Hey, Dorolot, Dorolot! Lyrics
Four lines of rhythm and repetition about a bonny boat and a call to drag away, with made-up words that bounce like oars.
Hey, Dorolot, Dorolot!
Hey, dorolot, dorolot!
Hey, dorolay, dorolay!
Hey, my bonny boat, bonny boat,
Hey, drag away, drag away!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/hey-dorolot-dorolot/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Chanted in a steady beat
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Hey, dorolot, dorolot | Rock side to side like a boat. |
| Hey, my bonny boat, bonny boat | Cup your hands together to make a boat. |
| Hey, drag away, drag away | Pull an imaginary rope hand over hand. |
What Does Hey, Dorolot, Dorolot! Mean?
Each line says its main word twice, which gives the chant a steady rolling beat. "Dorolot" and "dorolay" are made-up sounds, there for the swing of the words. Bonny is an old word for pretty or fine, so this is the singer's pretty boat, and "drag away" is a call to keep pulling it along.
Because the lines repeat so much, even very young children can join in on the doubled words, and the beat is easy to keep on a table or a drum.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell prints these four lines in The Nursery Rhymes of England among the short rhymes. He gives no author or date, and the made-up first words are not explained.
The rolling beat makes it sound like a work chant, but nothing in the book says who sang it or where.
Learning Activities
- Row together: sit in pairs, hold hands, and rock back and forth in time to the lines.
- Drum the beat: tap a steady beat on a table while saying the chant.
- Boat craft: make a boat out of a folded piece of paper and sail it in a bowl of water.
- Echo game: one person says each line and the group repeats it.