I Went Up One Pair of Stairs Lyrics
One player describes climbing the stairs, and the other answers "just like me" every time. Then comes the last line, and the second player realizes they have just called themselves a monkey.
I Went Up One Pair of Stairs
I went up one pair of stairs.
Just like me.
I went up two pair of stairs.
Just like me.
I went into a room.
Just like me.
I looked out of a window.
Just like me.
And there I saw a monkey.
Just like me.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/i-went-up-one-pair-of-stairs/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken two-voice rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does I Went Up One Pair of Stairs Mean?
The first player tells a little story: up the stairs, into a room, looking out of a window. The second player has to answer "just like me" after every line. When the first player says "and there I saw a monkey", the answer "just like me" turns into a joke against the person saying it. A pair of stairs is an old way of saying a flight of stairs.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed the rhyme with the lines numbered 1 and 2 for the two speakers. Trick rhymes that lead a friend into a funny answer have been played in playgrounds for generations, and children still love catching each other out.
Learning Activities
- Play it: agree that one person always answers "just like me", then spring the last line.
- New endings: swap the monkey for something else silly, like a penguin or a teapot.
- Two voices: use a different voice for each player.