“What Are Little Girls Made of?” is a popular nursery rhyme from England often to be found under the title “What Are Little Boys Made Of?”. It dates back to the 19th century and according to some it is attributed to the English poet Robert Southey (1774–1843). In a manuscript of his a longer version of the song was found with 13 verses describing what babies, men, women, sailors, soldiers etc. are made of.
The song has a controversial interpretation as one could say it promotes gender rivalry; this however has not proved to be a limiting factor to gaining timeless popularity – although in modern versions the boys’ verse is often omitted. The song is commonly found in Mother Goose nursery rhyme collections. Furthermore, one of the episodes of the science fiction series Star Trek is named after its title.
On this page you can find Lyrics, a Printable Lyrics PDF file for free Download and two Sing-along videos of the song, a slower and a faster one.
Contents
Printable Lyrics PDF
Click on the button to download a PDF file with lyrics to this song for free.
Lyrics – Short version
What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails,
And puppy-dogs’ tails;
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice,
And all that’s nice;
That’s what little girls are made of.
Lyrics – Long version
What are little babies made of, made of?
What are little babies made of?
Diapers and crumbs and sucking their thumbs;
That’s what little babies are made of?
What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails;
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice and everything nice;
That’s what little girls are made of.
What are young men made of, made of?
What are young men made of?
Sighs and leers and crocodile tears;
That’s what young men are made of.
What are young women made of, made of?
What are young women made of?
Rings and jings and other fine things;
That’s what young women are made of.
What are our sailors made of, made of?
What are our sailors made of?
Pitch and tar, pig-tail and scar;
That’s what our sailors are made of.
What are our soldiers made of, made of?
What are our soldiers made of?
Pipeclay and drill, the foeman to kill;
That’s what our soldiers are made of.
What are our nurses made of, made of?
What are our nurses made of?
Bushes and thorns and old cow’s horns;
That’s what our nurses are made of.
What are our fathers made of, made of?
What are our fathers made of?
Pipes and smoke and collars choke;
That’s what our fathers are made of.
What are our mothers made of, made of?
What are our mothers made of?
Ribbons and laces and sweet pretty faces;
That’s what our mothers are made of.
What are old men made of, made of?
What are old men made of?
Slippers that flop and a bald-headed top;
That’s what old men are made of.
What are old women made of, made of?
What are old women made of?
Reels, and jeels, and old spinning wheels;
That’s what old women are made of?
What are all folks made of, made of?
What are all folks made of?
Fighting a spot and loving a lot,
That’s what all folks are made of.
Sing-along Video (slower version)
Sing-along Animated Video (faster version)
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