Traditional  Songs and Rhymes

Here  is a collection of the words for some Traditional songs and rhymes, from various cultures, that co-ordinate with early childhood themes, and have stood the test of time. They can be used when planning activities and curriculum for young children.
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh kookaburra, laugh kookaburra
Happy your life must be.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Eating all the gumdrops (gum nuts) he can see,
Stop kookaburra, stop kookaburra,
Leave some there for me.
 
 
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched
And waited 'til his billy boiled
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."
Waltzing Matilda,
Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched
And waited 'til his billy boiled,
"You'll come a-waltzing, Matilda, with me."
 
 
Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya!
Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya!
Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya!
Oh, Lord! Kumbaya!

Hear me crying, Lord, Kumbaya!
Hear me crying, Lord, Kumbaya!
Hear me crying, Lord, Kumbaya!
Oh, Lord! Kumbaya!

Hear me singing, Lord, Kumbaya!
Hear me singing, Lord, Kumbaya!
Hear me singing, Lord, Kumbaya!
Oh, Lord! Kumbaya!
 
 
You get a line and I'll get a pole honey.
You get a line and I'll get a pole babe.
You get a line and I'll get a pole
And we'll go down to the crawdad hole, 
Honey, baby mine.
 
 
Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer, do.
I'm half crazy,
All for the love of you.
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage.
But you'll look sweet,
Upon the seat,
Of a bicycle built for two.
 

Four little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said "Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack"
But only three little ducks came back

Three little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said "Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack"
But only two little ducks came back

Two little ducks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said "Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack"
But only one little duck came back

One little duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said "Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack"
But none of those little ducks came back

So mother duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said "Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack"
And all of the four little ducks came back
 
 

Oh, I went down South
For to see my Sal
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
My Sal, she is
A spunky gal
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day

Fare thee well,
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well my fairy fay
For I'm going to Louisiana
For to see my Susiannah
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day
 
 
 This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.
 
 
She'll be coming round the mountain
When she comes
She'll be coming round the mountain
When she comes
She'll be coming round the mountain,
She'll be coming round the mountain,
She'll be coming round the mountain
When she comes.
 
 
 Shoo, fly, don't bother me
Shoo, fly, don't bother me
Shoo, fly, don't bother me
For I belong to somebody
I feel, I feel, I feel,
I feel like a morning star,
I feel, I feel, I feel,
I feel like a morning star.
 
 
Yankee Doodle came to town,
Riding on a pony;
He stuck a feather in his cap,
And called it macaroni.
 
 
(Twinkle Twinkle)
Estrellita, donde estás?
Me pregunto que serás.
En el cielo y en el mar,
Un diamante de verdad.
Estrellita, donde estás?
Me pregunto que serás....
 
 
 Uno, dos, tres amigos,
Cuatro, cinco seis amigos
Siete, ocho, nueve amigos
Diez amigos son!
 

London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay;
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady.
 
 
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out to the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks
I don't care if I ever get back,
'Cause it's root, root, root
For the home team.
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes
And you're out
At the old ball game.



I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.
Chorus:
Val-deri, val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri, val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.
 
 
 This old man, he played one,
He played nick-nack on my drum,
With a nick-nack paddy whack give a dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played two,
He played nick-nack on my shoe,
With a nick-nack paddy whack give a dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
 


Alligator pie, alligator pie.
If I don't get some,
I think I'm gonna cry (pretend to cry)
You can take away the grass,
(wiggle fingers like grass blowing)
Take away the sky,   (hands over head)
But don't take away
My alligator pie.

Alligator Stew, Alligator Stew
If I don’t get some, I don’t know what I’ll do
Take away my furry hat, take away my shoe
But don’t take away my Alligator Stew

Alligator Soup, Alligator Soup
If I don’t get some I think I’m gonna droop
Take away my soccer ball and my hula hoop
But don’t take away my Alligator Soup


 
 There was a man lived in the moon,
lived in the moon, lived in the moon,
There was a man lived in the moon,
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And he played upon a ladle,
a ladle, a ladle,
And he played upon a ladle,
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And his hat was made of cream cheese,
 Cream cheese, cream cheese,
And his hat was made of cream cheese,
And his name was Aiken Drum.
 
 

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
So please don't take my sunshine away.
 
 
 Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
Sonnez les matines. Sonnez les matines.
Din, din, don. Din, din, don.


 Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai.
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai.
Je te plumerai la tête,
Je te plumerai la tête.
Et la tête, et la tête,
Alouette, Alouette
O-o-o-o-oh
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai.
 

Bruder Jakob, Bruder Jakob
Schläfst du noch?
Schläfst du noch?
Hörst du nicht die Glocke
Hörst du nicht die Glocke
Bim bam bom, bim bam bom.
 
 
Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken,
Drei Ecken hat mein Hut,
Und hätt er nicht drei Ecken,
So wär es nicht mein Hut.


 I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas

I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays
I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays

I like to eat, eat, eat ee-ples and bee-nee-nees
I like to eat, eat, eat ee-ples and bee-nee-nees

I like to ite, ite, ite i-ples and by-ny-nys
I like to ite, ite, ite i-ples and by-ny-nys

I like to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and bo-no-nos
I like to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and bo-no-nos

I like to oot, oot, oot oo-ples and boo-noo-noos
I like to oot, oot, oot oo-ples and boo-noo-noos
 
 

 Had a little rooster by the barnyard gate,
That little rooster was my playmate,
That little rooster went cock-a-doodle-doo,
Dee-doodle-dee, doodle-dee, doodle-dee-doo.

Had a little cat by the barnyard gate,
That little cat was my playmate,
That little cat went meow, meow, meow
That little rooster went cock-a-doodle-doo,
Dee-doodle-dee, doodle-dee, doodle-dee-doo.
 

If all the raindrops
Were lemon drops and gumdrops
Oh, what a rain that would be!
Standing outside, with my mouth open wide
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
If all the raindrops
Were lemon drops and gumdrops
Oh, what a rain that would be!

If all the snowflakes
Were candy bars and milkshakes
Oh, what a snow that would be!
Standing outside, with my mouth open wide
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
If all the snowflakes
Were candy bars and milkshakes
Oh, what a snow that would be!
 

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, that's an Irish lullaby.
 

 John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt
His name is my name, too!
Whenever we go out,
The people always shout
There goes John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt!
Da da da da da da da
 

 Three little kittens, lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh mother dear, we sadly fear, our mittens we have lost!"
"What! Lost your mittens? You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie."
"Meow, meow, now we shall have no pie!
The three little kittens found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh, mother dear, see here, see here!  Our mittens we have found."
"What!  Found your mittens?  You good little kittens.
Then you shall have some pie."
"Purr, purr, now we shall have some pie!”
 

Here we go looby loo
Here we go looby light
Here we go looby loo
All on a Saturday night
You put your right hand in
You take your right hand out
You give your hand a shake, shake, shake
And turn yourself about



Skinamarink a dink a dink,
Skinamarink a doo,
I love you.
Skinamarink a dink, a dink,
Skinamarink a doo,
I love you.

I love you in the morning,
And in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening,
And underneath the moon,
Oh, skinamarink a dink a dink,
Skinamarink a doo,
I love you!


 Oh Mister Sun, Sun,
Mister Golden Sun,
Please shine down on me
Oh Mister Sun, Sun,
Mister Golden Sun,
Hiding behind a tree...
These little children
Are asking you
To please come out
So we can play with you
Oh Mister Sun, Sun,
Mister Golden Sun,
Please shine down on, won’t you shine down on, 
Please shine down on me-ee-ee!


 Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home, I dare not go.
For if I do, my mother will say:
Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose  -
Down by the bay!

Did you ever see a whale with a polka-dotted tail
Did you ever see a fly, wearing a tie
Did you ever see a bear combing his hair
Did you ever see llamas, wearing their pajamas
Did you ever have a time, when you couldn't make a rhyme
 
 
It isn't any trouble
Just to S-M-I-L-E
It isn't any trouble
Just to S-M-I-L-E
So smile when you're in trouble,
It will vanish like a bubble
If you'll only take the trouble
to smile



There were ants, ants in little tartan pants
In the store, in the store,
There were ants, ants in little tartan pants
In the quartermaster's store.
(Chorus)
My eyes are dim, I cannot see,
I have not brought my specs with me,
I - have - not - brought - my - specs - with - me.


A ram sam sam
(hit one fist on top of another)
A ram sam sam
Goolie goolie goolie
(Roll hands)
and a ram sam sam
(Hit fists again)
A RA-ffy A RA-ffy
(Lift arms)
Goolie goolie goolie
(Roll hands again)
and a RAM SAM SAM!
(Hit fists again)
 


Ging gang gooli, gooli, gooli, gooli watcha
Ging gang goo, ging gang goo,
Ging gang gooli, gooli, gooli, gooli watcha
Ging gang goo, ging gang goo.
Heyla, oh heyla sheyla
Heyla sheyla, sheyla, oh-o-o
Heyla, oh heyla sheyla
Oh heyla sheyla, heyla, oh!
Shalla-wallee, shalla-wallee, shalla-wallee, shalla-wallee Oompah, oompah, oompah oompah....
 


I said a boom chica boom! (echo)
I said a boom chica boom! (echo)
I said a boom chica rocka chica rocka chica BOOM! (echo)
U-HUH (echo)
OH-YEAH (echo)
One more time;  ONE MORE TIME!

 
Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east,
And one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
 
 
It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?...
It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood,
A neighborly day for a beauty.
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?...
I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you.
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.
So, let's make the most of this beautiful day.
Since we're together we might as well say:
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?
Won't you please,
Won't you please?
Please won't you be my neighbor?
(Fred Rogers)
 
 
It's such a good feeling to know you're alive.
It's such a happy feeling: You're growing inside.
And when you wake up ready to say,
"I think I'll make a snappy new day."
It's such a good feeling, a very good feeling,
The feeling you know that we're friends
(Fred Rogers)



'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free,
'Tis a gift to come down to where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we won't be ashamed,
To turn, to turn, will be our delight
'Till by turning and turning we come around right.
Please email if you have a song to add, or if you find a broken link. 
Your comments and ideas are always welcome.
Songs and Rhymes Index

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