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Mary Had a Little Lamb

"Mary Had a Little Lamb" Lyrics, Text Format


Introducing the dotted eighth and sixteenth syncopation
and adding the tonic to the beginning Orff interval.

 

Description

  • Grade: Kindergarten
  • Origin: USA – 19th-century Nursery Rhyme
  • Key: C Major

  • Time: 2/4
  • Form: ABAC
  • Rhythm: intermediate: | ti/ ri ti ti | syncopation,
    | ti ti ta | ti ti ti ti |
  • Pitches: beginners: Do Re Mi So
  • Intervals: beginners: Mi/So\Mi
  • Musical Elements: notes: half, quarter, dotted eighth, sixteenth, introducing sixteenth divisions, excellent for building from the beginning Orff interval, So\Mi to the tonal center, Do

  • Key Words: USA history, American nursery rhyme, school days, farming, character education, fleece, white, snow, school, rule, laugh, play, eager, children, cry, teacher
  • Keyboard: beginners: four finger exercise for right, left, and two hands together

A true story about children in Sterling, MA, USA, the original rhyme was first published by Sarah Josepha Hale on May 24, 1830. The rhyme was also the very first words recorded in the history of recorded sound by Thomas Edison.

“Mary Had a Little Lamb”
1. Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
Whose fleece was white as snow.
2.
 And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
3.
 It followed her to school one day
School one day, school one day,
It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rules.
4.
 It made the children laugh and play,
Laugh and play, laugh and play,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.
5. And so the teacher turned it out,
Turned it out, turned it out,
And so the teacher turned it out,
But still it lingered near.
6. And waited patiently about,
Patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about
Till Mary did appear.
7. “Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
Love Mary so? Love Mary so?
“Why does the lamb love Mary so,”
The eager children cry.
8. “Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know,
“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,”
The teacher did reply.
Additional Formats (click to enlarge)
music
"Mary Had a Little Lamb" Music Format		 beats
Click to enlarge: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Beats Format		 rhythm
Click to Enlarge: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Rhythm Format
pitch numbers
Click to Enlarge: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Pitch Number Format		 solfeggio
Click to Enlarge: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Solfeggio Format		 letter names
Click to Enlarge: "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Letter Names Format