Jolly Jinks — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Jolly Jinks, the sailor man,
Went to sea in an oyster can.
But he found the water wet,
Fishes got into his net,
So he pulled his boat to shore
And vowed he'd sail the seas no more.

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Learning from "Jolly Jinks"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Jolly Jinks" uses 6 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 Jolly Jinks?
The lyrics to Jolly Jinks are: Jolly Jinks, the sailor man, / Went to sea in an oyster can. / But he found the water wet, / Fishes got into his net, / So he pulled his boat to shore / And vowed he'd sail the seas no more.
How many lines does Jolly Jinks have?
"Jolly Jinks" has 6 lines of verse.

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