Cock a Doodle Doo! Oh, well. We aren’t trying to imitate the rooster here. This is an entertaining little nursery rhyme from the 18th century. It comes from a traditional folk song and initially had just one stanza of four lines.
Given the first line, we can assume that the nursery rhyme is narrated by a rooster (cockerel’s crow). A couple of stanzas were added later to extend and complete the song. It has recurring lines and a peppy tune. The nursery rhyme was very popular during the 19th century.
Continue reading for more information about Cock a Doodle Doo!
Written Lyrics
Cock a doodle do!
My dame has lost her shoe,
My master’s lost his fiddlestick,
And knows not what to do
Version 2
Cock a doodle do!
What is my dame to do?
Till master’s found his fiddlingstick,
She’ll dance without her shoe.
Cock a doodle do!
My dame has found her shoe,
And master’s found his fiddlingstick,
Sing cock a doodle do!
Cock a doodle do!
My dame will dance with you,
While master fiddles his fiddlingstick,
And knows not what to do
Printable Lyrics
Download the printable PDF copy of the lyrics by clicking on this link. The file has both versions of the nursery rhyme.
Photo Lyrics
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Video Links
Watch the animated story version of the song:
Origins and History
The origin of Cock a Doodle Doo dates back to the year 1606. The words were first printed on an English murder pamphlet. Of course, the nursery rhyme has nothing to do with the murder.
It became popular when the longer version was included in Mother Goose’s Melody and published in London in 1765. James Orchard Halliwell, an English scholar who loved to collect fairy tales and nursery rhymes, recorded the song with extended stanzas. It appears that the three stanzas were added sometime between the two periods.
Cock a Doodle Doo has all elements of a traditional folk song. It is fun, catchy, and tells a quirky tale to make people laugh and smile. The song is also suitable for dancing in the countryside.
People in villages had chicken coops and farm animals for livelihood. Each coop had one rooster, which crowed whenever it wanted. The rooster doesn't just crow in the morning. They crow at random, irrespective of the time.
The folk song teases the rooster and continues with a tale about the rooster’s owners. A dame is the mistress of the house or the master’s wife. A fiddle is similar to a violin and is a popular countryside musical instrument. Men played the fiddle while the women and other men danced to the beat.
FAQs
Yes. It is part of the 250,000 folk songs cataloged in the Roud Folk Song Index. The nursery rhyme is numbered 17770 in the collection.
Not really. Fiddles and violins are the same instrument. The difference lies in the type of music and how it is played. The fiddle is used in the countryside for fast-beat songs. The songs are energetic and urge listeners to dance. A violin is used for classical music and mellow tunes. The fiddle is a popular musical instrument in Ireland.
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