Five Pencil Songs You’ve Probably Never Heard

I’m a California transplant living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the most part, I love my new home – the accessible public transportation, the history, and of course the cheesesteaks. Still, every once in a while I get homesick. I made myself a California playlist comprised of songs about my warm, sunny home state to listen to in those times. There are SO MANY songs about California out there, I got to wondering if there were songs about pencils too. It turns out, there are! Here are five great pencil songs:

Pencil Full of Lead by Paolo Nutini

Paolo Nutini’s “Pencil Full of Lead” is a fun swing tune about counting your blessings and being overjoyed to find yourself blessed with everything you need. I’d like to start a movement to officially associate this song with Thanksgiving, because there is a serious lack of Thanksgiving music to be had.

Pencils in the Wind by Flight of the Conchords

As you might expect from Flight of the Conchords, this one is a humorous ditty comprised of analogies that plays off the cliches found in romantic ballads. Get ready to clutch a pencil to your heart and sway along.

My Pencil: MSA Rap by Em Sea Water

This parody of Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow” was created to psych up Maryland public school students for standardized testing, but will have members of any school district tapping their feet. I have to hand it to these educators for finding a way to soften the blow of standardized testing.

HB Number 2 Pencil by Ybo Music

This awesome rap song pays homage to that staple of the pencil case, the Number 2 pencil. It’s about time this under-appreciated writing implement was immortalized in song!

Pencil Song by Neil Nayar

In this sweet, melancholy song Neil Nayar wonders what life would be like if he was a pencil, traveling by being passed from one person to another.

I hope these songs inspire even more pencil-related music. If you’re a singer-songwriter who has written a song about a pencil (or is going to now!) let us know in the comments.