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Sailing Sailing — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main.
For many a stormy wind shall blow
E'er Jack comes home again.
Oh, sailing, sailing, over the bounding main.
For many a stormy wind shall blow
E'er Jack comes home again.

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Learning from "Sailing Sailing"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Sailing Sailing" 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 Sailing Sailing?
The lyrics to Sailing Sailing are: Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main. / For many a stormy wind shall blow / E'er Jack comes home again. / Oh, sailing, sailing, over the bounding main. / For many a stormy wind shall blow / E'er Jack comes home again.
How many lines does Sailing Sailing have?
"Sailing Sailing" has 6 lines of verse.