The Runaways — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

A pipe and a spoon and a tenpenny nail
Stole a tin dishpan and went for a sail.
But the cook he grew curious,
Fussy, and furious;
Gathered his trappings, and went on their trail.
He found them that night in a pitiful plight,
And sent them all home on the ten o'clock mail.

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Learning from "The Runaways"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "The Runaways" 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 Runaways?
The lyrics to The Runaways are: A pipe and a spoon and a tenpenny nail / Stole a tin dishpan and went for a sail. / But the cook he grew curious, / Fussy, and furious; / Gathered his trappings, and went on their trail. / He found them that night in a pitiful plight, ... Read the full 7-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does The Runaways have?
"The Runaways" has 7 lines of verse.

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