Heigh Ho The Carrion Crow — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A carrion crow sat on an oak,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
Watching a tailor shape his cloak;
Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!
Wife, bring me my old bent bow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do,
That I may shoot yon carrion crow;
Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, loi de riddle, hi ding do!
The tailor he shot, and missed his mark,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!
And shot his own sow quite through the heart;
Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!
Wife! bring brandy in a spoon,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!
For our old sow is in a swoon;
Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow,
Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do!

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Learning from "Heigh Ho The Carrion Crow"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Heigh Ho The Carrion Crow" uses 20 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 Heigh Ho The Carrion Crow?
The lyrics to Heigh Ho The Carrion Crow are: A carrion crow sat on an oak, / Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do, / Watching a tailor shape his cloak; / Sing heigh-ho, the carrion crow, / Fol de riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do! / Wife, bring me my old bent bow, ... Read the full 20-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Heigh Ho The Carrion Crow have?
"Heigh Ho The Carrion Crow" has 20 lines of verse.

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