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Music & dance

Finish the Lyrics

Also called Don't Forget the Lyrics, Complete the Song

The host plays a song and stops it mid-line; teams have to sing the words that come next.

people
6–100
time
20 min
energy
Medium
materials
Needs prep
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Watch it played
What you need4
How to play4

Before you start

Pick songs everyone in the room knows across generations. Note the exact second to stop each one and write down the next line.

  1. 1The host plays a song and stops it mid-line.
  2. 2The first team to hit the buzzer (or raise a hand) sings the next line.
  3. 3Exact words score two points; close enough scores one.
  4. 4Wrong answer passes the chance to the next team.
Cards for this game30

Edit them now. Host mode deals them one at a time, big enough for the room.

30 cards
  • Twinkle, twinkle, little star→ how I wonder what you are
  • Row, row, row your boat→ gently down the stream
  • Happy birthday to you→ happy birthday to you
  • Mary had a little lamb→ its fleece was white as snow
  • Old MacDonald had a farm→ E-I-E-I-O
  • Baa baa black sheep→ have you any wool
  • London Bridge is falling down→ falling down, falling down
  • The itsy bitsy spider→ climbed up the water spout
  • If you're happy and you know it→ clap your hands
  • Jingle bells, jingle bells→ jingle all the way
  • Deck the halls with boughs of holly→ fa la la la la
  • Silent night, holy night→ all is calm, all is bright
  • We wish you a merry Christmas→ and a happy New Year
  • Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques→ dormez-vous
  • She'll be coming round the mountain→ when she comes
  • Pop goes the weasel→ half a pound of tuppenny rice
  • Bahay kubo, kahit munti→ ang halaman doon ay sari-sari
  • Leron, leron sinta→ buko ng papaya
  • Paruparong bukid→ na lilipad-lipad
  • Magtanim ay di biro→ maghapong nakayuko
  • Ako ay may lobo→ lumipad sa langit
  • Sitsiritsit, alibangbang→ salaginto at salagubang
  • Tatlong bibe→ sa lawa ay lumangoy
  • Oh my darling, oh my darling→ oh my darling Clementine
  • Yankee Doodle went to town→ riding on a pony
  • Rain, rain, go away→ come again another day
  • Auld lang syne my dear→ for auld lang syne
  • Oh, the grand old Duke of York→ he had ten thousand men
  • Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall→ Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
  • Ding dong! Merrily on high→ in heaven the bells are ringing
What to say3
  1. 1“When the music stops, you sing the next line. Exactly!”
  2. 2“Close… but that was not the word! Anyone else?”
  3. 3“Two points! Give that team a round of applause!”
Host tips3
  • Stop the song in the middle of a famous line, not at the end of a verse — the end of a verse leaves people guessing which line comes next.
  • Buzz-ins turn into shouting matches. Decide in advance who judges the first hand and stick to that ruling.
  • Balance generations: if every song is from one decade, half the room sits it out.
Variants2

  • Written answers

    Teams write the next line instead of buzzing in. Quieter, fairer, and works for shy groups.

  • OPM edition

    Only Filipino songs — classic ballads for the titas, recent hits for the younger crowd.

Good for

Occasions

ChristmasTeam buildingBirthdayReunionWeddingFiestaFarewell party

Venues

Indoor, smallIndoor, largeOfficeChurch hallOnline
If this one dies early3