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Oklahoma Agriculture in the Classroom

Songs and Poems



Goats & Sheep

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for my master, and one for my dame
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.


Bill Grogan's Goat

There was a man (There was a man)
Now please take note (Now please take note)
There was a man (There was a man)
Who had a goat (Who had a goat)
He loved that goat (He loved that goat)
Indeed he did (Indeed he did)
He loved that goat (He loved that goat)
Just like a kid (Just like a kid)
One day that goat (One day that goat)
Felt frisk and fine (Felt frisk and fine)
Ate three red shirts (Ate three red shirts)
Right off the line (Right off the line)
The man, he grabbed (The man, he grabbed)
Him by the back (Him by the back)
And tied him to (And tied him to)
A railroad track (A railroad track)
Now, when that train (Now, when that train)
Hove into sight (Hove into sight)
That goat grew pale (That goat grew pale)
And green with fright (And green with fright)
He heaved a sigh (He heaved a sigh)
As if in pain (As if in pain)
Coughed up those shirts (Coughed up those shirts)
And flagged the train! (And flagged the train!)


The Darby Ram

Part of an old British winter ritual, "The Darby Tup," this song was performed by five or six singers going house to house at Christmastime. This was George Washington's favorite song.
As I was going to Darby,
Twas on a market day.
I saw the biggest ram, sir
That ever was fed on hay.
That ram was fat behind, sir,
That ram was fat before.
It measured six yards round, sir,
And I think it was no more.
The horns upon its head, sir,
As high as a man can reach.
And there they built a pulpit,
The Quakers for to preach.
The hair upon its belly,
It reached to the ground
And sold in Darby town, sir,
For forty-seven pound.
Indeed, sir, and it's true, sir,
I've never been known to lie.
And if you'd been to Darby,
You'd seen it as well as I.


Little Bo-Peep

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep, and cannot tell where to find them;
Let them along, and they'll come home, and bring their tails behind them.
Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep, and dreamt she heard them bleating;
But when she awoke, she found it was false, for they were still a-fleetin
Then up she took her little crook, determined for to find them,
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed, for they'd left their tails behind 'em.
It happened one day, as Bo-Peep did stray into a meadow hard by,
There she espied their tails side by side, all hung on a tree to dry.
She heaved a sigh and wiped her eye, then went o'er hill and dale-o,
And did what she could, as a shepherdess should, to tack to each sheep its tail-o.


Little Boy Blue

Little boy blue,
Come blow your horn,
The sheep's in the meadow,
The cow's in the corn.
But where is the boy
Who looks after the sheep?
He's under a haystack,
Fast asleep.


Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
And ev'rywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went
Ev'rywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day,
School one day, school one day.
It followed her to school one day,
which was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play,
Laugh and play, laugh and play.
It made the children laugh and play,
to see a lamb at school.
And so the teacher turned it out,
Turned it out, turned it out.
And so the teacher turned it out
But still it lingered near.
And waited patiently about,
Patiently, patiently
And waited patiently about,
'Till Mary did appear.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
Mary so, Mary so.
"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
The eager children cry.
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know!"
Lamb you know, lamb you know.
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know!"
The teacher did reply.


Mary Had a William Goat

Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb
Oh, Mary had a William goat, William goat, William goat, Mary had a William goat, And he was lined with zinc.
He followed her to school one day, School one day, school one day, He followed her to school one day, And drank a pint of ink.
Oh, whoop-de-doo-den-doo-den-doo, Doo-de-doo, doo-de-doo, Whoop-de-doo-den-doo-den-doo, Doo-de-doo-de-doo.
Oh, once he ate an oyster can, Oyster can, oyster can, Once he ate an oyster can, Also a line of shirts.
The shirts can do no harm inside, Harm inside, harm inside, The shirts can do no harm inside, But oh! The oyster can!
Oh, whoop-de-doo-den-doo-den-doo, Doo-de-doo, doo-de-doo, Whoop-de-doo-den-doo-den-doo, Doo-de-doo-de-doo.


Old McDonald Had a Goat

(Have students work in groups to make up their own verses of this alternative version of Old McDonald. Students can also play Barnyard Bingo.
Old McDonald had a goat,
It ate his winter overcoat.
Old McDonald had a sheep,
It ate his big, red, four-wheeled jeep.
Old McDonald had a cat,
It ate his furry, winter hat.
Old McDonald had a goose,
It ate his can of apple juice.
Old McDonald had a duck,
It ate his new, green, pick-up truck.
Old McDonald had a cow,
It ate ten bags of puppy chow.
Old McDonald had a horse,
It ate his rubber boots, of course.
Old McDonald had a pig,
It ate his sister's brand-new wig.
Old McDonald had a dog,
It ate the farmer's catalogue.


Sheep Shearing

How delightful to see
In the evenings in spring,
The sheep going home to the fold.
The master does sing
As he views everything
And his dog goes before him when told.
The sixth month of the year,
In the month called June,
When the weather's too hot
to be borne,
The master doth say
As he goes on his way,
Tomorrow my sheep shall be shorn.
Now as for those sheep,
They're delightful to see,
They're a blessing to man on his farm.
For their flesh, it is good,
It's the best of all food.
And the wool it will clothe us up warm.
Now the sheep they're all shorn,
And the wool carried home.
Here's a health to our master and flock.
And if we should stay
Till the last goes away,
I'm afraid twill be past twelve o'clock.