The Farmer in the Dell

The Farmer in the Dell - lyrics and music

The Farmer in the Dell is a funny and very popular nursery rhyme and "singing game". This rhyme is almost 200 years old. It was written in Germany, but it is also very popular in USA. That is probably because it was taken to New York by German immigrants.

As a singing game: One person is picked out to be "the farmer". Then the other players form a circle around "the farmer", holding hands. Then they go dancing and singing around the farmer. On "the farmer takes a wife", the farmer chooses one person from the circle to dance with him (or her). On "the wife takes a child", the wife chooses another person to dance with her (or him). Then the "farmer" goes back into the circle. And so on...
The person who is chosen as "the cheese" stands alone in the end.

The farmer in the dell The farmer in the dell Hi-ho, the derry-o The farmer in the dell The farmer takes a wife The farmer takes a wife Hi-ho, the derry-o The farmer takes a wife The wife takes a child The wife takes a child Hi-ho, the derry-o The wife takes a child The child takes a nurse The child takes a nurse Hi-ho, the derry-o The child takes a nurse The nurse takes a cow The nurse takes a cow Hi-ho, the derry-o The nurse takes a cow The cow takes a dog The cow takes a dog Hi-ho, the derry-o The cow takes a dog The dog takes a cat The dog takes a cat Hi-ho, the derry-o The dog takes a cat The cat takes a mouse (or rat) The cat takes a mouse Hi-ho, the derry-o The cat takes a mouse The mouse takes the cheese The mouse takes the cheese Hi-ho, the derry-o The mouse takes the cheese The cheese stands alone The cheese stands alone Hi-Ho, the derry-o The cheese stands alone