"The Muffin Man" is a traditional nursery rhyme and singing game dating back to the early 19th century in England. The poem, first recorded in 1820, tells the story of a muffin man from Drury Lane, an overpopulated area of London where poverty, brothels, gambling and criminality abounded. The key takeaways after reading this poem will be:
Muffin Man Poem Lyrics
Do you know the Muffin Man
An Overview of the Poem
This poem was first written in 1820, and it is about a muffin man working on Drury Lane in London's West End. Poor Victorians spent very long hours at work, usually working twelve hours a day with Sundays off. So they only had a little time left for cooking! Because of this, many people choose to buy their food from various street sellers.
Muffin Man was just one of these, selling muffins and crumpets at low prices. Healthy food was expensive, so many families relied on heavy foods like bread and muffins to fill them up. Other street sellers sold fried fish, pea soup, baked potatoes, and meat pies. Street sellers can still be found today throughout London and many other cities. If you were a street seller, which food would you like to make and sell? Let us see the muffin song lyrics.
Drury Lane, London
Do You Know the Muffin Man?
In rhyme, muffins are a type of bread, not the fluffy cake we commonly understand as 'muffins' today. In Victorian times, they were a cheap and popular food often eaten by workers who did not earn much. They are still sold in many supermarkets today. Have you ever eaten muffins? Many people like to eat them at the time of breakfast.
The 'Muffin Man' used to bring muffins and crumpets from a local baker and sell them at a profit. He roamed the streets of London selling his muffins to people for half a penny, and he could even deliver them to wealthy homes.
In 1861, Henry Mayhew travelled around London, documenting everything people did. He printed his notes in a book entitled 'London Labour and the London Poor and included a section about street sellers. Mayhew said that most of the 'muffin men' were either the young sons of bakers or older men who were once bakers. There are few girls in business but very few women.
To sell their muffins, these vendors used to ring bells loudly to attract the attention of the people in the streets. Mayhew explains how 'muffin bells’ still ring in the streets. What will you do to attract customers if you sell food on the street? Ring the bell, sing a song, or maybe even dance?
The Muffin Man
The Muffin Man Lyrics
"Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, muffin man,
Do you know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?
Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, muffin man,
Yes, I know the muffin man,
Who lives in Drury Lane."
The Muffin Man Song Lyrics
Solved Questions
1. Write True or False.
The muffin man lives in Bakery Lane. - False.
A muffin man is a street seller who sells muffins and crumpets. - True.
A muffin man sells his muffins at a loss. - False.
Summary
The Muffin Man in Rhyme lives on Drury Lane, London. In the 18th century, it was an impoverished area and had bad conditions. Because of this, they can't afford healthy food. Instead, they buy muffins which are available at low prices. The muffin man may have sold his muffins to many people who live and work nearby.
Learning by Doing
Kids Activity
Food vendors on the streets of London often shouted catchy idioms to attract customers. Pretend you are a street vendor and create catchy slogans to sell your food like hotcakes! You can also design your attractive sign to attract customers.
FAQs on The Muffin Man
1. What is the meaning of the "Muffin''?
The Muffin means a small piece of sweet bread which is quickly made of batter.
2. What is Drury Lane in London?
Drury Lane is a road on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London.
3. What is the French word which means the same as a muffin?
The word muffin is derived from the word 'moufflet', French. The term is often used for bread and other baked soft foods. However, muffins do not originate from France. Muffins are British and American specialities.
"The Muffin Man" is a traditional nursery rhyme and singing game dating back to the early 19th century in England. The poem, first recorded in 1820, tells the story of a muffin man from Drury Lane, an overpopulated area of London where poverty, brothels, gambling and criminality abounded. The key takeaways after reading this poem will be:
Muffin Man Poem Lyrics
Do you know the Muffin Man
