The Dee — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an Old Man of the Dee,
Who was sadly annoyed by a Flea;
When he said, "I will scratch it!" they gave him a hatchet,
Which grieved that Old Man of the Dee.

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Learning from "The Dee"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Dee" uses 4 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 Dee?
The lyrics to The Dee are: There was an Old Man of the Dee, / Who was sadly annoyed by a Flea; / When he said, "I will scratch it!" they gave him a hatchet, / Which grieved that Old Man of the Dee.
How many lines does The Dee have?
"The Dee" has 4 lines of verse.

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