It's Raining, It's Pouring Lyrics
Rain on the window and someone asleep in the next room: two lines are all it takes. This is the short version printed in 1912, before the rhyme grew the extra lines many children sing today.
It's Raining, It's Pouring
It's raining, it's pouring,
The old man is snoring.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/its-raining-its-pouring/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Sung to the same chant as Rain, Rain, Go Away
- Best for ages
- 1 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| It's raining, it's pouring | Wiggle your fingers downward like falling rain. |
| The old man is snoring | Rest your head on your hands and make a loud snoring sound. |
What Does It's Raining, It's Pouring Mean?
The rain is so heavy that nobody wants to go out, and the old man of the house has dozed off through it. Pouring means raining very hard. Children like the snoring noise more than anything else in it.
History and Origin
This two-line version is from The Little Mother Goose (1912), a picture book illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. Later in the twentieth century, extra lines were added about the old man going to bed, and that longer version is the one most American children know now. It is usually sung on the same falling two notes as Rain, Rain, Go Away.
Learning Activities
- Rain sounds: tap fingers on a table for drizzle, then palms for pouring rain.
- Window watch: say it while watching real rain, and count the drops racing down the glass.
- Snore contest: who can make the silliest snore on the second line?