Billy Boy — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Oh, where have you been,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where have you been,
Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife,
She's the joy of my life,
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.
Did she ask you to come in,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she ask you to come in,
Charming Billy?
Yes, she asked me to come in,
There's a dimple in her chin.
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.
Can she make a cherry pie,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie,
Charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie,
Quick as a cat can wink an eye,
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.
How old is she,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old is she,
Charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven,
Twenty-eight and eleven,
She's a young thing
And cannot leave her mother.[

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Learning from "Billy Boy"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Billy Boy" uses 32 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to Billy Boy?
The lyrics to Billy Boy are: Oh, where have you been, / Billy Boy, Billy Boy? / Oh, where have you been, / Charming Billy? / I have been to seek a wife, / She's the joy of my life, ... Read the full 32-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Billy Boy have?
"Billy Boy" has 32 lines of verse.

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