The Hobby Horse — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

I had a little hobby-horse,
And it was dapple gray;
Its head was made of pea-straw,
Its tail was made of hay.
I sold it to an old woman
For a copper groat;
And I'll not sing my song again
Without another coat.

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Learning from "The Hobby Horse"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Hobby Horse" 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 Hobby Horse?
The lyrics to The Hobby Horse are: I had a little hobby-horse, / And it was dapple gray; / Its head was made of pea-straw, / Its tail was made of hay. / I sold it to an old woman / For a copper groat; ... Read the full 8-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Hobby Horse have?
"The Hobby Horse" has 8 lines of verse.

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