Did You Ever — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Did you ever go to the watering trough
And watch the sparrows drink?
Did you ever go to Potter's pond
And see the divers sink?
Did you ever steal to the barn at night
And watch the hoot-owls think?

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Learning from "Did You Ever"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Did You Ever" uses 6 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 Did You Ever?
The lyrics to Did You Ever are: Did you ever go to the watering trough / And watch the sparrows drink? / Did you ever go to Potter's pond / And see the divers sink? / Did you ever steal to the barn at night / And watch the hoot-owls think?
How many lines does Did You Ever have?
"Did You Ever" has 6 lines of verse.

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