Come Dance a Jig Lyrics
An invitation to dance a jig for Granny's pig, with the cat playing the music. Six bouncy lines with a nonsense chorus.
Come Dance a Jig
Come dance a jig
To my Granny's pig,
With a raudy, rowdy, dowdy;
Come dance a jig
To my Granny's pig,
And pussy-cat shall crowdy.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/come-dance-a-jig/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Action Songs
- Tune
- Chanted, with a jig step
- Best for ages
- 2 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Come dance a jig | Hop from foot to foot. |
| To my Granny's pig | Make a pig snout with one finger on your nose. |
| With a raudy, rowdy, dowdy | Clap fast three times. |
| And pussy-cat shall crowdy | Play a pretend fiddle. |
What Does Come Dance a Jig Mean?
A jig is a quick, bouncy folk dance. Raudy, rowdy, dowdy is nonsense that keeps the beat. The crowd was an old stringed instrument, an early kind of fiddle, so "pussy-cat shall crowdy" probably means the cat will play the music, just like the fiddling cat in Hey Diddle Diddle.
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in James Orchard Halliwell's The Nursery Rhymes of England. Animals that dance and play music are a favorite joke in old nursery rhymes.
Learning Activities
- Jig time: put on some fiddle music and jig around the room.
- Animal band: choose an instrument for each farm animal.
- Fast and slow: say it slowly, then as fast as you can while dancing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a jig?
A quick, bouncy folk dance.
What does crowdy mean?
Probably to play the crowd, an old kind of fiddle.