See You Later, Alligator
$8.50 – $25.00
If you need to say goodbye, this song is a great way to bid someone farewell while remaining cheery! Drawing on the popular children’s goodbye chant, “See you later, Alligator. In a while, Crocodile,” this song uses similar rhyming farewell wishes to create fun lyrics for this 3-verse song. Suggested actions are provided for ensembles wishing to add a visual element to the performance.
Written in a range that spans from C4 – D5, the melody is written in a jaunty swing style that young singers enjoy. See You Later, Alligator may also be sung as a call and response, 2-part song. This is a simple and fun way to start working on part singing with young singers.
Two accompaniment options are available. A piano reduction is provided that supports the vocal line while helping the melody ‘swing’ along. A full band accompaniment is provided creating a fantastic concert performance with a professional backup band giving strong singer support.
Listen to the Donna & Andy performance track:
Listen to melody + accompaniment:
Download Includes:
- Vocal score
- Lead Sheet
- Director/piano score
- Lyrics
- Accompaniment – with melody guide
- Accompaniment – piano
- Donna & Andy band – instrumental track
- Donna & Andy – performance track
- Teaching Tips and Strategies
- Colouring page
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See You Later Alligator
Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the tracks for See You Later, Alligator
See You Later, Alligator is one of 10 songs from our Donna & Andy CD "A Jolly Bunch Are We". Donna Rhodenizer has written these songs in a variety of styles and skill levels for singers from ages 5-12+.
Learn more about this fun collection. Enjoy!
Stream or Purchase from many streaming sites including:
Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.
The A Jolly Bunch are We CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (20) are available for download or physical CD on this website.
Teaching Tips
The length of the notes at the ends of phrases is "open for creative interpretation". Younger students may be more comfortable with shorter notes. Older students may be able to manage longer ones. When singing as a unison choir selection, longer notes are easier to sustain. A solo singer may prefer to shorten the notes a bit for vocal stability. When adding call and response or 2-part options, the final notes may be held to overlap the next phrase and create harmony, or you may prefer to get out of the way of the echo part that follows. Be creative, intuitive and let the performing ensemble and individual singers help make your musical decision about the length of the phrase ends! (As a composer, it is sometimes difficult to commit to one option and put it on paper as the final, FINAL and only way to sing something!
Discuss with students various ways to say goodbye. Not all goodbyes are sad or final. Some goodbyes are “for now” and others are more long term. This song has a cheery vibe.
Call and response echoes may be added to every section throughout the song. You may also decide to add the echoes in the choruses, or just in the verses, or a mixture. When deciding where to add echoes, think about building interest and variety into the song. Starting with unison is a good way to present the idea of the song. Adding in the responses in later choruses/verses helps create interest and creates momentum.
Performance Notes
See You Later, Alligator was sung as our all-school farewell finale at the spring concert. We divided the singers into two groups (there were over 200 singers!) and every phrase was sung with an echo. It worked well to add the actions which made it very obvious who was singing each part, and my job share partner led one group and I led the other.
There is a great deal of repetition in the song, so for variety there are other performing options. It works well to begin the song in unison for the opening chorus and first verse. When the chorus returns (in bar 33) divide the choir and begin singing the echoes. (Of course you can also opt to start the echoes in the first verse if you are going for more divisi work).
Continue singing the remainder of the song (choruses and verses) with echoes OR sing all the choruses using echoing and sing the verses in unison. There are lots of combinations!
Actions suggested by the composer
See you later, Alligator
- one hand wave (or wave both hands above the head)
in a while, Crocodile
- create a crocodile mouth: flat hand on bottom and curved fingers for teeth. Open and close the teeth with the beat.
See you in the elevator
- both hands, palms facing down and at waist level, moving up for two pulses and two pulses back down
Or floating down the Nile
- scoop both hands (palms facing down) in a wave-like motion
There is nothing any ...
- flat hands side to side and crossing (like umpire “safe” signal)
Greater
- two thumbs up
Than to see your cheery smile
- using thumbs up shape, start with thumbs together at your chin and move them upward to “draw” a smile
See you later, Alligator
- wave right hand
In a while, Crocodile
- crocodile teeth
If you gotta say goodbye
- hands on hips
Here’s a phrase for you to try
- both hands, open and palms up, forward motion like giving the audience an object
Out the door, Dinosaur
- thumbs pointing over shoulders, pulsing with the beat
Bye, bye, Butterfly
- cross hands with palms facing the chest and hook thumbs together to make a flying butterfly
Try a new one when you go
- hand with palm facing down, moving out and away from the body in an upward motion and out to the right (you will do the next action from the ending point of this motion)
Use it with someone you know
- point to various people from right to left
Better shake, Rattlesnake
- shake using “jazz hands”
Gotta go, Buffalo
- add index fingers “buffalo horns”
I will see you here and there
- hand out to one side, palm facing up, on the word “here” and the other hand out to the other side on the word “there”
We will meet again somewhere
- level hand above eyes like scanning the horizon, move head side to side as you look
I’ll be back,
- both thumbs point over your shoulders on the word “back”
Wolf pack
- both hands slap thighs on the word “pack”
Take care, Polar bear
- on the word “care” right hand crosses the body to rest on left shoulder (stay there). On the word “bear” left hand crosses the body to rest on right shoulder (create a hug)
(final) "crocodile"
- on sustained final note, move hands from crocodile mouth to open “jazz hands” keeping one hand low and the other high
Bye, Bye!
- wave
Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song See You Later, Alligator.
See You Later, Alligator
This song was composed as a farewell from me to “my children” the year I retired after 25 years as the music teacher in the same school. It was difficult to make the decision to leave and I wanted to acknowledge the need to say goodbye, but I didn’t want to be sad and forlorn about the process. I had been given a list of “see you later, alligator” sayings by my job-share partner and I had filed it away for later. That list sparked the ideas for the verses of the song.
We had moved into a new school building 8 years before I retired. My new music room was located on the stage, complete with an elevator! (The students and I were always amused to see the elevator door open and see a surprised person who thought they were arriving at the next floor, but found themselves face to face with our music class. We would always greet them and wave them on their way!) In any case, I decided to add that bit of music room “inside joke” by rhyming elevator with alligator. For those who do not reside in rooms with elevators, you will have to pretend that seeing your friend in the elevator or floating down the Nile are just two possibilities of the many places you might bump into each other in the future.
See you later, Alligator!
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| License | Single User License, Classroom / Studio License, Treble Choir License |
|---|---|
| Context | Action Songs, Choir – Elementary, Choir Repertoire, Classroom Songs, Novelty, Small Group Class, Vocal Solo, Choir – 2-part Treble |
| Topic | Animals / Creatures, Finales, Friendship, Goodbye Songs, Action Songs |
| Level | |
| Voicing | |
| Vocal Range | C4 – D5 |
| Duration | |
| Composer | Donna Rhodenizer |
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