Lyrics and Melody
As with most products of oral tradition, there are many variations to the rhyme. The most common modern version is:
- Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
- And can't tell where to find them;
- Leave them alone, And they'll come home,
- Wagging their tails behind them.
Common variations on second line include "And doesn't know where to find them." The fourth line is frequently given as "And bring their tails behind them", or sometimes "Dragging their tails behind them". This alternative version is useful in the extended version, usually of four further stanzas. The melody commonly associated with the rhyme was first recorded by the composer and nursery rhyme collector James William Elliott in his National Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Songs (1870).
Read more about this topic: Little Bo Peep
Famous quotes containing the words lyrics and/or melody:
“Chad and I always look for deeper meanings; we can analyze Beastie Boys lyrics for hours.”
—Amy Stewart (b. 1975)
“Hetty [Burney’s sister] set down to the harpsichord and sung ... we departed this life of anguish and misery, and rested our weary souls in the Elysian field—my papa’s study—there, freed from the noise and bustle of the world enjoyed the harmony of chattering—and the melody of music!”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)