The Old Man — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an old man
In a velvet coat,
He kissed a maid
And gave her a groat.
The groat it was crack'd
And would not go,--
Ah, old man, do you serve me so?

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Learning from "The Old Man"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Old Man" uses 7 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 Old Man?
The lyrics to The Old Man are: There was an old man / In a velvet coat, / He kissed a maid / And gave her a groat. / The groat it was crack'd / And would not go,-- ... Read the full 7-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Old Man have?
"The Old Man" has 7 lines of verse.

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