Old Woman Old Woman — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an old woman tossed in a basket,
Seventeen times as high as the moon;
But where she was going no mortal could tell,
For under her arm she carried a broom.
"Old woman, old woman, old woman,"said I,
"Whither, oh whither, oh whither so high?"
"To sweep the cobwebs from the sky;
And I'll be with you by-and-by."

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Learning from "Old Woman Old Woman"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Old Woman Old Woman" 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 Old Woman Old Woman?
The lyrics to Old Woman Old Woman are: There was an old woman tossed in a basket, / Seventeen times as high as the moon; / But where she was going no mortal could tell, / For under her arm she carried a broom. / "Old woman, old woman, old woman,"said I, / "Whither, oh whither, oh whither so high?" ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Old Woman Old Woman have?
"Old Woman Old Woman" has 8 lines of verse.

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