The Bells — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

"You owe me five shillings,"
Say the bells of St. Helen's.
"When will you pay me?"
Say the bells of Old Bailey.
"When I grow rich,"
Say the bells of Shoreditch.
"When will that be?"
Say the bells of Stepney.
"I do not know,"
Says the great Bell of Bow.
"Two sticks in an apple,"
Ring the bells of Whitechapel.
"Halfpence and farthings,"
Say the bells of St. Martin's.
"Kettles and pans,"
Say the bells of St. Ann's.
"Brickbats and tiles,"
Say the bells of St. Giles.
"Old shoes and slippers,"
Say the bells of St. Peter's.
"Pokers and tongs,"
Say the bells of St. John's.

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Learning from "The Bells"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Bells" uses 22 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 The Bells?
The lyrics to The Bells are: "You owe me five shillings," / Say the bells of St. Helen's. / "When will you pay me?" / Say the bells of Old Bailey. / "When I grow rich," / Say the bells of Shoreditch. ... Read the full 22-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Bells have?
"The Bells" has 22 lines of verse.

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