Did you know the famous Bingo song everyone sings evolved from another piece that’s relatively not that similar? The central part of the song is the name Bingo which people sing as they remove one letter with each line. But that wasn’t how it used to be.
Let’s look at everything there is to know about the nursery rhyme.
LYRICS
Lyrics for Bingo as Sung Today
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
And Bingo was his name-o.
Full Original Lyrics for Bingo
The farmer’s dog leaped over the stile,
his name was little Bingo,
the farmer’s dog leaped over the stile,
his name was little Bingo.
B with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
his name was little Bingo:
B—I—N—G—O!
His name was little Bingo.
The farmer loved a cup of good ale,
he called it rare good stingo,
the farmer loved a cup of good ale,
he called it rare good stingo.
S—T with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
He called it rare good stingo:
S—T—I—N—G—O!
He called it rare good stingo
And is this not a sweet little song?
I think it is —— by jingo.
And is this not a sweet little song?
I think it is —— by jingo.
J with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
I think it is —— by jingo:
J—I—N—G—O!
I think it is —— by jingo.
The original lyrics gave inspiration for the modern-day lyrics. But they aren’t that much like the lyrics children sing today.
HISTORY BEHIND BINGO NURSERY RHYME
Who Came Up with the Bingo Song?
Like most other nursery rhymes that appeared as folk songs, the author of Bingo is unknown. Therefore, the writers credited with the different versions of the song were merely adapting it.
If someone takes an original song and sings a new version, you can’t credit them with coming up with the original song. Here, we can’t say the different people who wrote versions of Bingo are the original author.
They only added a few modifications to make the song different. It doesn’t mean that’s their song. The changes to the Bingo song made it what it is today. We are richer for that, aren’t we?
What is the Origin of Bingo?
Bingo goes back 200 years with the first published forms of the song in two different publications. The first published version of the song is a 1780 sheet music by William Swords, an actor.
Although the sheet music didn’t have a title, the song went by several names. The Farmer’s Dog Leapt o’er the Stile, Little Bingo, or A Franklyn’s Dogge are some of the song’s titles as the song changed with time.
A 1785 songbook called Humming Book featured a transcription of the song without the title. Most people consider the lyrics t that transcription as the original lyrics for the song.
But there’s also another transcription in the 1840 book, The Ingoldsby Legends. It is a collection of legends, poems, and myths by Richard Harris Barham. He wrote them under his pen name Thomas Ingoldsby.
There is also another version that resembles the Ingoldsby version that was spotted in 1888. The presence of the song in the United States was observed thanks to Robert M Carlton.
Different people recorded various versions. Each had the original lyrics but with a few tweaks. In some places, the song was an adult’s drinking song. However, the song was part of children’s games in most localities.
English folk songwriter Alice Bertha recorded about eight versions of the song in 1894. Although most variants refer to the dog as a farmer, some claim the dog owners to be millers or shepherds.
Yet still, in some versions, the dog isn’t called Bingo. He’s called Pinto or Bango. Some versions add extra words to the third stanza, as you can see with this here:
The farmer loved a pretty young lass,
And gave her a wedding-ring-o.
R with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
WHAT DO THE WORDS IN BINGO MEAN? DEFINITIONS
What Is Bingo?
Bingo is the name of the dog in the song. However, there are so many other uses of the word Bingo. Some people say it when they stumble upon something they have been searching for for a long time.
Still, some people think Bingo is the farmer’s name from the line, Bingo was his name. But that’s not true. Bingo refers to the dog.
Who is a farmer?
A farmer is anyone that engages in agriculture. They raise animals and crops either for sale or subsistence on their farms. It is common for farmers to have dogs in addition to the other animals they are rearing.
Perhaps that might explain why Bingo belongs to a farmer in the song.
What is a Name-O?
Name-o in the lyrics is just a play of the word ‘name’. The ‘O’ is added to make the song rhyme. It rhymes with Bingo in all the forms you sing it. You might have thought it’s a special or new word but that’s not true.
Does the Bingo Song Have a Hidden Meaning?
The song doesn’t have any hidden meaning. It aims to entertain and teach kids spelling. Thus, it doesn’t have any hidden or literal meaning. Some people love to think all nursery rhymes have a hidden meaning.
It’s common to see people gawk at the hidden meaning of some nursery rhymes. Some songs have shown to have darker meanings than earlier thought. Fortunately, that isn’t the same with Bingo.
What Lessons Does Bingo Teach?
Bingo is a spelling song. It teaches children how to spell and sing at the same time. That makes it an effective song for parents and teachers to teach rhyming and spelling. Besides teaching spelling, Bingo also entertains children.
The song also teaches children to treat pets, especially dogs, better. It can also teach a child to relate better with their dog. Thus, it is good to encourage your child to sing the song. They won’t only enjoy the song but will also learn a thing or two.
INTERESTING FACTS & QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Is Bingo an Influential Part of Popular Culture?
Most nursery songs have been used in popular culture at one time or the other. For instance, the Itsy Bitsy Spider has appeared in several movies, notably Spiderman 1 and 2.
Like other nursery rhymes, Bingo has also appeared in several forms in popular culture.
If you’re familiar with Camp Lazlo, a Cartoon Network program, you must have heard its tune. The cartoon program uses the tune of the Bingo song as its theme song. It has also appeared in a few episodes of the Simpsons.
Are Bingo and Old McDonald the Same Song?
Some people confuse the two songs and think they are related. But the two are quite different and aren’t the same. The tune and melody slightly resemble each other, but that doesn’t make them the same.
Another difference is in their place of origin. While Bingo is an English folk song, Old McDonald has roots in America. So, although they both have a farm setting, it doesn’t make them related.
People often confuse the two and think Bingo was Old McDonald’s dog. But that’s not true. The nursery rhyme Old McDonald lists several animals, of which some were dogs. It doesn’t say whether Old McDonald had a dog he called Bingo.
Is Bingo in the Public Domain?
Yes. Bingo is in the public domain. It has no known author and was first published well before 1925. Publications published before 1925 are open for use since they are all in the public domain.
(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 confirm you may use this song)
Thus, you can use Bingo for any of your creative works without copyright issues. What you can’t do is use someone else’s adaptation of Bingo without their permission.
However, you should note that laws vary. So, it is wise to always ask about your local area laws before using the song.
How do You Sing Bingo in Sign Language?
You can sing the Bingo song with sign language. Check the below resource from YouTube that includes some common words for each letter of the alphabet.
BINGO INSPIRED LESSON PLANS
The following is a selection of Lesson Plans. You need to click on the images to learn more and download the resources from their websites.
SHEET MUSIC FOR BINGO
What Is the Time Signature of Bingo?
Bingo has a 4/4-time signature. That gives it four quarter-note beats that make it easy to play on instruments. If you’d love to play, try the Bingo song on an instrument. We have some resources below.
HOW TO PLAY BINGO ON AN INSTRUMENT
You can have fun playing the Bingo song on several instruments. Here are some resources from YouTube to make that easy for you.