The Lamplighter — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky.
It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by;
For every night at teatime and before you take your seat,
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.
Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea,
And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be;
But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do,
O Leerie, I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you!
For we are very lucky, with a lamp before the door,
And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more;
And oh! before you hurry by with ladder and with light;
O Leerie, see a little child and nod to him to-night!

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Learning from "The Lamplighter"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Lamplighter" uses 12 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 Lamplighter?
The lyrics to The Lamplighter are: My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky. / It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by; / For every night at teatime and before you take your seat, / With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street. / Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea, / And my papa's a banker and as rich as he can be; ... Read the full 12-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Lamplighter have?
"The Lamplighter" has 12 lines of verse.

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