Imagine you and your friends are gathered around in a circle on a hot summer day as everyone sings along to the beats of A Tisket A Tasket nursery rhyme - life couldn't be more perfect! This nursery rhyme made up most of our childhood memories. From singing loudly to playing its competitive game, it was always right behind us.
Not only was the poem famous amongst children but for adults as well. It was translated into a popular song by Ella Fitzgerald and Van Alexander in 1938. The song was immensely successful!
However, did your curiosity extend beyond the lyrics and towards its history? If yes, then you're at the right place. Let us go through some attractive versions of A Tisket A Tasket lyrics and then dive into its long history.
Written lyrics
Here's how the lyrics of A Tisket A Tasket nursery rhyme go:
A-tisket a-tasket
A green and yellow basket
I wrote a letter to my love
And on the way I dropped it
I dropped it, I dropped it
Yes, on the way I dropped it
A little girlie picked it up
And took it to the market
She was truckin' on down the avenue
Without a single thing to do
She was peck, peck, peckin' all around
When she spied it on the ground
A-tisket a-tasket
She took my yellow basket
And if she doesn't bring it back
I think that I shall die
A-tisket a-tasket
A green and yellow basket
I wrote a letter to my love
And on the way I dropped it
I dropped it, I dropped it
Yes, on the way I dropped it
A little girlie picked it up
And took it to the market
(Was it red?) No, no, no, no
(Was it brown?) No, no, no, no
(Was it blue?) No, no, no, no
Just a little yellow basket
Printable lyrics
Narrate your childhood memories to your children by sticking a printable on their walls. Download the printable version of A Tisket A Tasket here.
Photo lyrics
Video links
Catch the lovely tune of the song with appealing visuals in the following video:
Origins and history
A Tisket a Tasket, also called I Sent A Letter To My Love, is a nursery rhyme suited for ages 6yrs+, and its game is quite competitive. The words tisket and tasket don't have any real meaning and are just a way to rhyme with the word basket. It talks about how a girl lost her little yellow basket containing a letter to her love.
The nursery rhyme was first recorded in the US in the latter part of the 19th century. In circulation since 1879, the game was played in a circle, and the goal was to chase people around. The first known lyrics went like this:
A-tisket a-tasket
A green and yellow basket
I wrote a letter to my friend
And on the way I dropped it,
I dropped it, I dropped it,
And on the way I dropped it.
A little boy he picked it up
And put it in his pocket.
It has a lot of variations. Some have "I lost my yellow basket" as their second line, while others have the last line as "A little girl she picked it up and put it in her pocket."
The nursery rhyme garnered more popularity after converting it into a jazz piece by Ella Fitzgerald. The breakthrough hit of 1983 became the jazz standard of the industry. However, the singer took some creative liberty and tweaked lyrics to suit her song better.
FAQ
Ella Fitzgerald sang and wrote Tisket A Tasket in 1983.
Tisket is spelt as T-I-S-K-E-T.
The children have to stand around in a circle to play this game. One child has to take a handkerchief, run outside the circle and drop it. The nearest kid would pick it up and chase after them. If the dropper were caught, they'd be either kissed, had to join the circle again, or tell the name of their sweetheart.
A tisket a tasket is at the rhythm of 164 Beats Per Minute (Allegro), or 41 Measures/Bars Per Minute.
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