Green Grow the Rushes, O! Lyrics
Chairs are set in a circle, one player sings an invitation to sit beside them, and the players waiting to be picked answer with a rhyme of their own.
Green Grow the Rushes, O!
Green grow the rushes, O!
Green grow the rushes, O!
He who will my true love be,
Come and sit by the side of me.
Pick and choose, but choose not me,
Choose the fairest you can see.
More verses from the original
Green grow the rushes, O!
Green grow the rushes, O!
He who will my true love be,
Come and sit by the side of me.
Pick and choose, but choose not me,
Choose the fairest you can see.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/green-grow-the-rushes-o/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung or chanted
- Best for ages
- 5 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Come and sit by the side of me | Pat the empty chair next to you. |
| Pick and choose, but choose not me | Shake your head and hold your hands up, then point around the ring. |
What Does Green Grow the Rushes, O! Mean?
This is a partner-choosing game, played with chairs set in a circle. Rushes are tall green plants that grow at the edge of ponds and streams. In the game, children on every second chair leave the seat beside them empty. One of them sings the first verse and invites another child to come and sit there, and the players waiting to be chosen sing the second verse. When everyone has been picked, the ring is full.
The words say "true love", which in old songs just means a friend or sweetheart, so a teacher can swap the word if it feels odd for the group. The same opening words are used for a different counting song about the numbers one to twelve, but that is a separate tune and game.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell describes the game in Games and Songs of American Children, which first came out in 1883. He says it was played in eastern Massachusetts "about the beginning of the century", and that young people used it at winter-evening gatherings to choose partners for the ring.
He saw it as one of several old English partner-choosing games that crossed the ocean with settlers. It was popular enough in New England that the words were remembered for generations, although the game faded as indoor party games changed.
Learning Activities
- Chair circle: place chairs in a ring, leave every second one empty, and play the game with a class or a party.
- Friendly words: try changing the second line to "come and sit down next to me" for younger children.
- Pond walk: find rushes beside a pond and compare them to grass.