Nursery rhymes were used to teach kids about different professions in society. Cobbler Cobbler, Mend My Shoe is one such song. It explains the job of a cobbler using a little example. Kids learn something new while enjoying the rhyming in the song.
It has an AABBCC rhyme scheme and recurring lines for kids to easily memorize the lyrics. The nursery rhyme also hides a few lessons. Kids can use their imagination to weave a story around the characters in the poem and use it for role-play. Sounds fun, right?
Read on to find the lyrics and interesting tidbits about the song.
Written Lyrics
Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe.
Get it done by half past two.
Half past two is much too late.
Get it done by half past eight.
Stitch it up and stitch it down.
And I’ll give you half a crown.
(Longer version)
Cobbler, cobbler mend my shoe,
Get it done by half-past two,
Stitch it up and stitch it down,
Then I’ll walk around the town.
Cobbler, cobbler mend my boot,
Mend it well to fit my foot,
Stitch it up and stitch it down,
Then I’ll walk around the town.
Cobbler, cobbler buckle my shoe,
Get it done by half-past two,
Stitch it up and stitch it down,
Then I’ll walk around the town.
Cobbler, cobbler lace my shoe,
Get it done by half-past two,
Stitch it up and stitch it down,
Then I’ll walk around the town.
Printable Lyrics
Download the printable lyrics of the nursery rhyme from this link. The copy includes the two versions of the song.
Photo Lyrics
Save the below picture for the lyrics.
Video Links
Watch the animated video of the nursery rhyme on this link:
Here’s a kiddo version:
Origins and History
The origins or history of Cobbler Cobbler, Mend My Shoe are not known. There is no information about who wrote it or how it became popular. Nevertheless, the nursery rhyme is a part of the collection, where a poem/ song was used to explain various professions to kids. There are similar poems for candlestick makers, tailors, vendors, hawkers, etc.
The nursery rhyme is dedicated to cobblers, people who mend broken footwear. They repair old and damaged shoes, boots, slippers, etc., by replacing the soles, stitching the torn pieces, and sticking new pieces with glue. It requires skills, practice, and patience to mend shoes.
In the traditional society, a cobbler was lower down the order. It wasn’t a glorified profession or one that required education. The nursery rhyme aims to teach kids about such important but ignored professions.
If you observe the lyrics, you’ll notice a person asking the cobbler to fix their shoe by a certain deadline. He promises a payment of half a crown for the repair work. Then, the person rethinks the deadline and says he wants the show much earlier and repeats the promise of paying for the service.
The longer version of the nursery rhyme has four stanzas and tells a slightly different story. The person asks the cobbler to mend the shoe so that they can walk around the town. It talks of mending the boots to fit the person’s feet and buckling the shoe.
FAQs
Cobbler Cobbler, Mend My Shoe has the same rhyme scheme as Twinkle Twinkle little star. It also has the same word repeated twice in the first line. This makes it easy for kids to remember the lyrics.
The crown is a former British coin used for payments. It is 1/8th of the pound (UK currency) and worth two shillings and sixpence.
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