The Farmer in the Dell — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

The farmer in the dell,
The farmer in the dell,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer in the dell.
The farmer takes a wife,
The farmer takes a wife,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer takes a wife.
The wife takes a child,
The wife takes a child,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The wife takes a child.
The child takes a nurse,
The child takes a nurse,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The child takes a nurse.
The nurse takes the cow,
The nurse takes the cow,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The nurse takes the cow.
The cow takes a dog,
The cow takes a dog,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The cow takes a dog.
The dog takes a cat,
The dog takes a cat,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The dog takes a cat.
The cat takes a rat,
The cat takes a rat,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The cat takes a rat.
The rat takes the cheese,
The rat takes the cheese,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The rat takes the cheese.
The cheese stands alone,
The cheese stands alone,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The cheese stands alone.

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Learning from "The Farmer in the Dell"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Farmer in the Dell" uses 40 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 Farmer in the Dell?
The lyrics to The Farmer in the Dell are: The farmer in the dell, / The farmer in the dell, / Hi-ho, the derry-o, / The farmer in the dell. / The farmer takes a wife, / The farmer takes a wife, ... Read the full 40-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Farmer in the Dell have?
"The Farmer in the Dell" has 40 lines of verse.

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