There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a nonsensical children’s rhyme of a type of song known as a cumulative rhyme. The song talks of an old lady swallowing animals, starting with a fly and then increasingly larger animals, till she dies after swallowing a horse.
Let’s look at the origins of the song and what inspired its composition.
LYRICS
Lyrics for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly As Sung Today
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly–perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and wiggled and tiggled inside her;
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly–perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird;
How absurd to swallow a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly–perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat;
Fancy that to swallow a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly–perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady that swallowed a dog;
What a hog, to swallow a dog;
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly–perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow,
I don’t know how she swallowed a cow;
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly–perhaps she’ll die!
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse…
She’s dead, of course!
Full Original Lyrics for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Although the song has several variations, the original lyrics haven’t changed. The lyrics have the same spine as in all other songs; therefore, there are no older original lyrics.
THE HISTORY BEHIND THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
Who Wrote the Nursery Rhyme There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly?
Although most accounts credit the song’s writing to Rose Bonne in 1952, it is unclear who first came up with the original rhyme. She and Alan Mills copyrighted the song in 1952. However, it was already around when Bonne wrote her popular version and copyrighted it. In the 1940s, the song had several versions that weren’t so popular.
For instance, in 1946, English author Dorothy B. King wrote a book and mentioned a variation of the song. The book Happy Recollections mentions the tale of a woman who swallowed a fly, then a bird and a cat, and more animals to eliminate the fly. That was about six years before Rose Bonne, and Alan Mills came up with their version.
Later in 1947, three variations appeared in Hoosier Folklore, a US journal. The journal published the three variations from three different areas in the United States, Colorado, Ohio, and Georgia, and wanted to know the song’s origins. It’s unclear whether they got the answer to that.
As fate would have it, Bonne’s version, coupled with Alan Mills’ melody, became the most popular. It is believed the two derived the song from an old ballad. The prior versions hadn’t captured as much public imagination as Bonne’s and Mills’ had.
Therefore, the song could have existed for a long time and been passed previously through generations orally. That could explain why many versions of the song exist. Because different people have different recollections of the song, they sing different variations.
While the version Rose Bonne wrote was titled I Know an Old Lady, in some places, the song goes by different titles. These are the most notable titles “There Was an Old Lady”, “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”, “There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly”, and “I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly.”
Some versions don’t have the perhaps she’ll die line. The video below is a perfect example:
Though the same has the same premise as the version in this article, noticeable differences exist.
WHAT DO THE WORDS MEAN? DEFINITIONS
What Does the Song There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Mean?
There Was an Old Lady has no deeper meaning besides the meaning you get when you listen to it. It is mostly nonsensical stuff that doesn’t have any deeper meaning other than to entertain.
What’s The Difference Between a Spider and a Fly?
A fly is a winged insect that often lives in untidy surroundings. A spider is an eight-legged arachnid with fangs to inject venom into prey. Most spiders also spin webs that serve as their homes and for trapping prey. Flies are often spider prey.
What Do Wriggle and Jiggle Mean?
To wriggle and jiggle means to squirm or writhe and turn with quick small movements.
What Does Absurd Mean?
Absurd means silly or illogical. If someone does something absurd, their action is wild and out of the ordinary. Something like swallowing a horse is absurd.
INTERESTING FACTS & QUESTIONS ANSWERED
What Type of Nursery Rhyme Is There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly?
There Was an Old Lady is a nonsensical and cumulative nursery rhyme. By being nonsensical, the song has absurd actions that wouldn’t happen in the real world. For instance, there’s no way a person can swallow a whole cow or other large animals. That’s what makes it a nonsensical rhyme.
Cumulative means the actions in the song build up to something. The old lady starts by swallowing something small, like a fly. The animals she swallows then keep increasing in size, and finally, she swallows the largest of them all, a horse. Of course, she dies. The horse is the final straw.
Each line of the song shows the successive swallowing of increasingly larger animals, culminating in the swallowing of a horse. That makes it a cumulative song.
Is It Okay To Swallow a Fly?
A fly isn’t on the list of healthy things to eat and so you should never swallow or eat one. Flies are generally accepted to be harbingers of dirt. Their presence often points to unclean surroundings.
The action of swallowing the fly helped make this song a nonsense rhyme, although many people can tell you of stories where they or someone they know have accidently swallowed a fly, or another type of flying bug!
Does the Old Lady Refer to Any Historical Person?
The old lady in the song doesn’t refer to any historical persons. The song is only meant to entertain, like most nursery rhymes. It, therefore, has zero references to any historical persons.
Is,There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, In the Public Domain?
Although There Was an Old Lady is probably a derivative of an ancient folk song, it isn’t a public domain song. The copyrights belong to Rose Bonne and Alan Mills, who came up with the popular version of the song.
Many people, especially in the US, have covered the song and even made their versions without permission. They aren’t wrong to do that since US law allows someone to make imitative song covers without the original author’s permission.
However, the royalties always go back to the author, not the person who made the cover. More publishers have also used the song with no repercussions. But since the original authors or their estate haven’t sued them, it doesn’t make it a public-domain song.
Therefore, you’ll need permission before using the song in your work.
How Do You Sing There Was an Old Lady In Sign Language?
You can sing There Was an Old Lady in sign language. I found a resource on YouTube that can help you with that.
LESSON PLANS AND ACTIVITIES INSPIRED BY THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
The following is a selection of Lesson Plans based on There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. You need to click on the images to go to the websites to learn more and download the resources.
SHEET MUSIC FOR THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
What Is the Time Signature for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly?
There Was an Old Lady is typically played in the 4/4 time signature. It has four measures per bar and is played at 11 beats per minute.
How Do You Play There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly With an Instrument?
You can play There Was an Old Lady on an instrument with any of the below YouTube resources.
