One, Two, Three, Four, Five

"One, Two, Three, Four, Five"
"One, Two, Three, Four, Five"
Nursery rhyme
Published	c. 1765

"One, Two, Three, Four, Five" (also known as "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" or "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive" in other versions) is a nursery rhyme and counting-out rhyme.^[1]

It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 13530.^[2]

Text and melody

A common modern version is:

One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.

Why did you let it go?
Because he bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on my right.^[3]

$\header { tagline = ##f } \layout { indent = 0 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" } } global = { \key f \major \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 \autoBeamOff } sopranoVoice = \relative c'' { \global a4 a g8 f f4 | c8 f a c c bes bes4 | bes bes8. bes16 a8 g g4 | f8 e d e g f f4 | a a8. a16 g8 f f8. f16 | c8 f a c c bes bes4 | bes bes8. bes16 a8 g g4 | f8 e16 e d8 e g f f4 \bar "|." } verseOne = \lyricmode { \set stanza = \markup \bold "1." One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught a fish a -- live. Six, se -- ven, eight, nine, ten, Then I let it go a -- gain. } verseTwo = \lyricmode { \set stanza = \markup \bold " 2." Why did you let it go? Be -- cause he bit my fin -- ger so. Which fin -- ger did it bite? This lit -- tle fin -- ger on my right. } \score { \new Staff \with { midiInstrument = "vibraphone" } { \sopranoVoice } \addlyrics { \verseOne \verseTwo } \layout { } \midi { \tempo 4=100 } }$

Origin

Illustration of the poem from the 1901 *Book of Nursery Rhymes*

"One, Two, Three, Four, Five" is one of many counting-out rhymes. It was first recorded in Mother Goose's Melody around 1765. Like most versions until the late 19th century, it had only the first stanza and dealt with a hare, not a fish:

One, two, three, four and five,

I caught a hare alive;

Six, seven, eight, nine and ten,

I let him go again.^[1]

The modern version is derived from three variations collected by Henry Bolton in the 1880s from America.^[1]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Iona and Peter Opie (1997) [1951]. The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 334–335.
^ "Search results: "Roud Number 13530"". Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. English Folk Dance and Song Society.
^ Lansky, Vicki (1 February 2009). Games Babies Play: From Birth to Twelve Months. Book Peddlers. p. 76. ISBN 9781931863650.

[Opie1997-1] Iona and Peter Opie (1997) [1951]. The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 334–335.

[2] "Search results: "Roud Number 13530"". Vaughan Williams Memorial Library. English Folk Dance and Song Society.

[3] Lansky, Vicki (1 February 2009). Games Babies Play: From Birth to Twelve Months. Book Peddlers. p. 76. ISBN 9781931863650.

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[2]

[3]

Text and melody

Origin

See also

Notes