Hush — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an Old Man who said, "Hush!
I perceive a young bird in this bush!"
When they said, "Is it small?" he replied, "Not at all;
It is four times as big as the bush!"

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Learning from "Hush"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Hush" uses 4 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 Hush?
The lyrics to Hush are: There was an Old Man who said, "Hush! / I perceive a young bird in this bush!" / When they said, "Is it small?" he replied, "Not at all; / It is four times as big as the bush!"
How many lines does Hush have?
"Hush" has 4 lines of verse.

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