Oh, Who Is So Merry, So Merry, Heigh Ho! Lyrics
A fairy dances to the sound of his wings, drinks nectar from a primrose, and turns night into noon, all in three bouncing verses.
Oh, Who Is So Merry, So Merry, Heigh Ho!
Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-hearted fairy, heigh ho! heigh ho!
He dances and sings
To the sound of his wings,
With a hey and a heigh and a ho!
Oh, who is so merry, so airy, heigh ho!
As the light-hearted fairy, heigh ho! heigh ho!
His nectar he sips
From a primrose's lips,
With a hey and a heigh and a ho!
Oh, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-footed fairy, heigh ho! heigh ho!
His night is the noon
And his sun is the moon,
With a hey and a heigh and a ho!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/oh-who-is-so-merry-so-merry-heigh-ho/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Sung or chanted lightly, with a skip on each heigh ho
- Best for ages
- 3 to 7 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| He dances and sings | Twirl on tiptoe with your arms out. |
| To the sound of his wings | Flutter your hands beside your shoulders. |
| His nectar he sips | Lift a pretend flower to your lips and sip. |
What Does Oh, Who Is So Merry, So Merry, Heigh Ho! Mean?
Each verse starts with the same question, who is so merry?, and answers it with a light-hearted fairy. In the first verse the fairy dances and sings to the sound of his own wings. In the second he sips nectar, the sweet liquid found inside flowers, from a primrose.
In the third verse the fairy turns the world upside down: his night is the noon and his sun is the moon. He is awake and playing when it is dark, so the night is as bright to him as midday. The cheerful chorus, with a hey and a heigh and a ho, ends every verse.
History and Origin
The song appears in National Rhymes of the Nursery. Unlike many nursery verses, it has three full verses with the same shape, so children can learn the tune once and sing all three.
Learning Activities
- Fairy dance: dance round the room with paper wings, and freeze when the singing stops.
- Primrose picture: draw or paint a primrose and a tiny fairy sipping from it.
- Night and noon: talk about why the moon shines at night, and draw a fairy playing under it.
- Sing the chorus: let the whole group join in on the hey, heigh and ho at the end of each verse.