I Went to Town on Monday — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

I went to town on Monday
To buy myself a coat,
But on the way I met a man
Who traveled with a caravan,
And bought a billy-goat.
I went to town on Tuesday
And bought a fancy vest.
I kept the pretty bucklestraps,
Buttonholes and pocketflaps,
And threw away the rest.
I went to town on Thursday
To buy a loaf of bread,
But when I got there, goodness sakes!
The town was full of rattlesnakes?
The bakers all were dead.
I went to town on Saturday
To get myself a wife,
But when I saw the lady fair
I gnashed my teeth and pulled my hair
And scampered for my life.

Explore Words From This Rhyme

Find Rhymes

Look Up Definitions

More Nursery Rhymes

Browse all nursery rhymes →

Learning from "I Went to Town on Monday"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "I Went to Town on Monday" 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.

Create your own verse

Inspired by "I Went to Town on Monday"? Try writing your own rhymes:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to I Went to Town on Monday?
The lyrics to I Went to Town on Monday are: I went to town on Monday / To buy myself a coat, / But on the way I met a man / Who traveled with a caravan, / And bought a billy-goat. / I went to town on Tuesday ... Read the full 20-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does I Went to Town on Monday have?
"I Went to Town on Monday" has 20 lines of verse.

Explore More Word Tools