If I Had A Donkey — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

If I had a donkey
That wouldn't go
Do you think I'd beat him?
Oh, no, no!
I'd put him in a barn
And give him some corn,
The best little donkey
That ever was born.

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Learning from "If I Had A Donkey"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "If I Had A Donkey" uses 8 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 If I Had A Donkey?
The lyrics to If I Had A Donkey are: If I had a donkey / That wouldn't go / Do you think I'd beat him? / Oh, no, no! / I'd put him in a barn / And give him some corn, ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does If I Had A Donkey have?
"If I Had A Donkey" has 8 lines of verse.

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