This Old Man — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my thumb. (on a drum, on my tongue)
With a knick-knack, paddy whack,
Give a dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played two,
He played knick-knack on my shoe.
(etc.)
This old man, he played three,
He played knick-knack on my knee. (on my tree)
(etc.)
This old man, he played four,
He played knick-knack on my door. (on the floor)
(etc.)
This old man, he played five,
He played knick-knack on my hive. (on my knife, on the drive, making a dive, on my thigh, way up high)
(etc.)
This old man, he played six,
He played knick-knack with some sticks.
(etc.)
This old man, he played seven,
He played knick-knack up in heaven. (on my oven, down in Devon)
(etc.)
This old man, he played eight,
He played knick-knack on my gate. (on my plate, on my pate)
(etc.)
This old man, he played nine,
He played knick-knack on my spine. (in a line)
(etc.)
This old man, he played ten,
He played knick-knack once again. (home again, on my pen, on my shin, on my hen, now and then)
(etc.)
This old man, he played eleven,
He played knick-knack on the way to heaven. (down to Devon)
(etc.)
This old man, he played twelve,
He played knick-knack on my shelf.
(etc.)
This old man, he played thirteen,
He played knick-knack on my curtain.
(etc.)
This old man, he played fourteen,
He played knick-knack in the autumn.
(etc.)
This old man, he played fifteen,
He collects bronze coins marked 'Ich Dien'.
(etc.)
This old man, ten add six,
He played knick-knack on my bricks,
(etc.)
This old man, ten plus seven,
He played knick-knack on my bedding,
(etc.)
This old man, ten plus eight,
He played knick-knack on my slate,
(etc.)
This old man, ten plus nine,
He played knick-knack on my twine.
(etc.)
This old man, ten plus ten,
He played knick-knack once again. (on my pen, on my shin, on my hen)
(etc.)

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Learning from "This Old Man"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "This Old Man" uses 62 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 This Old Man?
The lyrics to This Old Man are: This old man, he played one, / He played knick-knack on my thumb. (on a drum, on my tongue) / With a knick-knack, paddy whack, / Give a dog a bone, / This old man came rolling home. / This old man, he played two, ... Read the full 62-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does This Old Man have?
"This Old Man" has 62 lines of verse.

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