Three is a Magic Number
Written by Bob Dorough for Schoolhouse Rock in 1973.
This is the Blind Melon Version – The lyrics are a little different in a few places
than the original version. Released in 1995 as a promotional CD. Can be found on the
Best of Blind Melon CD or on the soundtracks of “Slackers”, or “You, Me and Dupree”
No Capo. (Schoolhouse rock version is played with Capo 2)
[Intro]
D G A
[Verse - Single Strum Chords]
D G D G
Three, oh, it's the magic number,
D G D G
Yes it is, it's a magic number.
D G D G
Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity
D G D G
You get three as a magic number.
[Verse - Strumming]
D G
The past and the present and the future.
D G
Faith and Hope and Charity,
D G
The heart and the brain and the body
D G D G
Give you three, It’s a magic number.
[Verse]
D G
It takes three legs to make a tri-pod
D G
Or to make a table stand.
D G
It takes three wheels to make a ve-hicle
D G
Called a tricycle.
[Verse]
D G
Every triangle has three corners,
D G
Every triangle has three sides,
D G
No more, no less.
D G
You don't have to guess.
D G
When it's three you can see
D G D G
It's a magic number.
[Bridge]
D G D G
A man and a woman had a little baby,
D G
Yes, they did.
D G D G
They had three in the family,
D G D G
And that's a magic number.
[Chorus 1]
D G D G D G D G
3-6-9, 12-15-18, 21-24-27, 30.
D G D G D G D G
3-6-9, 12-15-18, 21-24-27, 30.
[Guitar Solo]
D G D G D G D G
D G
(spoken) Now multiply backwards from three times ten
[Chorus 2]
D G D G
Three time ten is 30, three times nine is 27,
D G D G
Three times eight is 24, three times seven is 21,
D G D G
Three times six is 18, three times five is 15,
D G
Three times four is 12,
Bm A G
And three times three is 9, and three times two is 6,
E A
And three times one is three of course.
(spoken) Now take the pattern once more
[Chorus 1]
D G D G
3-6-9
D G D G
12-15-18
D G
Ah Yeah
[Flute Solo]
D G D G D G D G
[Chorus 2]
D G D G
Oh Three time ten is 30, three times nine is 27,
D G D G
Three times eight is 24, three times seven is 21,
D G D G
Three times six is 18, three times five is 15,
D G
Three times four is 12,
Bm A G
And three times three is 9, and three times two is 6,
E A D G
And three times one (what is it?) THREE! Yeah!
D G D G
[Bridge]
D G D G
A man and a woman had a little baby.
D G D G
There were three in the family.
D
That's a magic number. (hold last chord)
