Ride Away, Ride Away Lyrics
Sit your child on your knee and set off at a trot. Johnny is riding to see his grandmother, with a cat on one side and a little dog on the other.
Ride Away, Ride Away
Ride away, ride away,
Johnny shall ride,
And he shall have pussy-cat
Tied to one side;
And he shall have little dog
Tied to the other,
And Johnny shall ride
To see his grandmother.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/ride-away-ride-away/
- Type
- Mother Goose, Action Songs
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 1 to 4 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Ride away, ride away | Bounce your child gently on your knees. |
| And he shall have pussy-cat tied to one side | Lean a little to one side. |
| And he shall have little dog tied to the other | Lean to the other side. |
| To see his grandmother | Give a big hug at the end. |
What Does Ride Away, Ride Away Mean?
Johnny rides off with two traveling companions, a cat on one side of his saddle and a little dog on the other, to visit his grandmother. It is a pretend journey, made for a bouncing knee, and the hug at the end is grandmother's welcome.
History and Origin
Knee-riding rhymes are among the oldest nursery games, and many of them, like Ride a Cock-Horse to Banbury Cross, describe a journey on horseback. This one is printed in The Real Mother Goose (1916). Visits to grandmother were a long ride in the days of horses, which makes the rhyme feel like a real adventure.
Learning Activities
- Name swap: put your own child's name in place of Johnny and the name of a real grandparent at the end.
- Toy passengers: tuck a toy cat and dog beside your child for the ride.
- Video call ending: finish the rhyme by calling a grandparent.