"Three is a Magic Number" is a song in Schoolhouse Rock!, which can be seen in Multiplication Rock. In fact, this is the first Schoolhouse Rock! song. The song teaches us how to multiply by three. It first premiered on the pilot episode of Curiosity Shop on September 2, 1971, less than two years before Schoolhouse Rock! made its proper debut.
The song was covered by Stevie Brock, Greg Raposo, and Matt Ballinger to promote Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers. Their cover appears on the original release of the film's soundtrack, while a music video appears on the film's original DVD release.
"The Magic Number", a song by De La Soul sampling this song, was used in the closing credits of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Lyrics[]
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 and 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
Every triangle has three corners
Every 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
That's a magic number
3, 6, 9,
12, 15, 18,
21, 24, 27,
30
3, 6, 9,
12, 15, 18,
21, 24, 27,
30
Now the multiples of three
They come up three times in each set of 10
In the first 10, you get 3, 6, 9
And in the "teens" 10, it's 12, 15, and 18
And in the 20s, you get, uh, 21, 24, 27
And it comes out even on 30, yeah!
Now multiply backwards from 3x10
3x10 is 30
3x9 is 27
3x8 is 24
3x7 is 21
3x6 is 18
3x5 is 15
3x4 is 12
And 3x3 is 9
And 3x2 is 6
And 3x1 is 3, of course
Now dig the pattern once more!
(3) 3, 6, 9,
(12) 12, 15, 18,
(21) 21, 24, 27,
30
Yeah, thirty
Now multiply from 10 backwards
3x10 is 30 (Keep going)
3x9 is 27
3x8 is 24
3x7 is 21
3x6 is 18
3x5 is 15
3x4 is 12
And 3x3 is 9
And 3x2 is 6
And 3x1
What is it?
3
Yeah!
That's a magic number
A man and a woman had a little baby
Yes they did
They had three in the family
That's a magic number
[Clearing throat] Is this on?
1, 2, 3, come on!
Yeah we're a magic number
Yeah yeah yeah
Hey hey hey hey hey
3 is a family baby
3 is a magic number
Yes it is, it's a magic number
Stand together till we're done
One for all and all for one
We are 3, it's a magic number
I'm with you, you're with me
Birds fly full of speed
Side to side we'll always be together
3 is a family
3 is a family
(We're a magic number)
3 is family
Yeahhh
When things are looking hopeless
(Uh huh)
And you don't know what to do
(Yeah)
You can turn to me my friend
And I'll always turn to you
Alright
1 and 1 and 1 is 3
I've got you and you've got me
There's nothing we can't do us 3 together
It's a magic number
(3 is a family, 3 is a family)
3 times 10 is 30
3 times 9 is 27
3 times 8 is 24
3 times 7 is 21
3 times 6 is 18
3 times 5 is 15
3 times 4 is 12
3 times 3 is 9 and
3 times 2 is 6
And 3 times 1
What is it?
Three
1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1
If we're not 3
Then we're none
1, 2, 3 we never run
It's one for all and all for one
The number 1 stands alone
And 2 you can't divide
But when you're 3
You'll always be
With friends there at your side
(AHHHHH)
3 times 10 is 30
3 times 9 is 27
3 times 8 is 24
3 times 7 is 21
3 times 6 is 18
3 times 5 is 15
3 times 4 is 12
3 times 3 is 9 and
3 times 2 is 6
And 3 times 1
What is it?
Three
When we're united
Standing tall
All our backs against the wall
We can't be beat if we are all together
We're a magic number
When things look up
It's getting tough
And you don't know what to do
It just depends if you've got friends
To help you make it through
Of all the numbers that could be
The most important number 3
Stands for you and you and me together
We're a magic number
(3 is a family)
We're on our way and nothing's gonna stop us
We're a trio
We've got 3 in the family
3 is a family
3 is a family
3 is a family
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 and 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
Every triangle has three corners
Every 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
That's a magic number
3, 6, 9,
12, 15, 18,
21, 24, 27,
30
3, 6, 9,
12, 15, 18,
21, 24, 27,
30
Now multiply backwards from 3x10
3x10 is 30
3x9 is 27
3x8 is 24
3x7 is 21
3x6 is 18
3x5 is 15
3x4 is 12
And 3x3 is 9
And 3x2 is 6
And 3x1 is 3, of course
Now give it to me, 1, 2, 3!
(3) 3, 6, 9,
(12) 12, 15, 18,
(21) 21, 24, 27,
30
Pull up, pull up
Bring it back and rewind!
3x10 is 30
3x9 is 27
3x8 is 24
3x7 is 21
3x6 is 18
3x5 is 15
3x4 is 12
And 3x3 is 9
And 3x2 is 6
And 3x1
What is it?
3
Yeah!
And that's the 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
Trivia[]
- The "multiples of three" section in the song was removed from later airings and home media because this was animated in the form of a carnival duck shooting game, and because of the three minute time limit. This verse can still be heard on album releases.
- In Spider-Man: No Way Home during the mid credits this song was used.
- The music was used for the idents of BBC Three in 2003-2008.
- This song was used in an advertisement for Nike, which was included in the first DVD release of Schoolhouse Rock! as a bonus feature.
- Voted #7 of the top 25 favorite Schoolhouse Rock! songs.
Video[]
v - e - d  | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|