Marching Song Lyrics
Four children stage a parade round the house and village with a comb for music, a drum, and a napkin tied to a stick for a flag. The commander calls it a day at the end and leads everyone home.
Marching Song
Bring the comb and play upon it!
Marching, here we come!
Willie cocks his highland bonnet,
Johnnie beats the drum.
Mary Jane commands the party,
Peter leads the rear;
Feet in time, alert and hearty,
Each a Grenadier!
All in the most martial manner
Marching double-quick;
While the napkin, like a banner,
Waves upon the stick!
Here's enough of fame and pillage,
Great commander Jane!
Now that we've been round the village,
Let's go home again.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/marching-song/
- Type
- Poems for Children, Action Songs
- Written by
- Robert Louis Stevenson
- Tune
- A brisk march in two-beat time, loud on the drum line
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Marching, here we come! | March on the spot, lifting your knees. |
| Johnnie beats the drum | Pat your thighs or the floor in a steady beat. |
| While the napkin, like a banner, waves upon the stick | Hold an imaginary pole and wave it overhead. |
What Does Marching Song Mean?
The poem is a parade made out of things found around the house. The band is a comb: wrap a piece of paper over the teeth and hum against it and it buzzes like a tiny horn. The drum is a real or pretend drum, the flag is a napkin tied to a stick, and Willie wears a highland bonnet, a soft cap from the Scottish Highlands.
Some of the words are borrowed from real armies on purpose, which is the joke. Martial means military, double-quick means very fast, and a Grenadier is a soldier in a smart, tall regiment, so every child is made into one. In the last verse the commander says there has been enough of fame and pillage, meaning enough glory and plunder, and orders everyone home. The big words and the small march are what make it funny.
History and Origin
Robert Louis Stevenson published the poem in 1885. The four children in it are Willie, Johnnie, Mary Jane and Peter, and in the last verse the march has been round the village.
Learning Activities
- Comb band: wrap paper round a comb and hum into it, then march with the new band.
- Napkin banner: tie a napkin to a ruler or a wooden spoon and carry it at the front of the parade.
- Who leads? let each child take a turn as commander and call the order to march, stop or turn round.
- Parade route: march round the room or garden and come home at the last verse, as the poem does.