Schoolhouse Rock!

"Think Computer"

Original Air Date

1983

This song teaches about thinking about computers.

Lyrics to "Think Computer"

To have some fun or pass a quiz

Just follow this computer whiz

Scooter Computer and Mr. Chips

They've got the answers at their fingertips

[Scooter:]

Here I am and there you stand, such distance in between

Because I am a human and you are a machine

How can I communicate exactly what I mean

When I am a human and you are a machine

Parlez-vous Francis?

Habla espanol?

[Mr. Chips:]

I am a computer with so much in store

If you could learn my language or I could speak in yours

Then I'd do more work for you than you could ever dream

Though you are a human and I am a machine

[Scooter:]

Ok, I'll give it a try

[Mr. Chips:]

First I hope you'll clear your mind and listen closely, Scooter

Forget the words you thought you knew and start to think computer

Computers change the letters and the numerals humans type

To a number code made up of things that we call bits and bytes

[Scooter:]

Bits and bytes?

[Mr. Chips:]

Think computer, Scooter

A byte is several digits all standing in a row

They help present a letter or a number that you know

For instance when you write an "A"

This byte is what I see

And 00110011 is my way of saying "3"

This bit is one little bit of a byte

[Scooter:]

I get it - bits and bytes are sort of a computer's alphabet

[Mr. Chips:]

That's right, but ABC and 123 isn't talking

Hey, let's face it

That's why one language that we use is called computer BASIC

[Scooter:]

Computer BASIC?

[Mr. Chips:]

"Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code"

BASIC is a language that most computers know, and once you start to speak it, communications flow. You use words and phrases - I use bits and bytes instead, and BASIC lets us understand what the other one just said.

[Scooter:]

So BASIC is a language that I can talk in human and you can talk in machine and we can understand each other.

[Mr. Chips:]

Yes, BASIC is the language you'll be using to feed in my data. It's also the language all my programs or software are written in.

[Scooter:]

Data, programs, software?

[Mr. Chips:]

Data is information

Data means the facts

It's everything you store in me

For solving problems back

A program means directions

That tell me what to do

How to analyze my data

And find answers just for you

And Software is just another name

For all the instructions of programs that you feed me

[Scooter:]

Here I am and there you stand, we're closer than we seem

Though I am a human and you are a machine

I'll get a book on BASIC and as quickly as I can

I will talk computer, and you will understand

We didn't do too badly, did we Mr. Chips?

[Mr. Chips:]

It was pretty amazing, Scooter