Kookaburra — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Merry, merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra,
Laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be.
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Eating all the gumdrops he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra,
Stop, Kookaburra,
Leave some there for me.

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Learning from "Kookaburra"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Kookaburra" uses 10 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 Kookaburra?
The lyrics to Kookaburra are: Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. / Merry, merry king of the bush is he. / Laugh, Kookaburra, / Laugh, Kookaburra, / Gay your life must be. / Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, ... Read the full 10-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Kookaburra have?
"Kookaburra" has 10 lines of verse.

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