Episode 81 - Three... It's a Magic Number

July 29, 2023 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall

I grew up listening to School House Rock. I know that dates me a little… but I suspect with the internet and all… there are many in every generation that are familiar with songs like Interjections, I’m Just a Bill, and Conjunction Junction. These songs were formative during my development years. It was during those years that I also learned that the number three… well... there’s something about that number that’s magic. In today’s episode we’ll look into the significance of the number three, both culturally and biblically.

Resources Referenced and/or Read:

• Hall, Gregory D. "Rethinking Rest; Why Our Approach to Sabbath Isn't Working." Deep River Books, Sisters, OR, 2023.
• Hall, Gregory D. Beyond the Sabbath’s Shadow; A Biblical Understanding and Application of Godly Rest. DMin Major Project, Knox Seminary, 2017.

YouTube interview with Dr. John H. Walton available here: https://youtu.be/FaRhASBLmv0  

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Recent Podcasts where Greg has been Interviewed:

You can track all my guest interviews on my page: https://rethinkingscripture.com/guest-appearances/ 

Show Music:

• Intro - Three is a Magic Number is a song from Multiplication Rock! It goes over multiplying by three. This song was the pilot episode of the whole Schoolhouse Rock! series. It features a magician, who goes over multiplying by three while many examples are provided. (A man and a woman having a baby –three in the family; heart, soul, body – three parts) The music and lyrics are by Bob Dorough, and it is also performed by him (with uncredited backing vocalists and a male singer). It first premiered on the pilot episode of "Curiosity Shop" on September 2, 1971. Two years later, when Schoolhouse Rock! premiered, the airdate was on January 6, 1973. (https://schoolhouserock.fandom.com/wiki/Three_Is_a_Magic_Number)
• Transition Music - produced by Jacob A. Hall
• Outro - Hip-hop trio De La Soul interpolated the "Three is a Magic Number" song as "The Magic Number", which was included in their 1989 debut studio album, 3 Feet High and Rising. The track gained further exposure when it was featured in the 2021 superhero crossover film Spider-Man: No Way Home. Watch De La Soul's full video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxkOWjZAPLs

Other Covers of the song

1. Blind Melon made a cover of the song, which appeared in track 3 of Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks.
2. The song was covered, with rewritten lyrics, by Greg Raposo, Matthew Ballinger, and Stevie Brock 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.
3. The album version is slightly longer than the TV version, because it has an extra verse explaining the pattern of each set of ten containing three multiples of three. It was also used in the original 1971 broadcast in the form of a carnival duck shooting game. This scene was never rebroadcast or available on home media or streaming sites.

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