The Man Of Derby — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A little old man of Derby,
How do you think he served me?
He took away my bread and cheese,
And that is how he served me.

Explore Words From This Rhyme

Find Rhymes

Look Up Definitions

More Nursery Rhymes

Browse all nursery rhymes →

Learning from "The Man Of Derby"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Man Of Derby" uses 4 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.

Create your own verse

Inspired by "The Man Of Derby"? Try writing your own rhymes:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to The Man Of Derby?
The lyrics to The Man Of Derby are: A little old man of Derby, / How do you think he served me? / He took away my bread and cheese, / And that is how he served me.
How many lines does The Man Of Derby have?
"The Man Of Derby" has 4 lines of verse.

Explore More Word Tools