Oh Dear — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Dear, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Johnny's so long at the fair.
He promised to buy me a bunch of blue ribbons;
He promised to buy me some bonny blue ribbons;
He promised to buy me a bunch of blue ribbons,
To bind up my bonny brown hair.
And it's, oh! Dear! What can the matter be?
Dear, dear, what can the matter be?
Oh, dear, what can the matter be?
Johnny's so long at the fair.

Explore Words From This Rhyme

Find Rhymes

Look Up Definitions

More Nursery Rhymes

Browse all nursery rhymes →

Learning from "Oh Dear"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Oh Dear" uses 12 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 "Oh Dear"? Try writing your own rhymes:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to Oh Dear?
The lyrics to Oh Dear are: Oh, dear, what can the matter be? / Dear, dear, what can the matter be? / Oh, dear, what can the matter be? / Johnny's so long at the fair. / He promised to buy me a bunch of blue ribbons; / He promised to buy me some bonny blue ribbons; ... Read the full 12-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Oh Dear have?
"Oh Dear" has 12 lines of verse.

Explore More Word Tools