Behind the Knick-Knack Paddywhack-ing Nursery Rhyme “This Old Man”

With its bouncy, fun rhythms and melodies and strange use of language, the children’s nursery rhyme, “This Old Man,” is one of the most fun to sing and perform with others. It’s also a useful tool to help children learn to count and learn to say numbers.

Here below, let’s dive into the verbiage, the history, and the possible meaning of the verse.

Knick-Knack Paddywhack

Before we dive into the history and the meaning, let’s dive into the lyrics of the traditional rhyme.

This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my thumb;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.

The rhyme continues after the first stanza, for generally nine more. With the number (“one” or “two,” etc.) increasing with each stanza.

This old man, he played two,
He played knick-knack on my shoe;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played three,
He played knick-knack on my knee;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.

Each stanza includes a different object on which the “old man” played his game. Other objects include door (for four), hive (for five), sticks (for six), heaven (for seven), gate (for eight), spine (for nine), and “he played knick-knack once again” (for ten). See the full lyrics here.

The Origins and Meaning

While it is unclear who wrote the traditional rhyme (or if it even came from one person), one version appears in British folk song collector Anne Gilchrist’s work, Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, in 1937. The song, under the title “Jack Jintle,” was learned from her Welsh nurse in 1870, according to the book, Early Childhood Themes Through the Year, by authors Debbie Thompson and Darlene Hardwick.

There is also another version of the song that comes from the work, English Folk-Songs for Schools, which was published in 1906 by Cecil Sharp and Sabine Baring-Gould.

The song has little meaning beyond some fun nonsense language and a desire to teach children the value of counting. The lesson, of course, is numbers. But the sugar around that pill, so to speak, is the song and funk verbiage.

Liverpool

British novelist, known for his sea stories, Nicholas Monsarrat wrote in his autobiography, Life Is a Four Letter Word, that the song was a “Liverpool song,” referencing the town that would later birth the Beatles. The song, Monsarrat said, was “local and original” during his upbringing in the now-famed British working-class town.

Other Versions

Of course, throughout history, people have learned the song, passed it on, and changed it over the years. Iconic kid’s performer, Raffi, sings the song like this, for example,

This old man, he plays one
He plays one on his old drum, oh yes, yes-yes, uh-huh
Well, he plays one on his old drum, uh-huh

This old man, he plays two
He plays two on his kazoo, oh yes, yes-yes, uh-huh
He plays two on his kazoo, uh-huh

This old man, he plays three
He plays three on his ukulele, uh-huh, yes, yes, uh-huh
He plays three on his ukulele, uh huh
Hear him play!

Others, like folk artists Pete Seeger and Ruth Crawford, recorded a rendition of the song in 1953 for their album, American Folk Songs for Children. Fans can see that banjo-driven song HERE. The song was also used for the movie, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, from 1958. Composer Malcolm Arnold called it “The Children’s Machine Song.”

Final Thoughts

As noted above, the song is one used to teach children how to count. Using fun rhythms, interesting language, and vivid imagery, the song works. And has been fundamental for learning for some 100 years.

But perhaps the best test of the song is to take its structure and make your own out of it. What else could rhyme with the numbers one-ten? You can make the song yours.

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