The Rag Man — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Rag-man, rag-man,
Taggy, taggy, rag-man,
Tell us what you've got there in your sack.??
"Oh?it's full of rimes and riddles,
Jingles, jokes, and hi-de-diddles?
This bundle that I carry on my back.??
"O tell us, funny rag-man,
Grinny, skinny rag-man,
Where did you pick up your funny rimes???
"Some were dancing with corn-flowers,
Some were hiding in church-towers,
And sprinkled helter-skelter by the chimes.??
"Rag-man, rag-man,
Nice old taggy rag-man,
Sing us just one jingle, tingle song.??
"Why, my dears, I've got a plenty,
Sing you one? I'll sing you twenty?
I've been hoping you would ask me all along.??

Explore Words From This Rhyme

Find Rhymes

Look Up Definitions

More Nursery Rhymes

Browse all nursery rhymes →

Learning from "The Rag Man"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Rag Man" uses 18 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 Rag Man"? Try writing your own rhymes:

Generate a verse

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to The Rag Man?
The lyrics to The Rag Man are: Rag-man, rag-man, / Taggy, taggy, rag-man, / Tell us what you've got there in your sack.?? / "Oh?it's full of rimes and riddles, / Jingles, jokes, and hi-de-diddles? / This bundle that I carry on my back.?? ... Read the full 18-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Rag Man have?
"The Rag Man" has 18 lines of verse.

Explore More Word Tools