Dance Thumbkin Dance — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Dance, Thumbkin, dance;
(keep the thumb in motion
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(all the fingers in motion
For Thumbkin, he can dance alone,
(the thumb alone moving
Thumbkin, he can dance alone.
(the thumb alone moving
Dance, Foreman, dance,
(the first finger moving
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(all moving
But Foreman, he can dance alone,
(the first finger moving
Foreman, he can dance alone.
(the first finger moving
Dance, Longman, dance,
(the second finger moving
Dance, ye merrymen, everyone.
(all moving
For Longman, he can dance alone,
(the second finger moving
Longman, he can dance alone.
(the second finger moving
Dance, Ringman, dance,
(the third finger moving
Dance, ye merrymen, dance.
(all moving
But Ringman cannot dance alone,
(the third finger moving
Ringman, he cannot dance alone.
(the third finger moving
Dance, Littleman, dance,
(the fourth finger moving
Dance, ye merrymen, dance.
(all moving
But Littleman, he can dance alone,
(the fourth finger moving
Littleman, he can dance alone.
(the fourth finger moving

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Learning from "Dance Thumbkin Dance"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Dance Thumbkin Dance" uses 40 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 Dance Thumbkin Dance?
The lyrics to Dance Thumbkin Dance are: Dance, Thumbkin, dance; / (keep the thumb in motion / Dance, ye merrymen, everyone. / (all the fingers in motion / For Thumbkin, he can dance alone, / (the thumb alone moving ... Read the full 40-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Dance Thumbkin Dance have?
"Dance Thumbkin Dance" has 40 lines of verse.

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