There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly Song is the amazing rhyme and song for kids. Three versions of this song were made in December 1947. In the later years in 1953, it was released on Brunswick Records and it was sung by Burl Ives.

It is a repetitive rhyme which further helps the kids in recitation. This song helps the kids in learning the name of animals as well. Read and sing along! Also, read The Queen Of Hearts.

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – perhaps she’ll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a spider;
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her!
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a bird;
How absurd to swallow a bird!
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider;
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her!
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a cat;
Fancy that she swallowed a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider;
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her!
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!

There was an old lady that swallowed a dog;
What a hog, to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider;
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her!
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a goat;
She just opened her throat and swallowed a goat!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider;
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her!
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a cow;
I don’t know how she swallowed a cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat,
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider;
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her!
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don’t know why she swallowed a fly – Perhaps she’ll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a horse;
She’s dead, of course!

Summary:

The song tells the story of an old woman who swallowed increasingly large animals, each to catch the previously swallowed animal. As she eats animals one by one, they are more likely to cause the woman’s death. The last sentence brings the child back to a rational understanding that the old lady is, in fact, dead of course as physically this is impossible making the place for children’s amusement and laughter. You may also like to read, The Grand Old Duke Of York.