"Hickory Dickory Dock" or "Hickety Dickety Dock" is a popular English-language nursery rhyme. The Roud Folk Song Index number is 6489.

Lyrics and music

The most common modern version is:

<blockquote><poem>

Hickory dickory dock.

The mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck one,

The mouse ran down,

Hickory dickory dock.

</poem></blockquote>

Other variants include "down the mouse ran" or "down the mouse run" or "and down he ran" or "and down he run" in place of "the mouse ran down". Other variants have non-sequential numbers, for example starting with "The clock struck ten, The mouse ran down" instead of the traditional "one".

Score

<score sound="1">

\new Staff <<

\clef treble \key d \major {

\time 6/8 \partial 2.

\relative fis' {

fis8 g a a b cis | d4.~ d4 a8 | fis8 g a a b cis | d4.~ d4 \bar"" \break

a8 | d4 d8 cis4 cis8 | b4 b8 a4. | a8 b a g fis e | d4.~ d4. \bar"" \break

}

}

%\new Lyrics \lyricmode {Hickory Dickory Dock, The bird looked at the clock, The clock struck tow, she ran away, Hickory Dickory Dock}

%}

>>

\layout { indent = #0 }

\midi { \tempo 4. = 63 }

</score>

Origins and meaning

thumb|upright=1|Hickety Dickety Dock, illustrated by Denslow

The earliest recorded version of the rhyme is in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, published in London in May 1744, which uses the opening line: 'Hickere, Dickere Dock'.

thumb|The Exeter Cathedral astronomical clock, thought to be referenced in the rhyme.

See also

  • Yan Tan Tethera
  • Chiastic structure
  • List of nursery rhymes
  • Hickory, Dickory, and Doc

References

  • Hickory Dickory Dock Origin