Nursery Rhyme, England (U.K.)
“Pop! Goes the Weasel” is an English nursery rhyme and singing game. A music sheet acquired by the British Library in 1853 describes a dance, “Pop! Goes the Weasel”, as “An Old English Dance, as performed at Her Majesty’s & The Nobilities Balls, with the Original Music”. The song is often used in Jack-in-the-box toys.
The song seems to have crossed the Atlantic in the 1850s where U.S. newspapers soon afterwards call it “the latest English dance”, and the phrase “Pop! goes the weasel” soon took hold.
Sing-Along Video
Lyrics
1. ‘Round and ’round the cobbler’s bench
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought ’twas all in fun
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
2. A half a pound of tupenny rice,
A half a pound of treacle.
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
3. Up and down the London road,
In and out of the Eagle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
4. I’ve no time to plead and pine,
I’ve no time to wheedle,
Kiss me quick and then I’m gone
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
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Free karaoke MP3 download
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“Pop! Goes the Weasel” (instrumental, 1:41 – 6/8 – 162 bpm)
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MP4 Video File | Free Download
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Pop! Goes the Weasel | Free mp4 Video File Download
Sheet music with chords
To save this free music sheet of “Pop! Goes the Weasel” to your computer, right click (or tap and hold, on mobile devices) and choose “Save Image As…”.
Free Printable PDF with Lyrics and Sheet Music
To download a ready-to-print PDF of this song for music activities with a music sheet, lyrics and a drawing for kids to paint, right click (or tap and hold) on the following link, then choose “Save link as…”.
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Teaching idea and activities
Dramatize the song following the lyrics of the four stanzas:
Find a movement for the first four verses, or ask a child to improvise one, and then make a circle and dance altogether to the chorus. For the next stanza another one child takes the first role and after his dramatization we dance altogether again.
Some ideas coming from keywords:
1. “…monkey chased the weasel…thought ’twas all in fun” – the child chases an invisible weasel and at the end he/she is having fun.
2. “…half a pound … half a pound …mix it up” – balance, like weighing, half at one hand, half at the other one, and then mix them up.
3. “…up and down the London road” – walk up and down an imaginary road.
4. “…I’ve no time…kiss me quick” – show with your index finger that you have no time and turn your cheek asking for a kiss.
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