I've Been Working on the Railroad — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

I've been workin' on the railroad,
All the live long day.
I've been workin' on the railroad,
Just to pass the time away.
Don't you hear the whistle blowing?
Rise up so early in the morn.
Don't you hear the captain shouting
"Dinah, blow your horn"?
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow your horn?
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow,
Dinah, won't you blow your horn?
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah.
Someone's in the kitchen, I know.
Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah
Strumming on the old banjo.
Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o.
Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o.
Fee, fie, fiddle-e-i-o.
Strumming on the old banjo.

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Learning from "I've Been Working on the Railroad"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "I've Been Working on the Railroad" uses 22 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 I've Been Working on the Railroad?
The lyrics to I've Been Working on the Railroad are: I've been workin' on the railroad, / All the live long day. / I've been workin' on the railroad, / Just to pass the time away. / Don't you hear the whistle blowing? / Rise up so early in the morn. ... Read the full 22-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does I've Been Working on the Railroad have?
"I've Been Working on the Railroad" has 22 lines of verse.

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