Doctor McSwattle — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Doctor McSwattle
Filled up a bottle
With vinegar, varnish, and rum.
And offered a swallow
To all who would follow
The call of his trumpet and drum.
It's good, I am told,
For a cough or a cold;
It's good for a pain in your thumb.

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Learning from "Doctor McSwattle"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Doctor McSwattle" uses 9 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 Doctor McSwattle?
The lyrics to Doctor McSwattle are: Doctor McSwattle / Filled up a bottle / With vinegar, varnish, and rum. / And offered a swallow / To all who would follow / The call of his trumpet and drum. ... Read the full 9-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Doctor McSwattle have?
"Doctor McSwattle" has 9 lines of verse.

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