The Derby Ram — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

As I was going to Derby all on a market-day,
I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay;
Upon hay, upon hay, upon hay;
I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay.
This ram was fat behind, sir; this ram was fat before;
This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed, he was no more;
No more, no more, no more;
This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed, he was no more.
The horns that grew on his head, sir, they were so wondrous high,
As I've been plainly told, sir, they reached up to the sky.
The sky, the sky, the sky;
As I've been plainly told, sir, they reached up to the sky.
The tail that grew from his back, sir, was six yards and an ell;
And it was sent to Derby to toll the market bell;
And it was sent to Derby to toll the market bell.

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Learning from "The Derby Ram"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Derby Ram" uses 15 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 Derby Ram?
The lyrics to The Derby Ram are: As I was going to Derby all on a market-day, / I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay; / Upon hay, upon hay, upon hay; / I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed upon hay. / This ram was fat behind, sir; this ram was fat before; / This ram was ten yards round, sir; indeed, he was no more; ... Read the full 15-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Derby Ram have?
"The Derby Ram" has 15 lines of verse.

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