In the days following Memorial Day weekend, The Scripps National Spelling Bee is held at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, located within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Last year’s winner was 14-year-old Dev Shah of Largo, Florida, who took home the trophy after flawlessly spelling “psammophile,” a noun that describes animals and plants that prefer to live in sandy soil environments, according to Merriam-Webster.

With a bunch of great kids getting ready to spell their hearts out this week, it’s a perfect time to highlight the joy of spelling out words — but in song. When songwriters use the device of spelling, it can create extra emphasis, encourage a sing-along, bring humor to the song, or all of the above. It can be catchy, brainy, and often irresistible.

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, which songs featuring s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g would you like to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played
Patti Smith – Gloria
Squirrel Nut Zippers – Hell
Pixies – Velouria
Tammy Wynette – D-I-V-O-R-C-E
The Cure – Fire in Cairo
Hot Chip – Over and Over