The Grand Old Duke of York — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Oh, The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up to the top of the hill,
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up,
And when they were down, they were down,
And when they were only half-way up,
They were neither up nor down.

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Learning from "The Grand Old Duke of York"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Grand Old Duke of York" 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 Grand Old Duke of York?
The lyrics to The Grand Old Duke of York are: Oh, The grand old Duke of York, / He had ten thousand men; / He marched them up to the top of the hill, / And he marched them down again. / And when they were up, they were up, / And when they were down, they were down, ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Grand Old Duke of York have?
"The Grand Old Duke of York" has 8 lines of verse.

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