Just
nursery rhymes S-W
Simple
Simon
Sing,
sing, what shall I sing?
Sippity
sup, sippity sup
The
lion and the unicorn
There
was a crooked man
There
was an old woman lived under the stairs
There
was an old woman tossed up in a basket
There
was an old woman who lived in a shoe
This
is the House that Jack built
Three
men in a tub
Tom,
he was a piper’s son
Wee
Willie Winkie
Willie
Foster had a coo
Who
killed Cock Robin?
Last updated: 11/2/2020
3:18 PM
These
songs are nursery rhymes and other traditional songs compiled, illustrated and
music arranged by Dany Rosevear.
Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page
To listen to music from these songs click on 🔊
To watch the
author sing a song click on the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2013 All rights reserved
You are
free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following
conditions:
·
you must give the original author credit
·
you may not use this work for commercial purposes
·
for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence
terms of this work
·
any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright
holder
Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
Simple Simon 🔊 This nursery rhyme has many verses but this one comes from ‘The Oxford
nursery song book’ published 1933. Last verse added from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Simon_(nursery_rhyme) where you can also find more about its
origins. |
Simple Simon met a pieman, Going to the fair; Says Simple Simon to the pieman, Let me taste your ware. Says the pieman to Simple Simon, Show me first your penny; Says Simple Simon to the pieman, Indeed I have not any. Simple Simon went a-fishing, For to catch a whale; All the water he had got, Was in his mother's pail. Simple Simon went to look If plums grew on a thistle; He pricked his fingers very much, Which made poor Simon whistle. He went for water in a sieve But soon it all fell through; And now poor Simple Simon, Bids you all adieu. |
Sing, sing, what shall I
sing? O
When I was young puddings were wrapped in muslin, tied to secure and
then steamed for a very long time. Nowadays even Christmas puddings are
cooked in the microwave. The verses below are an amalgam of two variants that can be found in
many Mother Goose collections.
|
This nursery rhyme is also a nod to the tune of Lilliburlero. Arrangement by Dany Rosevear. |
Sippity sup, sippity sup, Bread and milk from a china cup. Bread and milk from a bright silver spoon Made of a piece of the bright silver moon. Sippity sup, sippity sup, Sippity, sippity sup. |
You can see these symbols of the United Kingdom in many official
places. The title refers to two heraldic icons; the lion represents England
and the unicorn Scotland. It has a Roud number 20170 Find out more about the
origins of this song at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_and_the_Unicorn
|
Another nursery rhyme that has
likely political origins; in this case the agreement between England and
Scotland to ‘live together’ at the time of Charles 1. See::http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_Was_a_Crooked_Man. The second two verses are written
by Dany Rosevear. |
There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked
mile, He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile; He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked
mouse, And they all lived together in a little crooked
house. Now that crooked little house had a crooked little
door, With crooked little windows and a crooked little
floor. And on the crooked mantel sat a crooked little clock. That kept them all awake with its ticking and its
tock. So the crooked little man with a crooked little hop, Took his crooked sixpence to the baker’s crooked
shop; Then he stuffed the crooked clock with brown crooked
bread, And now they all sleep soundly in their crooked
little beds. |
A less familiar nursery rhyme.
|
This nursery rhyme is sung to the
tune of Lilliburlero. Purcell used it in his music. Many variations on the
lyrics can be found including ‘Wither, o wither, o wither so high’. The
version below is as I remember it as a child in the 1950s. |
There was an old woman tossed up in a basket, Seventeen times as high as the moon. Where she was going, I couldn’t but ask it, For in her hand she carried a broom. ‘Old woman, old woman, old woman,’ quoth I, ‘Where are you going to up there so high?’ ‘To sweep the cobwebs down from the sky!’ ‘May I go with you?’ ‘Aye, by and by.’ |
A cross and kind verse; pick the one you prefer! The tune of this nursery rhyme comes from ‘The Oxford nursery song
book’ published in 1933 It was collected and arranged by Sir Percy Buck. Dany
Rosevear added the chords and adapted words- scolded for whipped and added
the kinder but still traditional verse. Pick which you wish. Though
it was first recorded in 1794 in the Gammer Gurton’s Garland collection by
Joseph Ritson some researchers beleive the lyrics could be even older. Indeed King George II and Queen Caroline claimed
to be the character of this song, as they had a family of eight children.
Find out more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_was_an_Old_Woman_Who_Lived_in_a_Shoe |
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, She had so many children she didn't know what to
do; She gave them some broth, without any bread, She scolded them soundly and sent them to bed. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, She had so many children she didn't know what to
do; She gave them some broth, with plenty of bread, She kissed them all fondly and sent them to bed. |
This is the House that
Jack built O I first came across this nursery rhyme in 1950 as a four year old in a
Ladybird book. It helped me to learn to read!
|
There are many variants of this nursery rhyme, you can find some at: http://www.mothergooseclub.com/rhymes_parent.php?id=162
|
This nursery rhyme began as a recruiting song designed to gain
volunteers for the Duke of Marlborough’s campaign in 1705 To find out more
visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom,_Tom,_the_Piper's_Son .
Tom, he was
a piper's son, He learned
to play when he was young; The only
tune that he could play Was
"Over the hills and far away". Over the
hills and a great way off, The wind
shall blow my top-knot off. Tom with his
pipe made such a noise, That he
pleased both the girls and boys, They all
stopped to hear him play "Over
the hills and far away." Tom played
his pipe with such good skill, That those
who heard him couldn’t keep still; As soon as
he played they began to dance, Even the
pigs on their hind legs pranced. Dolly was
milking her cow one day, Tom took his
pipe and began to play; So Doll and
the cow danced ‘The Cheshire round’, Till the
pail was broke and the milk ran on the ground. He met old
Dame Trot with a basket of eggs, Tom used his
pipe and she used her legs. She danced about
and the eggs all broke; Dame Trot
did fret and he laughed at the joke. |
Wee Willie
Winkie always makes you think of bedtime rather like the sandman. It is a
Scottish nursery rhyme by William Miller that became popular all over the
English speaking world. You can find the Scottish words at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wee_Willie_Winkie There also
seems to be two distinct tunes but the one below I learnt as a child.
|
Willie Foster had a coo 🔊 This Northumberland song can be found in ‘Jim along, Josie: a
collection of folk songs and singing games for young children” compiled by
Nancy and John Langstaff and published in 1970. It comes from “A yacre of
land”: sixteen folk-songs from the manuscript collection of Ralph Vaughan
Williams published by OUP 1961. It is also mentioned in ‘The Oxford nursery
song book’ published in 1933 as a precuror of ‘Bobby Shaftoe’ and is played
as a fiddle tune. Find out more at: http://www.folknortheast.com/learn/core-tunes/bobby-shaftoe
|
Willie Foster had a coo, Black and brown about the
moo, Open the gate and wish her
through, Willie Foster’s aan coo. Willie Foster had a hen, Cockle butt and cockle ben, She lays eggs for gentlemen, But none for Willie Foster. |
Who
killed Cock Robin? O This song can
be found in several nursery rhyme collections though it is not the most
cheerful song or suitable for young children. This version has a meagre
six verses, you can find many more online though often without the chorus.
Find further verses and more about the origins of this song at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cock_Robin
|
Who
killed Cock Robin? I, said
the sparrow with my bow and arrow, I killed
Cock Robin. Chorus All the
birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing, When they
heard of the death of poor Cock Robin, When
they heard of the death of poor Cock Robin. Who saw
him die? I, said
the fly, with my little eye, I saw
him die. Who'll
toll the bell? I, said
the bull, because I can pull, I'll
toll the bell. Who'll
dig his grave? I, said
the owl, with my little trowel, I'll dig
his grave. Who'll
be the parson? I, said
the rook, with my bell and book, I'll be
the parson. Who'll
be chief mourner? I, said
the dove, I'll mourn for my love, I'll be
chief mourner. |
Return to the ‘Singing games for children’ home page