R.I.P. Dave Frishberg, Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” Songwriter Dead at 88

The post R.I.P. Dave Frishberg, Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” Songwriter Dead at 88 appeared first on Consequence.

Dave Frishberg, the Grammy-nominated songwriter whose witty lyrics tickled adults even as he found his biggest audience on the children’s series Schoolhouse Rock!, has died at 88 after a long illness, Deadline and New York Times report.

Born March 23rd, 1933, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Frishberg devoted his career to jazzy piano numbers where he delivered jokes and sharp observations in a whiny tenor. The Dave Frishberg Songbook, Volume No. 1 earned him his first Grammy nod for best male jazz vocal performance in 1982, and he followed that feat with Grammy nominations for The Dave Frishberg Songbook, Volume No. 2 (1983), Live at Vine Street (1985), and Can’t Take You Nowhere (1987).

But as he acknowledged, his “most well-known song” was “I’m Just a Bill” from Schoolhouse Rock! This swanky explainer of the legislative process was sung by jazz trumpeter and vocalist Jack Sheldon, and it brought Frishberg acclaim and a lifetime of residuals while somewhat overshadowing his more grown-up pursuits. He contributed two other tracks to Schoolhouse Rock!, the dive into the stock market, “Walkin’ on Wall Street,” and the balanced-budget banger, “$7.50 Once a Week.”

Those feeling nostalgic will be anxious to return to the Schoolhouse Rock! hits, but don’t miss his other great songs, including the cabaret standard “Peel Me a Grape,” the self-mocking  lyrics for “I’m Hip,” the sultry humor of “Slappin’ the Cakes on Me,” and his adult ode to legalese, “My Attorney Bernie.” Check out a selection of his works below.

R.I.P. Dave Frishberg, Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” Songwriter Dead at 88
Wren Graves

Popular Posts

• Brass Against Singer Urinates on Fan's Face Onstage During Festival Performance

• Brass Against Singer Apologizes for Peeing on Fan's Face as NASCAR Permanently Bans Band From Its Venues

• Chris Daughtry's Daughter Found Dead

• Brass Against Onstage Urination Incident Leads to Police Report as More Details Emerge

• Joe Rogan on Sucking His Own Dick: "I've Put it Around My Face Just to Know I Could"

• Drake Spent $1 Million at a Houston Strip Club Day After Astroworld Tragedy: Report

Subscribe to Consequence of Sound’s email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.