Hickory Dickory Dock is a popular rhyme listed in the Roud Folk Song Index at 6489. The rhyming words and the short lines in each stanza make it a fun song to sing aloud. The story in the rhyme is simple too, or so it seems.
Isn’t it about a mouse than ran up and down a clock? It was probably terrifying when the clock’s bell echoed at 1. But there’s more to the story. We are talking about the origins and history behind this little nursery rhyme.
Let’s read to find out the full lyrics and interesting information about Hickory Dickory Dock.
Written Lyrics
Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.
Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck two,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.
Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck three,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.
Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck four,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.
Printable Lyrics
Download the printable PDF from this link. It contains full lyrics of Hickory Dickory Dock.
Photo Lyrics
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Video Links
Watch this animated version of the rhyme with edited lyrics:
Check out this video with cute mice and original lyrics:
Origins and History
Hickory Dickory Dock is also known as Hickory Dickety Dock. The lyrics are as varied as you can imagine them to be. All versions talk about a mouse and a clock, but the phrasing is different. The earliest recorded version of this rhyme was in 1744. It was published in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book and titled Hickere, Dickere Dock.
A few years later, the rhyme appeared in Mother Goose Melody in 1765. The title changed to Dickery, Dickery Dock.
So why was the rhyme created? Some say it is a counting song similar to how the sheep farmers counted their herd. Some say the nursery rhyme is used to teach kids to read the clock (analog models).
However, the people of Devon have a different story to tell. The Exeter Cathedral has a huge clock that belonged to the fifteenth century. It shows the time and age of the moon on that day. The clergy used a simple trick to keep this clock functioning. They let mice run up and down the ropes from the clock.
Then, they built a cat door right under the clock. The cat kept the mice moving, and the mice kept the clock running. Hence the rhyme, Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock. So cool, right?
There’s another theory that the rhyme could be about Richard Cromwell, the son of Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of Britain (1649 to 1658). Richard was meek as a mouse and stayed in his position for a mere nine months before he was overthrown.
FAQs
Yes. It follows the rhyme scheme AABBA and is a humorous poem (if you know the context). It doesn’t exactly qualify as a Limerick in the present time, but it was one back in those days.
The original rhyme doesn’t talk of any other animal. The modern versions include a snake, etc., to entertain the kids.
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