I&#x27;m quite sure the other measures are in 3&#x2F;4 time. Here&#x27;s[1] a fairly typical notation (first from google image search). The previous measure would be the descending D-B-G quarter notes with the lyrics &quot;birthday dear&quot; (two beats for &quot;birthday&quot;, one for &quot;dear&quot;).<p>The <i>next</i> bar, which is notated in that image as a F-E legato slur only notates the E as a <i>quarter</i> note. If that was played as it is notated, the part where you say the person&#x27;s name would sound <i>very</i> rushed. We probably started holding the E to allow time for longer names, and it just stuck.<p>(I find it interesting that this image doesn&#x27;t even include a fermata[2] on the E; it includes the triplets on &quot;hap-py&quot; which is not in the original, but rushes the name.)<p>Also, there <i>is</i> a slight syncopation-like effect when she says &quot;4&quot; - that&#x27;s the triplet effect where three notes are played in the time of two (in this case a dotted-eighth + sixteenth taking (2&#x2F;3 + 1&#x2F;3) of a quarter note in time). That&#x27;s after the extra beat.<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;abcnotation.com&#x2F;getResource&#x2F;downloads&#x2F;image&#x2F;happy-birthday-to-you.png?a=trillian.mit.edu&#x2F;~jc&#x2F;music&#x2F;abc&#x2F;mirror&#x2F;mindspring.com&#x2F;~thornton.rose&#x2F;HappyBirthday&#x2F;0002" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;abcnotation.com&#x2F;getResource&#x2F;downloads&#x2F;image&#x2F;happy-bir...</a><p>[2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Fermata" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Fermata</a>