The Cocks On The Housetop — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

The cock's on the housetop,
Blowing his horn;
The bull's in the barn,
A-threshing the corn;
The maids in the meadow
Are making the hay;
The ducks in the river
Are swimming away.

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Learning from "The Cocks On The Housetop"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Cocks On The Housetop" 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 The Cocks On The Housetop?
The lyrics to The Cocks On The Housetop are: The cock's on the housetop, / Blowing his horn; / The bull's in the barn, / A-threshing the corn; / The maids in the meadow / Are making the hay; ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Cocks On The Housetop have?
"The Cocks On The Housetop" has 8 lines of verse.

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