There Was a Little Mouse who Lived on a Hill
There Was a Little Mouse who Lived on a Hill
Children's Song
There was a little mouse who lived on a hill, uh-huh.
And he walked and he talked like buffalo bill, uh-huh.
One day he thought he'd take a ride, uh-huh.
With a sword & a pistol by his side, uh-huh.
He rode up to Miss Mousey's door, uh-huh.
& he knocked & he knocked 'til his fist got sore, uh-huh.
He sat Miss Mousey on his knee, uh-huh.
& he said Miss Mousey would ya marry me, uh-huh.
Miss Mousey said I can't do that, uh-huh.
I'll have to ask my brother rat, uh-huh.
Now brother rat has gone to town, uh-huh.
To buy Miss Mousey a wedding gown, uh-huh.
The wedding took place in the old oak tree, uh-huh.
With the birds & the bees & the black eyed thieves, uh-huh.
The 1st to come was Mr. Snake, uh-huh.
& he wrapped his tail around the cake, uh-huh.
The 2nd to come was Mrs. Chick, uh-huh.
& she ate so much that she got sick, uh-huh.
The 3rd to come was Dr. Fly, uh-huh.
& he said Mrs. Chicky you'll surely die, uh-huh.
They had 6 kids that looked like brats, uh-huh.
Some tall, some short, some skinny, some fat, uh-huh.
That's all there is there ain't no more, uh-huh.
If I told you more you might get sore, uh-huh, uh-huh uh-huh.
Notes
Here's an African American version which most likely came before the version above. The lyrics are normally "black eyed peas" instead of "black eyed thieves". Smithsonian Folkways Recordings posted a video with these lyrics (which you can find by scrolling further down the page):
1. There was an old mouse who
lived on a hill, uh-huh.
There was an old mouse who
lived on a hill, uh-huh.
There was an old mouse that
lived on a hill, he was rough and
tough like a buffalo-bill, uh-huh,
uh-huh, uh-huh.
2. One day he said he was going for
a ride, uh-huh.
One day he said he was going for
a ride, uh-huh.
One day he said he was going for
a ride with a sword and pistol by
his side, uh-huh.
3. He rode up to Ms. Mousey's door,
uh-huh.
He rode up to Ms. Mousey's door,
uh-huh.
He rode up to Ms. Mousey's door
and he knocked and knocked
'til his fists got sore, uh-huh.
4. Well I asked 'Ms. Mousey, will you
marry me?' uh-huh.
I asked 'Ms. Mousey, will you
marry me?' uh-huh.
I asked 'Ms. Mousey, will you
marry me?' Ms. Mousey said
'just wait and see,' uh-huh.
5. Ms. Mousey said 'I can't do that,'
uh-huh.
Ms. Mousey said 'I can't do that,'
uh-huh.
Ms. Mousey said 'I can't do that,
you'll have to ask my brother rat,'
uh-huh.
6. Well brother rat had gone to
town, uh-huh.
Brother rat had gone to town, uh-huh
Brother rat had gone to town to
buy Ms. Mousey her wedding gown, uh-huh.
7. The wedding was set under a big
oak tree, uh-huh.
The wedding was set under a big
oak tree, uh-huh.
The wedding was set under a big
oak tree. They had was cornbread,
cabbage, and black-eyed peas, uh-huh.
8. There was a piece of cornbread
laying on a shelf, uh-huh.
Was a piece of cornbread
laying on a shelf, uh-huh.
Was a piece of cornbread
laying on a shelf. If you want
any more you gotta sing it
yourself, uh-huh.
Jane W. wrote, "I sang this song in my childhood 70 years ago."
*****
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Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Shell for contributing this song. Thanks to Jane W. for sharing the 2nd version and video!
Thanks so much!
