Bobby Shaftoe — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Bobby Shaftoe went to sea,
Silver buckles on his knee.
He'll come back and marry me,
Pretty Bobby Shaftoe.
Bobby Shaftoe's fine and fair,
Combing down his auburn hair.
He's my friend for evermore,
Pretty Bobby Shaftoe.

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Learning from "Bobby Shaftoe"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Bobby Shaftoe" uses 8 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 Bobby Shaftoe?
The lyrics to Bobby Shaftoe are: Bobby Shaftoe went to sea, / Silver buckles on his knee. / He'll come back and marry me, / Pretty Bobby Shaftoe. / Bobby Shaftoe's fine and fair, / Combing down his auburn hair. ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Bobby Shaftoe have?
"Bobby Shaftoe" has 8 lines of verse.

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