Milk-Man, Milk-Man, Where Have You Been? Lyrics
A milkman is asked where he has been and answers that he was up to his chin in Buttermilk Channel, spilt his milk and got an icicle on his nose.
Milk-Man, Milk-Man, Where Have You Been?
Milk-man, milk-man, where have you been?
In Buttermilk channel up to my chin,
I spilt my milk, and I spoilt my clothes,
And got a long icicle hung to my nose.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/milk-man-milk-man-where-have-you-been/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken as a question and answer
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| where have you been? | Lift your palms and tilt your head as if asking. |
| up to my chin | Hold your hand flat under your chin. |
| a long icicle hung to my nose | Point a finger down from your nose like an icicle. |
What Does Milk-Man, Milk-Man, Where Have You Been? Mean?
The first line asks a question, and the next three lines are the milkman's answer. He has been in Buttermilk channel up to his chin, he spilt his milk, he spoilt his clothes, and a long icicle was left hanging from his nose. Taken together it is a funny picture of a very bad, very cold morning.
The end words chime in pairs, been with chin, and clothes with nose. Children can act it out as a short two-person scene, one as the questioner and one as the milkman.
History and Origin
The rhyme is printed in The Only True Mother Goose Melodies, published in Boston in 1833, without a title.
Buttermilk Channel, named in the second line, is a strait in New York Harbor between Brooklyn and Governors Island.
Learning Activities
- Question and answer: act it out in pairs, one child asking and one answering.
- Icicle craft: make an icicle from foil or white paper and hang it up to watch it sparkle.
- Milk talk: talk about where milk comes from and how it reaches the door.
- Cold day picture: draw the milkman with his spilt bottles.