Silly Sally — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed
Shilly-shallied south.
These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack;
Sheep should sleep in a shed.

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Learning from "Silly Sally"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Silly Sally" uses 5 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 Silly Sally?
The lyrics to Silly Sally are: Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep. / The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed / Shilly-shallied south. / These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack; / Sheep should sleep in a shed.
How many lines does Silly Sally have?
"Silly Sally" has 5 lines of verse.

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