Lazy Mary, Will You Get Up Lyrics
"No, mother, I won't get up." Most parents have heard that line at seven in the morning. In this old ring game, one child plays sleepy Mary and the circle keeps trying to tempt her out of bed.
Lazy Mary, Will You Get Up
"Lazy Mary, will you get up,
Will you get up, will you get up,
Will you get up to-day?"
"What will you give me for my breakfast,
If I get up, if I get up,
If I get up to-day?"
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/lazy-mary-will-you-get-up/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Traditional (usually the Mulberry Bush tune today)
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Lazy Mary, will you get up | Mary lies curled up in the middle; the circle walks around her. |
| What will you give me for my breakfast | Mary sits up, stretches and asks the question. |
| If I get up today? | The circle stops and names a food; Mary decides whether to get up. |
What Does Lazy Mary, Will You Get Up Mean?
The circle sings the first verse as Mary's mother, and Mary answers with the second. The mother offers a slice of bread and a cup of tea, and Mary says, "No, mother, I won't get up." The same happens at dinner time. The game goes on, meal after meal, until an offer finally tempts her out of bed, and the whole ring claps.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell collected the song for Games and Songs of American Children, first published in 1883, and noted that the round was "familiar in New York streets". He also mentioned a matching English song on the same idea. Today it is usually sung to the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, often with the extra line "so early in the morning".
Learning Activities
- Wake-up song: sing it at the bedroom door on slow mornings. A silly offer ("a plate of worms?") often gets a laugh and a yes.
- Menu game: the circle names a different food each round, and Mary refuses until she hears her favorite.
- Stretch it out: Mary has to stretch, yawn and rub her eyes before answering, which is great acting practice for small children.