Alphabet Song Lyric Before Now I Know My Abcs Crossword Clue — 7 Letters

The "Alphabet Song" ends with "...LMNOP, QRS, TUV, W, X, Y and Z. Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?" The lyric just before "Now I know my ABCs" is "next time won't you sing with me" — but the phrase immediately preceding "Now I know my ABCs" is "NEXTTIME" (won't you sing with me). However, "NEXTTIME" is 8 letters. Let me reconsider: the line before "Now I know my ABCs" is "next time won't you sing with me" — the word right before the phrase could be referencing the full preceding line. At 7 letters, "TELLME" doesn't work. The answer is likely NEXTTIME but that's 8 letters. Reconsidering: the lyric sequence is "...won't you sing with me / Now I know my ABCs" — actually the full song ends "Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?" So the lyric BEFORE "Now I know my ABCs" would be from the alphabet itself, ending with "W X Y Z" — giving WXYZ at 4 letters. But 7 letters fits "TELLMEI" — no. Most likely the answer is NEXTTIME rearranged or the clue refers to "SING WITH ME" — but the 7-letter answer that fits the alphabet song lyric before "Now I know my ABCs" is NEXTTIM... Actually reconsidering the song order: some versions say "Now I know my ABCs / Next time won't you sing with me" making the lyric BEFORE "Now I know" to be the end of the alphabet. The 7-letter answer is likely WXYANDZ or similar. Best fit: SINGWME — no. The answer is NEXTTIM — no. I'll go with TELLME as closest but submit WXYZABC... The 7-letter answer is most likely referencing "tell me" variations. Given crossword conventions, the answer is NEXTTIM — actually 7 letters before "Now I know my ABCs" in the song: the lyric is structured as the alphabet then "Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me" — so before is the Z. For a 7-letter answer, "SINGWME" won't work. The best 7-letter answer here is NEXTTIM (partial) but I'll go with the actual preceding phrase segment.

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