Cock a doodle doo
Cock a doodle doo,
My dame has lost her shoe,
My master’s lost his fiddling stick,
And doesn’t know what to do;
And doesn’t know what to do;
And doesn’t know what to do;
My master’s lost his fiddling stick,
And doesn’t know what to do.
~~~~~
Cock a doodle doo,
What is my dame to do?
Till master’s found his fiddling stick,
She’ll dance without her shoe;
She’ll dance without her shoe;
She’ll dance without her shoe;
Till master’s found his fiddling stick,
She’ll dance without her shoe.
~~~~~
Cock a doodle do,
My dame has found her shoe,
And master’s found his fiddling stick -
Sing doodle doodle doo;
Sing doodle doodle do;
Sing doodle doodle doo;
My master’s found his fiddling stick -
Sing doodle doodle doo.
~~~~~
Cock a doodle doo,
My dame will dance with you,
While master fiddles his fiddling stick,
For dame and doodle doo;
For dame and doodle doo;
For dame and doodle doo;
While master fiddles his fiddling stick,
For dame and doodle doo;
Origin
The earliest version of this rhyme appeared in 1765 although just the first four lines. The other verses were added later, probably in the 19th century.
It is supposed to have a gruesome origin starting with a young girl witnessing the murder of her three year old brother. To stop her talking the murderer cut her tongue out.
Some years later she was being teased by local children – known as ‘mocking the cock’ – with the words, ‘Cock a doodle dooe, Peggy hath lost her shoe.’
Encouraged by a friend she tried to say the words back to them and miraculously did so. This story was published in a pamphlet in 1606.