Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Version 1
Baa, baa, baa sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One for my Teddy,
One for Bo Peep,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the street.
Baa, baa, baa sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
(Mother Goose Club Version)
Version 2
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One for the Master,
One for the Dame,
One for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
(Traditional)
Version 3
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
One for the Master,
One for the Dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries down the lane.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.
Source: Elliott, Nursery Rhymes and Nursery Songs (1870)
Historical Background
“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” is reputed to allude to Plantagenet King Edward I (1239 - 1307)—the “Master” in the rhyme—and the obligatory export tax he imposed on English wool producers in 1275. “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” is also an example of onomatopoeia, the formation of a word by imitating a sound, which a common device in many nursery rhymes. The rhyme was first published in 1744, and although its lyrics have been slightly altered within the last 250 years, the modern version remains virtually the same as the original. Traditionally, “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” is sung to the same melody as the French song “Ah vous dirai je,” to which the song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is also sung.
Download the sheet music of this rhyme