
'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' is a popular nursery rhyme and children's song, often sung in a round. The song is of American origin, with the earliest printing of the song dating back to 1852. The lyrics depict a serene journey down a stream, with the singer as the protagonist rowing a boat. The song is often accompanied by actions, with participants sitting opposite one another, holding hands, and 'rowing' backwards and forwards together.
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What You'll Learn
- The song is a nursery rhyme and a popular children's song
- It is often sung in a round, with up to four voice parts
- The earliest printing of the song is from 1852, with similar lyrics to those used today
- The original author is unknown, but the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection credits American teacher and textbook author Eliphalet Oram Lyte
- People often add additional verses to extend the song or make it funny

The song is a nursery rhyme and a popular children's song
'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' is a popular children's song and nursery rhyme. The song is often sung in a round, with participants sitting opposite one another, holding hands, and 'rowing' backwards and forwards together to mimic the lilting boat. The earliest printing of the song is from 1852, when the lyrics were published with similar lyrics to those used today, but with a very different tune. The most widely known tune today is credited to Eliphalet Oram Lyte, an American teacher and textbook author, who was credited with the song in the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection.
The idyllic lyrics depict a journey that makes you into the protagonist, rowing a boat serenely down a stream. People often add additional verses to the song, with the intent of either extending the song or making it funny, parodying it, or substituting another sensibility for the perceived innocent one of the original. For example, the Muppet character in Sesame Street, Don Music, changed the lyrics to feature a car instead of a boat.
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It is often sung in a round, with up to four voice parts
'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' is a popular children's song and nursery rhyme, often sung in a round with up to four voice parts. The most common modern version is sung as a round, with participants sitting opposite one another, holding hands, and 'rowing' backwards and forwards together to mimic the lilting boat. The song is usually sung multiple times in succession to allow the different voices to interweave with each other, forming a four-part harmony.
The earliest printing of the song is from 1852, when the lyrics were published with similar lyrics to those used today, but with a very different tune. The version with the tune most widely known today is by Eliphalet Oram Lyte, who has a name credit next to the publication of the song in the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection.
People often add additional verses to the song, with the intent of either extending it or making it funny or irreverent. For example, the Muppet character, 'Sesame Street', changed the lyrics to feature a car instead of a boat.
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The earliest printing of the song is from 1852, with similar lyrics to those used today
The earliest printing of the song 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' is from 1852, with similar lyrics to those used today, but with a very different tune. The song was published in the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection, with American teacher and textbook author Eliphalet Oram Lyte receiving a name credit. Lyte's version has the tune most widely known today, while previous versions have a different melody. The song is often sung as a round for up to four voice parts, with the different voices interweaving to form a four-part harmony.
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The original author is unknown, but the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection credits American teacher and textbook author Eliphalet Oram Lyte
'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' is a popular children's song and nursery rhyme of American origin. The earliest printing of the song is from 1852, when the lyrics were published with similar lyrics to those used today, but with a very different tune. The original author is unknown, but the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection credits American teacher and textbook author Eliphalet Oram Lyte. It is not clear whether Lyte wrote the song or simply published it.
Lyte's version has the tune most widely known today, whereas previous versions have a different melody. The song is often sung as a round for up to four voice parts, with the different voices interweaving with each other to form a four-part harmony. The idyllic lyrics depict a journey that makes you into the protagonist, rowing a boat serenely down a stream.
The song is often accompanied by actions. Participants sit opposite one another, holding hands, and 'rowing' backwards and forwards together to mimic the lilting boat. People often add additional verses to the song, with the intent of either extending it or making it funny, parodying it, or substituting another sensibility for the perceived innocent one of the original. For example, Sesame Street's Muppet character, Don Music, changed the lyrics to feature a car instead of a boat.
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People often add additional verses to extend the song or make it funny
'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' is a popular children's song and nursery rhyme, often sung in a round. The song is of American origin, with the earliest printing of the song dating back to 1852. The most common modern version of the song is sung to a tune composed by Eliphalet Oram Lyte, an American teacher and textbook author, who was credited with the song in the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection.
People often add additional verses to the song, either to extend it or to make it funny. For example, the Muppet character, Don Music, changed the lyrics to feature a car instead of a boat. The song is usually accompanied by actions, with participants sitting opposite one another, holding hands, and 'rowing' backwards and forwards together to mimic the lilting boat.
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Frequently asked questions
The lyrics to 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' are:
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
The origins of 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' are unknown, but it is believed to be of American origin. The earliest publication of the song was in 1852, and an American teacher and textbook author, Eliphalet Oram Lyte, has a name credit next to the publication of the song in the 1881 Franklin Square Song Collection.
'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' is often sung in a round, with participants sitting opposite one another, holding hands, and 'rowing' backwards and forwards together to mimic the lilting boat.











































