There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do;
She gave them some broth without any bread;
Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.

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Learning from "There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" 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.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe?
The lyrics to There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe are: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. / She had so many children, she didn't know what to do; / She gave them some broth without any bread; / Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.
How many lines does There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe have?
"There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" has 4 lines of verse.

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