Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Lyrics
Silver bells and cockle shells are not what most gardens grow, which is exactly the joke. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary has been in print since the 1740s.
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle-shells,
And pretty maids all of a row.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/mary-mary-quite-contrary/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- First published
- c. 1744
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 2 to 6 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Mary, Mary, quite contrary | Fold your arms and shake your head, being contrary. |
| How does your garden grow? | Crouch down, then slowly grow up tall like a plant. |
| With silver bells and cockle shells | Ring pretend bells, then cup your hands like a shell. |
| And pretty maids all of a row | Stand in a line and bow. |
What Does Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Mean?
"Contrary" means someone who likes to do the opposite of what is expected. Mary's garden is contrary too: instead of vegetables it grows bells, shells and a row of flowers or maids.
Many people say the rhyme is secretly about Mary, Queen of Scots, or Queen Mary I, with the bells and shells as symbols. These stories were suggested long after the rhyme appeared, and none can be proven.
History and Origin
An early version appeared in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book around 1744, with different words. The version we know today settled in the late 1700s and has been in nursery rhyme books ever since.
Learning Activities
- Plant a garden: grow a seed in a cup and sing the rhyme as it sprouts.
- Shell hunt: collect shells or pictures of shells and line them up in a row.
- Opposites: talk about what contrary means and play an opposites game.