If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands.

It all started with a little kiddie song:

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

And then there was the VH1 advertisement for arts foundation in public schools, and ever since I've been completely consumed with the single self assigned task of trying to figure out what song the roadies were talking about.

I couldn't even tell you the first time I saw the commercial, all I know is that it's plagued me ever since that first infamous day. I've relentlessly searched the Internet for the ad, and I've failed miserably. Maybe it wouldn't be such a burdon on me if I could just find at least one person who has seen and remembers the ad.

If my memory serves me right, the ad is cheaply made. It's a bunch of middle aged roadies, sound technicians, music junkies, etc... from a previous musical era. It features about four or five different people who all speak of this one unnamed song that completely swept the nation and changed music forever.

The unnamed people speak of the songs use of clapping, where clapping was used in the studio to help keep the band on beat because there was no drumming. Apparently, the band didn't intend to keep the clapping in the final recording--but it became such a vital aspect in the song it stuck.

The message of the ad is strong and obvious: KEEP MUSIC AND ART FOUNDATION IN THE CLASSROOMS. Should I underline that too? Because it's incredibly important. Another key message: It might not be highly refined, use cellos, pianos, etc...but it's clapping; and clapping is still music and still important. As John Cage would stress, music is everywhere and everything.

Now, for the past 10 or so years I have been wracking my brain to try to figure out what song the are talking about, it's probably going to send me to the loony bin at some point. Anyway, I have made a small list of options:

1. Cat Stevens. Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat have both gone Triple Platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of American. Also, his album Catch Bull at Four sold more than two million copies in its first two weeks.

Longer Boats was on Tea for the Tillerman, which was released in 1970 and is often regarded as Stevens best field of work. During the introduction to "Longer Boats," you can hear clapping from about nine seconds to 20 or so seconds when a subtle drum beat begins.

Peace Train was on Teaser and the Firecaat, which was released in 1971. Along with Tea for the Tillerman, it is considered some of his best work. Throughout "Peace Train" you can hear clapping in between stanzas of the chorus. "Peace Train" went all the way up to song Num. 7 on the tracks and is considered one of the greatest protest songs of all time (along side of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance."

Out of the two Cat Stevens's choices, I would have to say that "Peace Train" has a much higher chance over "Longer Boats."

Yes, Cat Stevens was great. Yes, he played a great and vital role in music, philanthropy, and too many things to list in this article. But, here's the catch. He didn't sweep the nation. The entire nation was not going completely nuts over him, as the ad deeply set in stone.




2. The Beatles. How could I mention an article about a band sweeping over the nation and taking control without mention the miscreants from oversees coming over with their sloppy hair and bad influence. I couldn't.

In 2004, nearly 34 years after the band had broken up and gone their seperate ways Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the Beatles as Num. 1 on their list of Top 100 bands of all time. Additionally, no band to this date has had as great of an initial impact than the Beatles did after they began their invasion (as many people refer to it these days) on Feb. 7, 1964.

Jumping ahead a couple of years and albums, there is the song Blackbird a beautiful song featuring Paul McCartney and an acoustic guitar--there is an obvious intruding beat coming from the background. At first thought it could be a clap, however, it's a little too regular to be someone clapping. More than likely, it is a metronome (a box like object used to help maintain a steady beat).

Falling back into the British Invasion, there is the top contender (saving the best for the last, but of course) I Want to Hold Your Hand. Many people often relate the British Invasion, or at least the beginning of the British Invasion with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The song gained so much popularity that the band also recorded a German version ("Komm, gib mir deine Hand" ["Come, give me your hand"]), which was one of two times the Beatles recorded in an entirely different language. (The other song was "She Loves You.")

Earlier songs written by the Beatles had done terribly, especially in comparison to "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the band (mainly Lennon and McCartney) were given the task to write a song that would appeal to the American audience. After much consideration and convincing, Brian Epstein convinced Capitol Records that America was ready for the Beatles. The song was released in America on December 26, 1963.

The fans went absolutely nuts. In the first three days more than a quarter million copies were sold. 10,000 copies were being sold in New York every hour. The single sold more than 5 million copies in the United States alone, replacing the high selling single before hand (Elvis Presley's 1956 "Love Me Tender").

And finally, clapping is heard throughout the song.

And the rest, is history. The Beatles went on to be one of the most socially influential band in history, ranging from political, drug, social, and religious outrage the band constantly was under the microscope with conservative elders. And beloved by many, many, many eager, slightly rebellious teenagers.

So there you have my top four choices, whether or not they actually could be the song the people are talking about in the commercial, but I truly believe "I Want to Hold Your Hand" has a definite chance of being the song.

And yes, even though I've thought that "I Want to Hold Your Hand" has been the song for many years, I have to admit that anytime I hear any sort of clapping in the background of songs I wonder what type of impact the song had on the teens of America. Though, every time I am reminded that few bands will ever be able to have as much of a social impact as the Beatles had.