This post contains a list of several nursery, pre-school and primary school rhymes, poems and songs that were sung and popular in most Nigerian schools several years ago.
The pre-school, nursery school and primary school days were a lot of fun for so many people when you look back and retrospect into the past. Some of the things that made it so much fun, were the numerous poems, rhymes and songs that were sung.
Every pupil had to memorize these songs, rehearse and say them on the assembly ground or in the class before the lesson takes off.
Below are the listing of the popular poems/rhymes/songs that were sung in most Nigerian schools. Going through the list, you can easily remember two or more songs you might have sung during the pre-secondary school days which is a bit nostalgic.
Other people might find these songs also interesting to introduce to their students, pupils or wards in the school.
Happy reading!!!:
List of Nigerian School Poems/Rhymes and Songs:
- Some have food but cannot eat,
some can eat but have no food.
We have food and we can eat.
Glory be to thee o Lord. Amen - Oh my home o my home
when shall I see my home
wen shall I see my native land
I will never forget my home! - Holiday is coming [2x]
no more warning bells
no more teachers cane.
goodbye teachers, goodbye scholars
I’m going 2 spend
a jolly holiday [2x] - The day is bright is bright and fair
oh happy day, the day of joy
The day is bright is bright and fair
oh happy day, the day of joy
mama jollof rice! - Parents listen to your children
we are the leaders of tomorrow
try and pay our school fees
and give us good education - Sanda Lily, Sanda Lily3x
Sanda Lily, Sanda Li
Which is the way many of us were taught - I am a teacher (lawyer, doctor, nurse) in my country
Every body knows me well
If you look me up and down you will see that its true! - Rain rain go away
come again another day
Little children want to play - h-i-p- for d hip
p-o-p-o for d hipopo
and t-a-m-u-s for the hippopotamus
hippopotamus! - All things bright and beautiful, all creature great and small
all things bright and wonderful,
the lord god made them all.
He gave us eyes to see them
And lips that we might tell
He gave us “something” colors
And made the mighty se eee - 8 o’clock is d time for school
don’t be late in d morning
8 o’clock is for boys and girls
come to school in the morning - Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh,
shadows of the evening, still across the skies
Glory to the father, Glory to the son
And to thee blessed spirit
Whilst all ages run, Amen! - Rivers in Africa are
Rivers in Africa are
Benue , Congo
Orange, Limpopo
Zabenzi - Wherever you go (go go go n go)
Wherever you see (sisi eko)
Do not say yes, when you mean to say no(Baba Ibadan) - Morning has broken
like the 1st morning
blackbirds have spoken
like the 1st word
Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for the evening
Fresh from the world - Papa Mama school no dey,
Wetin happen?
Our teacher dey smoke garri for school
Which kind garri?
Ijebu garri
cele wata
Calabar Groundnut
Ondo sugar - Row Row Row your Boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream - I am a little sailor boy that comes from the sea
that comes from the sea just to marry you
Oh will u marry marry marry
will you marry me? - Jack and Jill went up to a hill
To fetch a pail of water
jack fell down and broke his Leg
And jill came tum b ling after(wonder what they really went to do up that hill) - Old Rodger is dead and gone to his grave, hmm!!, haa!!, gone to his grave
He planted an apple tree over his head, hmm!!, haa!!, over his head
The apple grew ripe and ready to drop, hmm!!, haa!!, ready to drop
There came an old woman to pick them all up, hmm!!, haa!!, pick them all up
Old Rodger got up and gave her a knock, hmm!!, haa!!, gave her a knock - Bojuboju o oh! Oloro m’bo! e para mo o oh!
Se kin se
Shee!! she she she she Shee!!
E pere Mi Heey! Eni toloro ba mu
a paaa je (A paa jee!!) - My mother, who sat and watched my infant head
when sleeping on my cradle bed
and tears affectionately shed
My Mother
When pain and sickness makes me cry
You gaze upon my heavy eye and pray to God that I shouldn’t die
My Mother - Tisha jowo, mo fe jegba temi
nami lowo, mashe nami nidi, tidimi babe
mape baba mi wa, baba mi, a ba e ja - Pussy cat Pussy cat
where have u been
I’ve been to London
to see the queen
what did she she give you
bread and butter
where is mine
up in the sky
how can i get there
climb a ladder
if I fall
I dont care - Who is in d garden?
A little fine girl
can i come & see her no no no no
follow me a little boy - Solomon Groundi
Born on monday
Christianed on Tuesday
Married on Wednesday
took ill on Thursday
worse on Friday
died on Saturday
buried on Sunday
this is the end of Solomon Groundi - Baa-Baa Black Sheep ( baa baa black sheep)
have you any wool, yes sir, yes sir, three bag full
One for the master, one for the dame
And one for the little boy who lives down the
lane - Johnbull my son I sent you to school,
you dont know how to spell your name
J O H N BU double L you don’t know how to spell your name - Mary Had a Little Lamb Mary had a little lamb
(little lamb little lamb), Mary had a little lamb
its fleece was white as snow
and everywhere that Mary went, (Mary went Mary went)
and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go
it followed her to school one day - Paw paw is a type of fruit Lalala
sweet like a sugar, yellow like fanta
everybody loves pawpaw PAWPAW! - London Bridge is falling down, Falling down,
falling down, London Bridge is falling down, My
fair Lady. - One two buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen - Two little black birds sitting on a wall,
One named Peter, one named Paul.
Fly away Peter, fly away Paul,
Come back Peter, come back Paul!
Twinkle twinkle little star
how I wonder what you are
up above the world so high
like a diamond in the sky - Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
All the rest have thirty one
Except for February which has twenty eight!
(And twenty nine each leap year) - If you are happy and you know. Jump up
If you happy and you know. Clap your hands - I feel , I feel, I feel
I feel like the morning sky
i feel I feel I feel
oh I feel like the morning sky
lady shoo fly don’t bother me
shoo fly don’t bother me
shoo fly don’t bother
because I belong to somebody - Once I saw a little bird
coming hop hop hop
so I cried a little bird
will u stop stop stop
as I was going to the window
to say how do u do
then he shook his little tail
and away he fleeeeew - Little Bo peep has lost her sheep
And doesn’t know where to find them
Leave them alone and they’ll come home
Bringing their tails behind them.
Little Bo peep fell fast asleep
And dreamt she heard them bleating
But when she awoke, she found it a joke
For they were all still fleeting.
Then up she took her little crook
Determined for to find them - Mondays child is fair of face
Tuesdays child is full of grace
Wednesdays child is full of woe
Thursdays child has far to go
Fridays child is loving and giving
Saturdays child works hard for his living
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay - One two buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen
Seventeen, eighteen, maids in waiting
Nineteen, twenty, my plates empty