Girls and Boys Come Out To Play
Lyrics
Girls and boys, come out to play,The moon doth shine as bright as day;Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,And come with your playfellows into the street.
Come with a whoop, come with a call,Come with a good will or not at all.Up the ladder and down the wall,A halfpenny roll will serve us all.
You find milk, and I'll find flour,And we'll have a pudding in half an hour.
History and Meaning
"Girls and Boys Come Out to Play" is a traditional English nursery rhyme that dates back to the early eighteenth century. The rhyme is a lively invitation for children to leave their chores, dinner, and bedtimes behind to play with their friends in the moonlit streets.
Historically, the song reflects a time before indoor entertainment, when children gathered outdoors for games and socialization after dusk.
Origins
The rhyme is one of the oldest recorded in the English language. Fragmentary versions of the text and melody began appearing in print around 1708, often featured in contemporary satires, plays, and dance books. The complete version of the rhyme was first printed in a nursery collection around 1744, appearing in the landmark publication Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book. Over the centuries, the verses have been recorded under various titles, including "Girls and Boys Come Out to Play" and "Boys and Girls Come Out to Play."
Meaning & Interpretation
The lyrics portray a cooperative, self-organized community of children. Lines like "up the ladder and down the wall" refer to the active, physical games children played in urban alleys and yards. The mention of a "halfpenny roll" suggests that simple, inexpensive foods were shared among playfellows. Similarly, the cooperative cooking of a pudding using shared milk and flour highlights a spirit of mutual support and simple pleasures. Rather than describing parental supervision, the rhyme celebrates the independent world of childhood play.
When was Girls and Boys Come Out to Play first published?
The rhyme was first published in a dedicated children's collection in 1744 within Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book. Earlier references to the song's opening lines date back to 1708 in various theatrical and social publications.
What is the Roud number for Girls and Boys Come Out to Play?
This nursery rhyme is registered as Roud Folk Song Index number 9081, which catalogued historical folk songs and playground rhymes from oral traditions across the English-speaking world.
Music Video
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info