Johnny Rover Lyrics
One child, Johnny Rover, shouts a three-time warning to the others and then chases them, and whoever he catches first becomes Rover for the next game.
Johnny Rover
A warn ye ance, A warn you twice;
A warn ye three times over;
A warn ye a' t' be witty an' wise
An flee fae Johnny Rover.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/johnny-rover/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Called out loudly by Rover
- Best for ages
- 5 to 10 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| A warn ye ance | Hold up one finger. |
| A warn you twice | Hold up two fingers. |
| flee fae Johnny Rover | Run away from the chaser. |
What Does Johnny Rover Mean?
The words are Scots for "I warn you once, I warn you twice, I warn you three times over: I warn you all to be witty and wise and flee from Johnny Rover." They are the countdown before a chase.
While Rover calls, the other players get ready. When he finishes, they scatter in all directions with Rover after them. A tired player can run to Parley, the place where everyone started, which is a safe spot in all such games. The first player caught before reaching it becomes Rover for the next game.
History and Origin
Alice Bertha Gomme prints the game in The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1894) and credits it to Keith through the Rev. W. Gregor. Her entry also gives the other spelling of the first word, "I warn ye ance".
The book does not give a date for the game or say who first made up the warning.
Learning Activities
- Play the chase: mark a safe place called Parley and play outside.
- Scots practice: learn the Scots words and then say the warning in modern English.
- Rotate Rover: let each child call the warning in their own voice.
- Count the warnings: notice how the warning grows once, twice, three times over.