Baby Shark Nursery Rhyme- Lyrics, History, Video, Lesson Plans & More

Baby Shark is a famous American campfire children’s song and rhyme that lists members of a shark family with accompanying dance styles and voices for each member.

Today it is one of the most recognizable children’s songs! What do you expect of a song that boasts more total YouTube views than the global population? At 11 billion views and counting, a version of the Baby Shark song is the most-viewed video on the popular streaming platform.

Was the song always this famous, though? What made the song so renowned and why can you practically hear it in any house with a toddler?

We look at all the fun facts and more in the article below, so stay tuned.

LYRICS

Lyrics for Baby Shark As Sung Today

Baby Shark has relatively simple lines with a catchy tune doing the hard work of making it memorable.

Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark

Mommy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Mommy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Mommy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Mommy Shark

Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Daddy Shark

Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Grandma Shark

Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo
Grandpa Shark

Let’s go hunt, doo-doo, doo-doo
Let’s go hunt, doo-doo, doo-doo
Let’s go hunt, doo-doo, doo-doo
Let’s go hunt

Run away, doo-doo, doo-doo
Run away, doo-doo, doo-doo
Run away, doo-doo, doo-doo
Run away (ah!)

Safe at last, doo-doo, doo-doo
Safe at last, doo-doo, doo-doo
Safe at last, doo-doo, doo-doo
Safe at last (phew)

It’s the end, doo-doo, doo-doo
It’s the end, doo-doo, doo-doo
It’s the end, doo-doo, doo-doo
It’s the end

Full Original Campfire Lyrics For Baby Shark

Before Baby Shark became a famous (and possibly annoying) children’s song, it existed as a fun and a little scary campfire chant. Being mainly an oral chant, retold by many a camp councillor there are different versions of the song, but below is one that I have seen make the rounds as being the ORIGINAL!

Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Baby Shark

Momma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Momma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Momma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Momma Shark

Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Daddy Shark

Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Grandpa Shark

Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Grandma Shark

Swimmer swimming, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Swimmer swimming, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Swimmer swimming, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Swimmer swimming

See a shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
See a shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
See a shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
See a shark

Swimming fast, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Swimming fast, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Swimming fast, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Swimming fast

Shark attack, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Shark attack, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Shark attack, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Shark attack

Lost an arm, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Lost an arm, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Lost an arm, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Lost an arm

Lost a leg, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Lost a leg, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Lost a leg, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Lost a leg

CPR, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
CPR, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
CPR, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
CPR

Didn’t work, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Didn’t work, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Didn’t work, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Didn’t work,

Go to heaven, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Go to heaven, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Go to heaven, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo
Go to heaven

Maybe Not!

THE HISTORY BEHIND BABY SHARK NURSERY RHYME

Who Wrote The Original Baby Shark Nursery Rhyme?

Baby Shark originated as a campfire song. As you would expect, no one knows who wrote the original lyrics or created the tune. Most campfire songs are created that way, we go camping and find everyone singing them without asking where they came from.

No one generally remembers who came up with any of the chants, or several people lay claim to making them up or their grandparents singing it to them. It is the same for Baby Shark. The song could have been a spontaneous occurrence that caught on with many people and became popular.

Baby shark is thought to have originated around the 20th century, though there’s little else about its origin. Yet again, this is another testament to the power of oral information passing from generation to generation.

The song has many versions, with some that differ vastly from the children’s version everyone knows. That’s in keeping with most nursery rhymes that have transcended over time to have multiple versions according to geography.

Who or What Inspired Baby Shark?

It’s difficult to tell what or who inspired the song. However, there are reports the movie Jaws inspired the current popular version by Pink Fong.

Indeed, if you listen closely, you might hear the resemblance between Pink Fongs Baby Shark’s intro and the intro of the Jaws theme song.

Here is the Jaws theme song by John Williams for your comparison.

However, Baby Shark as a campfire song is thought to have been around for longer than the movie has been out, so the movie couldn’t have inspired the original campfire songs.

It may have inspired the modern version, but we’ll have to keep guessing what inspired the first-ever Baby Shark ditty.

WHAT DO THE WORDS MEAN? DEFINITIONS

What Does the Nursery Rhyme Baby Shark Mean?

The kid friendly Baby Shark nursery rhyme talks of a family of Sharks and the campfire version tells a tale about a swimmer. They are both quite literal in there story telling and have no hidden meaning.

It is simply a way to entertain children. See how delighted this child is when Alexa finally plays her correct version of Baby Shark.

What Is a Shark?

A shark is a type of fish with a cartilaginous skeleton, several pectoral fins, and five to seven-gill slits on the sides of its head.

Sharks, like other fish, are cold-blooded and live in water.

INTERESTING FACTS & QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Does Baby Shark Have a Dark Meaning?

The original lyrics for Baby Shark aren’t what you’d call innocent, child-friendly lyrics. Dismemberment, sharks, dismembering people, or giving them heart attacks isn’t a song you’d want your toddler to jam to.

You have to see the lyrics in the Full original lyrics of this article to see how dark the song is. I’m sure most parents are glad only the child-friendly version went viral. They have to thank Pinkfong and a children’s music performer called Johnny Only for that.

Johnny Only claims to have been the FIRST to craft a rendition without the chilling lines before Pink Fong brought out the version most children love most.

The campfire version however may have had a darker purpose as it was meant to entertain and perhaps scare the campers sitting around the fire who may have been swimming in a nearby lake on their adventure. We all know that campfire stories are meant to be a little scary to be good!

What Made Baby Shark So Famous?

SmartStudy, a Korean educational company, made the song famous when they added K-pop beats to the original version. The song was uploaded to the YouTube handle, Pinkfong. Later, a dance video was added and went viral.

Popular Korean bands Black Pink and Girls Generation then picked up the song and helped spread its popularity all over Asia.

The song went viral shortly after and even made an unlikely assault on music charts in the UK and the USA. It debuted at number 37 on the UK top 40, just ahead of Cardi B and Bruno Mars’s I Like It, which was also a certified global hit.

The song’s video is the most viewed on YouTube, with 11 billion views. Those are numbers most musicians can only dream of. That tells you how popular the song is, though most adults would say it’s also rather annoying.

Coupled with the catchy moves and the doo, doo, doo part, the song captured hearts from Asia to America and other continents. I’m willing to bet there aren’t many toddlers five years and under that don’t know the song.

Once you hear the catchy tune, it stays with you forever. I can feel the song in my head as I write this.

What Are The Accompanying Actions for the Baby Shark Nursery Rhyme?

The following are the accompanying actions to the popular Pink Fong song:

Lyrics	Actions
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Baby Shark	Make a small shark mouth with a finger and thumb and open and shut them to the beat of the music
Mommy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Mommy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Mommy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Mommy Shark	Make a mouth with both hands, opening at the wrist and open and shut them to the beat of the music
Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Daddy Shark	Make a big shark mouth with both of your arms and open and shut them to the beat of the music.
Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Grandma Shark	Like mama shark, but with fingers curled in to represent no teeth open and shut them to the beat of the music.
Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo-doo Grandpa Shark	Like papa shark, but with fingers curled in to represent no teeth open and shut them to the beat of the music.
Let’s go hunt, doo-doo, doo-doo Let’s go hunt, doo-doo, doo-doo Let’s go hunt, doo-doo, doo-doo Let’s go hunt	Place your hand on your head or back like a fin and walk around or on the spot to the beat of the music
Run away, doo-doo, doo-doo Run away, doo-doo, doo-doo Run away, doo-doo, doo-doo Run away (ah!)	Run on the spot as though you are running away.
Safe at last, doo-doo, doo-doo Safe at last, doo-doo, doo-doo Safe at last, doo-doo, doo-doo Safe at last (phew)	Take turns wiping forehead, and flick hand like removing sweat for each line with each hand
It’s the end, doo-doo, doo-doo It’s the end, doo-doo, doo-doo It’s the end, doo-doo, doo-doo It’s the end	Wave goodbye, and then right at the end you can jump into a star position to indicate you are finished your dance.

Campfire Lyrics	Actions
Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Baby Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Baby Shark	Make a small shark mouth with a finger and thumb and open and shut them to the beat of the music
Momma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Momma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Momma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Momma Shark	Make a mouth with both hands, opening at the wrist and open and shut them to the beat of the music
Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Daddy Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Daddy Shark	Make a big shark mouth with both of your arms and open and shut them to the beat of the music.
Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Grandpa Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Grandpa Shark	Like papa shark, but with fingers curled in to represent no teeth open and shut them to the beat of the music.
Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Grandma Shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Grandma Shark	Like mama shark, but with fingers curled in to represent no teeth open and shut them to the beat of the music.
Swimmer swimming, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Swimmer swimming, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Swimmer swimming, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Swimmer swimming	Freestyle or swimming style arms
See a shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo See a shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo See a shark, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo See a shark	Place your hand on your head or back like a fin and walk around or on the spot to the beat of the music
Swimming fast, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Swimming fast, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Swimming fast, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Swimming fast	Fast and frantic freestyle or swimming style arms
Shark attack, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Shark attack, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Shark attack, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Shark attack	Frantically Jump up and down, and wave arms about
Lost an arm, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Lost an arm, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Lost an arm, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Lost an arm	Hide one arm and wave the other about in the air
Lost a leg, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Lost a leg, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Lost a leg, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Lost a leg	Bend one leg up to hide the foot and hop
CPR, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo CPR, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo CPR, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo CPR	Pretend to do CPR on an imaginary patient
Didn’t work, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Didn’t work, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Didn’t work, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Didn’t work,	Shrug shoulders, and head and arms.
Go to heaven, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Go to heaven, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Go to heaven, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Go to heaven	Make a flapping wing motion as though you are going to heaven
Maybe Not!	Point index fingers by forehead like horns

Is Baby Shark Nursery Rhyme in the Public Domain?

Since Baby Shark is a traditional folk song whose writer is unknown, it is a public domain song. That means it is available for anyone without risking infringing on anyone’s copyrights.

However, people’s versions of the song aren’t free for anyone to use. For instance, the viral version by Pinkfong isn’t a public-domain song.

If someone records the song, changes the arrangement, or adds new actions and lyrics, then that version is solely theirs. Therefore, to use Pinkfong’s performance, you must ask for their permission.

(Disclaimer: This is a general–not a legally confirmed fact, and you need to do more research into the laws in your jurisdiction/country to ensure you may use this song – especially considering the following controversy)

The Copyright Controversy With Baby Shark

Everyone knows most traditional folk songs are public domain songs. However, in 2018, there was a copyright controversy involving an American children’s music entertainer and SmartStudy, owner of Pinkfong, the company responsible for making Baby Shark go viral.

According to Johnny Only, he was the first person to record and publish a version of the song without the gory details. He even claims to have added the now famous doo, doo, doo.

In 2018, a Korean right-wing political party used Only’s version in their political campaigns but was sued by SmartStudy, the owner of Pinkfong, for copyright infringement.

The political party claimed they got the rights from Johnny Only. SmartStudy, however, claimed they were the ones that added new beats to the song and should have been the ones contacted for permission.

Johnny Only sued SmartStudy, saying he was the one that came up with the new version. He was suing for compensation after SmartStudy made their 2015 version roughly based on the clean version of Baby Shark. His version was created in 2011.

The legal battle ended in 2021 when a South Korean court ruled that no one holds the copyright to traditional songs. Therefore, Johnny Only wasn’t due any compensation from SmartStudy.

LESSON PLANS AND ACTIVITIES INSPIRED BY BABY SHARK NURSERY RHYME

Below is a selection of Lesson Plans based on Baby Shark. You need to click on the images to go to the websites to learn more and download the resources.