Goosey Goosey Gander

Have you heard about the poem Goosey Goosey Gander? Well, it is one of the traditional nursery rhymes that are taught in schools all over the world. The song is believed to have some controversial origins but it was published in London in the year 1784 by Gammer Gurton in the Nursery Parnassus. In this article, we are going to talk about the meaning of the nursery rhyme and much more. Children will have fun reading the nursery rhyme with their parents and learning the history of the song.

Goosey Goosey Gander Lyrics

Do you wish to sing the Goosey Goosey Gander rhymes? Well, here we are going to give you the lyrics to the song so that you can sing it with your friends and family. It is an eight-line poem but there were several additions made to the song as well. 

The Male Goose Goes Upstairs

Goosey goosey gander,

Whither shall I wander?

Upstairs and downstairs

And in my lady’s chamber.

There I met an old man

Who wouldn’t say his prayers,

So I took him by his left leg

And threw him down the stair

The above-mentioned song is the improvised version and here we are going to mention the original song as well. 

Goose-a goose-a gander,

Where shall I wander?

Up stairs and down stairs,

In my lady’s chamber;

There you’ll find a cup of sack

And a race of ginger

After improvising the song, there were some additional lyrics added to it after a while. Let us see what those lyrics are. 

The stairs went crack,

He nearly broke his back.

And all the little ducks went,

‘Quack, quack, quack

Meaning of Goosey Goosey Gander Rhymes Lyrics 

This version of the song tells us the story of a male goose who throws an old man down the chambers. In the first verse, the goose is actually wandering here and there. Perhaps, he is looking for something. Then the goose finally reaches his lady’s chamber where he sees an old man. The man refuses to say his prayers and hence is thrown down the stairs. The poem ends in a very abrupt manner and there is no explanation for the behaviour of the male goose. However, it is an entertaining song for kids and they will have fun reading the lyrics and dancing to the rhythm as well. 

The Old Man is Thrown Down The Stairs

Did You Know? 

It is believed that the poem actually is about King Henry VIII and his reign that separated Rome from the English church. The song was apparently used as the propaganda of the protestants against the Catholic church.

Tips for Parents 

Parents can read the Goosey Goosey Gander Whither Shall I Wander poem to their kids and explain the story to them. The poem is divided into 2 distinct parts. The first part describes the male goose going through his home and looking for something upstairs and downstairs. In the second part, the goose goes to his lady’s room and sees the old man ‘refusing to say his prayers’. So, the goose throws him down the stairs. The parents can present the poem in a funny way to their children and make them learn it easily by singing the song.