Wee Willie Winkie Lyrics
Written by the Scottish poet William Miller in 1841, Wee Willie Winkie is the boy in the nightgown who runs through town making sure every child is in bed by eight.
Wee Willie Winkie
Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs, in his nightgown;
Rapping at the window, crying through the lock,
"Are the children in their beds? Now it's eight o'clock."
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/wee-willie-winkie/
- Type
- Lullabies
- Written by
- William Miller
- First published
- 1841
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 1 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town | Run your fingers across your lap or tiptoe on the spot. |
| Upstairs and downstairs, in his nightgown | Walk your fingers up your arm and back down again. |
| Rapping at the window, crying through the lock | Knock gently on the table or the floor. |
| Are the children in their beds? Now it's eight o'clock | Put your hands together under your cheek and close your eyes. |
What Does Wee Willie Winkie Mean?
Wee Willie Winkie is like a friendly night watchman, going from house to house to make sure every child is tucked up in bed. Singing it tells children that bedtime has arrived everywhere, not just in their house.
Over time the name became a nickname for a sleepy-time figure, a little like the Sandman, and the rhyme is still used as a gentle signal that it is time to settle down.
History and Origin
The poem was written by William Miller (1810 to 1872), a Scottish poet sometimes called the "Laureate of the Nursery". It was published in 1841 in Whistle-Binkie, a popular collection of Scottish songs and verse.
Miller wrote it in Scots, with lines like "Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toon". The English version shown here, which shortens and translates his poem, became the one sung in nurseries around the world.
Learning Activities
- Bedtime routine: sing it as the last song before lights out, every night, so it becomes a sleep signal.
- Clock time: show eight o'clock on a toy clock and talk about what time your child goes to bed.
- Whisper singing: sing each line a little quieter until the last one is a whisper.