfrey
I used the version of the Presidents Song written by Mr. Kahn when I taught in Orlando. I would love to have the words and music if anyone has it. Thanks so much. And who is the Debbie that I taught?
Jeanine caviola
Omg! Can’t believe all these people remember that song! That’s great.I too had mr. khan loved him great teacher. And loved the song.
Cavn
Samantha Klein
Wow what a blast from the past! Mr Kahn was the best! I was singing this to my daughter today and had to google it to find the lyrics!
Chris
I love that I found your page. I learned this in school in S. California from a teacher that got it from another teacher (perhaps that was Mr. Kahn). I’ve been trying to find the chords for the music so that I can strum it on my guitar. And, I still have the physical copy from ~1989.
Katie
@Chris, I think if you look up through the comments someone had offered the music if you email him.
Margot Kerr
Oh wow! I can’t tell you how excited I am to find this! For years I’ve been singing this song to my children! I was at Increase Miller for 4th grade and I remember learning it for a bicentennial assembly. My 20-something kids are loving this! (While in Quarantine). Thank you Katie!
Margot Brennan Kerr
Katie
Glad I could help you find it!
Samantha B
I just googled the President’s song, hoping to find new verses, and it was so fun to see someone else talking about Mr. Kahn and remember that, indeed, this was an IMES special and that he wrote it all himself. I’m Sam, IMES class of 1998, and I don’t even know if you’ll see this comment almost 10 years after this post, but hey.
The closing lyrics, when I learned them, were this…
FDR through Harry S. Truman
To Eisenhower’s 8 year stay
When John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas
Next came LBJ
Next we come to Richard M. Nixon,
He met his Watergate
And finally resigned when his office was maligned
A tragic fate
[Chorus]
Never elected Gerald R. Ford
Was gone by ’76
Beaten by a charmer, a southern peanut farmer
Carter was the nation’s pick
Jimmy’s smile stayed for just 4 years
And Reagan acted right on cue
Bush was in demand
Now Clinton leads our land
That’s it we’re through!
Katie
Aw, great. Thanks for the update!
Mallory Barlow
Omg. I was just singing the song to my husband and starting to teach it to my 3 1/2-year-old son. I too had Mr. Kahn in English class and went to elementary school before John Jay Middle School. It’s amazing how such a small memory can stick. I went to Google it because I always trip up after the third verse and forget the remaining lyrics and then I saw your blog. So grateful someone is able to capture this.
Will R
After following the comments on this blog for years, I was able to reach Mr. Kahn’s sister who was kind enough to locate a copy of the song…
With her permission, I’ve uploaded it to an unlisted link on youtube, below:
https://youtu.be/kxEKp08TzPI
(Mr. Kahn was my homeroom/ english teacher for 5th grade in 1992/93, but this version of the song goes up to George W. Bush).
Tonje Ulven
Omg!
I left Increase Miller in 1980 (fifth grade Mr. Milove) and after five years in Seattle we moved back to Norway in 1985. I’ve googled frantically SO MANY TIMES looking for this song – just now too while watching a Norwegian quiz show. Then this shows up! No wonder none of the Google hits have been spot on previously. Ok, sorry for the ramble! Just thanks. This made my evening.
Katie
Tonje, I had Mr. Milove, too! Glad you’ve finally found this!
Steven
Thank you so much for this blog. I’ve searched in the past about Mr. Kahn and the presidents song and somehow just found this. He was an amazing teacher and talented performer. I was in his 6th grade class in 75-76, so our version didn’t include Carter yet. I think it ended with a pretty cool line about the upcoming election. I spent hours with him rehearsing his lines for his performance in a local production of Damn Yankees. His performance and magic tricks stole the show for sure. Great man and an incredibly memorable and influential teacher.
C. Roberts
Ahhh, thank you so much for posting this! I learned it from Charles Thatcher, a music teacher at Pequenakonck Elementary in North Salem, NY, circa 1978. Our version originally ended with Carter, but we crammed Reagan into the last verse in 1980. I moved to the West Coast right after that, and everyone looks at me like I’m crazy when I mention this song. Now I have proof! Haha