Here Come Three Old Bachelors Lyrics
Three old bachelors walk in a row looking for wives; the ring opens to take one in, and the last four lines give advice for married life.
Here Come Three Old Bachelors
Here come three old bachelors,
Walking in a row,
Seeking wives, and can't find 'em;
So open the ring, and take one in.
Now you're married, you must obey;
You must be true to all you say;
You must be kind, you must be good,
And help your wife to chop the wood.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/here-come-three-old-bachelors/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung walking in a line, with the ring opening on the fourth line
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Here come three old bachelors, walking in a row | Three children walk in a line round the outside of the ring. |
| So open the ring, and take one in | The children in the ring raise their joined hands to make a gap. |
| You must be kind, you must be good | Nod and smile at the child who has joined in. |
What Does Here Come Three Old Bachelors Mean?
A bachelor is a man who has not married. The three walk in a row, looking for wives and not finding them, so the ring opens and takes one in. The last four lines are spoken to the new partner: now you are married, you must obey, be true to your word, and be kind and good.
The last line, help your wife to chop the wood, is a household chore. In an old marriage formula, obey was part of the promise, and the game uses the same pattern as other ring games that end with a marriage.
History and Origin
Alice Bertha Gomme prints the rhyme in the second volume of The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1898), sent from Earls Heaton, Yorkshire, by Herbert Hardy.
Hardy suggests it is a variant of See the Farmer Sow His Seed, but Gomme notes that it more nearly resembles Silly Old Man, while the marriage formula is the one in Oats and Beans.
Learning Activities
- Open the ring: walk in a line outside a ring of friends and have them raise their arms to let one child in.
- Helpful jobs: talk about chores that a family shares, such as stacking wood or tidying up.
- Bachelors, wives and husbands: explain the old words and ask which ones children have heard before.