I'm Just a Bill

"I'm Just a Bill" is a song in Schoolhouse Rock!, which can be seen in America Rock. In this song, the titular character - an anthropomorphic bill (specifically, one saying that school buses are required to stop at railroad crossings) who dreams of becoming an official law - teaches a young boy (and us) about the U.S. Legislative process.
==Lyrics==
<tabber>
Original=
Boy: Woof! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington. But I wonder who that sad little scrap of paper is?
Bill: I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill.
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it's a long, long journey to the capital city.
It's a long, long wait while I'm sitting in committee,
But I know I'll be a law someday.
At least I hope and pray that I will, 
But today I am still just a bill.
Boy: Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage.
Bill: Well, I got this far. When I started, I wasn't even a bill, I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local Congressman and he said, "You're right, there oughta be a law." Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress, and I became a bill. And I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.
I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill,
And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
Well, now I'm stuck in committee, and I'll sit here and wait
While a few key Congressmen discuss and debate
Whether they should let me be a law.
How I hope and pray that they will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Boy: Listen to those congressmen arguing! Is all that discussion and debate about you?
Bill: Yeah, I'm one of the lucky ones. Most bills never even get this far. I hope they decide to report on me favorably, otherwise, I may die.
Boy: Die?
Bill: Yeah, die in committee. 
Oooh, but it looks like I'm gonna live! Now I go to the House of Representatives, and they vote on me!
Boy: If they vote yes, what happens?
Bill: Then I go to the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again!
Boy: Oh, no!
Bill: Oh, yes!
I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill.
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill,
Well, then I'm off to the White House where I'll wait in a line
With a lot of other bills for the President to sign.
And if he signs me, then I'll be a law.
How I hope and pray that he will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Boy: You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the president can still say no?
Bill: Yes, that's called a veto. If the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress and they vote on me again, and by that time you're so old, yo...
Boy: By that time it's very unlikely that you'll become a law. It's not easy to become a law, is it?
Bill: No!
But how I hope and I pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Rep McCoy: He signed you, Bill! Now you're a law!
Bill: Oh yes!!!
|-|Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks=
Boy: Wow. You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington.
Hey, who's that sad little scrap of paper?
Bill: You really wanna know?
I'm just a bill. Yes, I'm only a bill. And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill. Well, it's a long, long journey to the capital city. It's a long, long wait while I'm sitting in committee, but I know I'll be a law someday. At least I hope and pray that I will, but today I am still just a bill.
Boy: Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage.
Bill: Eh, I guess. I mean, I got this far. But when I started, I wasn't even a bill, I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local Congressman and he said: 
Rep McCoy: You're right, there oughta be a law.
Bill: Then he sat down, he wrote me out, and introduced me to Congress, and I became a bill. And I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.
I'm just a bill. Yes I'm only a bill, And I got as far as Capitol Hill. Well, now I'm stuck in com-mit-tee, and I'll sit here and wait, while a few key Con-gress-men dis-cuss and de-bate, whether they should let me be a law. How I hope and pray that they will, but today I am still just a bill.
Boy: Listen to these congressmen arguing. Is all that discussion and debate about you?
Bill: You know it is. And I'm one of the lucky ones, 'cause most bills never even get this far. If they don't report favorably on me, I'm gonna die.
Boy: Die?
Bill: Yeah, die in committee. 
Rep McCoy: Bill you're up!
Bill: Eh it looks like I'm gonna live. And I gotta go to the House of Representatives now, and they're gonna vote on me, so...
Boy: So if they vote yes, what happens?
Bill: Well, then I gotta go to the Senate, and then the whole thing starts all over again.
Boy: Oh no.
Bill: Oh yeah.
I'm just a bill. Yes, I'm only a bill. And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill... Well, then I'm off to the White House where I'll wait in a line, with other bills for the president to sign. And if he signs me, then I'll be a law. Oh how I hope and pray that he will, but today I am still just a bill.
Boy: You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the president can still say no?
Bill: Yep. That's called a veto. And if the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress and they vote on me again, but you know by that time...
Boy: By that time it's very unlikely that you'll become a law. It's not easy to become a law, is it?
Bill: Nope.
But how I hope and I pray that I will, but today I am still just a bill.
Rep McCoy: He signed you, Bill! Now you're a law!
Bill: YEAH!!!
</tabber>
==Trivia==
*The song, as well as Schoolhouse Rock itself, were later parodied in The Simpsons, more specifically the episode "The Day the Violence Died", whereas a replacement to the then-recently shut down Itchy and Scratchy show the song "Amendment to Be" was shown, complete with Jack Sheldon reprising the role. In it, the bill is an amendment for the constitution, more specifically, an amendment that bans flag desecration by burning, although the boy initially mistook him for garbage. The amendment also implies that he'll blackmail Ted Kennedy as insurance against his failure by claiming that he's gay, although it ultimately proved to be unnecessary. After being ratified into the Constitution, the amendment then allows for several amendments (some of which involve violence such as firearms and even a bomb) to storm the Congress. This proved to Bart and Lisa that some cartoons do encourage violence, prompting them to get Itchy and Scratchy back on air.
**The Bill is also parodied in the Family Guy episode "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington", where Bill, voiced once again by Jack Sheldon, sings a lawyer-friendly version of the song before he is swept away by a maintenance man.
*The Bill later makes a cameo near the end of "Tyrannosaurus Debt".
*One of the other Bills in line at the White House has his army hat in the form of a Hidden Mickey.
*Jack Sheldon's son, John Sheldon, voices the Boy in the song.
*The film has been screened for new Congressional aides to get a general idea of how the US Government's legislative process worked.
*This song, alongside "Conjunction Junction", are the best-known songs in all of Schoolhouse Rock!. By coincidence, they were both recorded on the same day with the same musicians.
*Voted #2 of the top 25 favorite Schoolhouse Rock! songs.
== Goofs ==
* When a truck passes by the Bill, his suitcase disappears for a split-second. Also, when the Bill floats after a truck passes by him, his arm disappears for a split-second.
Category:Schoolhouse Rock! songs
Category:Songs
Category:America Rock songs
Category:Educational songs
Category:Hero/Heroine songs