"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" is a
children's song
A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studie ...
. The song was documented as early as 1912 and in 1961. It is often sung to the tune of "
There Is a Tavern in the Town", although it is sometimes sung to the tune of "
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" or "
London Bridge Is Falling Down". The latter version is commonly used in Canada and other British influenced countries. In the Czech Republic, it is sung to the tune "Když jsem přišel do Vršovic", which is known in English speaking countries as "Stodola, pumpa" or "Along the ranch path" in South Korea.
Description
The song typically has only one verse, with lyrics similar to those below. The second line repeats the first line both in words and in melody, the third line has a rising tone, and the fourth line repeats the first two. Children might dance while they sing the song and touch their head, shoulders, knees, and toes in sequence to the words.
Lyrics
:
Head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
,
shoulders,
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
s and
toes,
:knees and toes
:Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
:knees and toes
:And
eyes and
ears and
mouth
A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...
and
nose
A nose is a sensory organ and respiratory structure in vertebrates. It consists of a nasal cavity inside the head, and an external nose on the face. The external nose houses the nostrils, or nares, a pair of tubes providing airflow through the ...
:Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
:knees and toes.
The lyrics can also be sung in reverse, like this:
:Toes, knees and shoulders, head,
:shoulders, head
:Toes, knees and shoulders, head,
:shoulders, head
:And nose and mouth and ears and eyes
:Toes, knees and shoulders, head,
:shoulders, head.
Each verse is repeated, with one word being omitted each time, just touching their
body parts, without actually saying the word. For example:
:Verse 2
:
----, shoulders, knees and toes
:Verse 3
:
----, ----, knees and toes
:Verse 4
:
----, ----, ----, and toes
:Verse 5
:
----, ----, ----, and ----
This pattern continues until all the words are omitted. The last verse consists of no actual singing or singing all lyrics, but sometimes at a much faster tempo.
Similar works
One song was adapted from the traditional version, although it uses a different tune (''
Frère Jacques'') with modified lyrical constructions, such as "Eyes and ears" and "Chin/Mouth and nose", and suggests touching the body parts as in the traditional song.
Another variation starts the line with "Eyes" and includes "chin", but it has the words in an order that causes the motions to
zig zag.
Many derivative songs have been constructed over the years that similarly teach the vocabulary of body parts. One example, using the same tune, as featured on the ''
Kidsongs'' video "Boppin' with the Biggles", is as follows:
: Feet and tummies arms and chins,
: arms and chins
: Feet and tummies arms and chins,
: arms and chins
: And eyes and ears and mouth and shins
: Feet and tummies arms and chins,
: arms and chins
: Hands and fingers legs and lips,
: legs and lips
: Hands and fingers legs and lips,
: legs and lips
: And eyes and ears and mouth and hips
: Hands and fingers legs and lips,
: legs and lips
References
{{Authority control
English children's songs
American children's songs
American nursery rhymes
Traditional children's songs
Singing games