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Little House Songs

song. That which is sung or uttered with musical modulations of the voice, whether of the human voice or that of a bird. A short poem to be sung or uttered with musical modulations; a ballad. — Webster, 1882

Whatever religion, romance and patriotism I have I owe largely to the violin and my Father playing in the twilight. I am sure that when I come to die, if Father might only be playing for me I should be wafted straight to heaven on the strains of “The Sweet By And By,” for the gates would surely open. – Laura Ingalls Wilder

     
Click on linked song titles in the index below for information about that particular song. Linked pages will be added as time permits. Please remember that historical song lyrics may contain what is today considered offensive language or negative stereotypes. This language was often changed or omitted in lyrics quoted in the Little House books, even if Wilder used an historically accurate version in her manuscripts or memoir.

If text appears between portions of song lyrics in a Little House book, all first lines are indexed separately for ease in identifying a song title. Following each song title is the Little House book title abbreviation and chapter number(s) in which the song appears. The following abbreviations were used:

     PG – Pioneer Girl,
     BW – Little House in the Big Woods,
     FB – Farmer Boy,
     LHP – Little House on the Prairie,
     BPC – On the Banks of Plum Creek,
     SSL – By the Shores of Silver Lake,
     TLW – The Long Winter,
     LTP – Little Town on the Prairie,
     THGY – These Happy Golden Years,
     FFY – The First Four Years,
     OTWH – On the Way Home,
     WFH – West from Home.

Song titles are in ALL CAPS – First Lines from Little House text are in Roman – Initial articles (the, a, and) are retained for alphabetizing first lines but ignored when alphabetizing titles.

A

A beautiful castle I’ve built for thee (see IN DREAMLAND FAR AWAY)
A life on the ocean wave (see A LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE)
All around the cobbler’s bench (see POP! GOES THE WEASEL)
All around the open door, smiling on the rich and poor (see SONG OF THE GRASS)
ALL THE BLUE BONNETS ARE OVER THE BORDER (BPC 26, TLW 4, TLW 17)
AMERICA (LTP 8)
AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS (BW 5)
And I’ll sing Yankee Doodle-de-do (see YANKEE DOODLE)
And there he saw some great big guns (see YANKEE DOODLE)
And we’ll rally ’round the flag boys (see THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM)
ANGEL BAND (FFY 2)
Angel band, come and around me stand (see ANGEL BAND)
A penny for a spool of thread (see POP! GOES THE WEASEL)
A pocket full of rye (see SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE)
ARKANSAS TRAVELER (BW 4, BW 8, LHP 5)
AULD LANG SYNE (BW 13)
Away down the river on the O-hi-o (see DE BOATMEN DANCE)

B

Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight (see ROCK ME TO SLEEP)
BARBARY ALLEN (SSL 32)
BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM, THE (LHP 26, BPC 26)
BEACON-LIGHT OF HOME, THE (SSL 28)
BEAN PORRIDGE HOT (LHP 20, BPC 37)
Bean porridge hot, bean porridge cold (see BEAN PORRIDGE HOT)
BEN BOLT (SSL 22)
BEWARE! (SSL 48)
BIG SUNFLOWER, THE (SSL 27, TLW 4)
BILLY BOY (SSL 26, THGY 6)
BLUE JUNIATA, THE (LHP 18)
BONNY DOON (SSL 22, TLW 22)
BUFFALO GALS (BW 8)
Buy a broo-oom, buy a broom, broom! (see BUY A BROOM)
BUY A BROOM (SSL 10)
BY LO, BABY BUNTING (LHP 16)
By lo, baby bunting (see BY LO, BABY BUNTING)
By the pale, silver light of the moon (see ROLL ON, SILVER MOON)

C

CAMPBELLS ARE COMING, THE (BPC 26)
CAMPTOWN RACES (SSL 26)
CAPTAIN JINKS (BW 7, BPC 41, SSL 15)
COME IN AND SHUT THE DOOR (THGY 25)
COMING THROUGH THE RYE (SSL 15)

D

DAISY DEANE (LHP 4)
DAKOTA LAND (OTWH intro)
DARLING NELLIE GRAY (BW 4)
Dashing thro’ valleys all covered with snow (see THE SLEIGHING GLEE)
DE BOATMEN’S DANCE (SSL 19)
De-old Jim riber, I float down (see IT WILL NEVER DO TO GIVE IT UP SO)
Devil’s Dream, The (BW 4) – same as THE DEVIL’S HORNPIPE
DEVIL’S HORNPIPE, THE (LHP 5) – same as THE DEVIL’S DREAM
DON’T LEAVE THE FARM, BOYS (FFY 1, FFY 4)
Do not trust him, gentle lady (see THE GYPSY’S WARNING)
DOWN IN ALABAM’ (TLW 12)
DOXOLOGY (THGY 4)

E

EVERGREEN SHORE, THE (TLW 13)

F

First! the heel and then the toe (SSL 15, describing unnamed POLKA)
FLOATING SCOW OF OLD VIRGINIA, THE (TLW 4 – includes lyrics from OH BOYS CARRY ME ALONG)

G

GAILY NOW OUR BOAT IS SAILING (THGY 23, singing school exercise #7)
GENTLE WORDS AND LOVING SMILES (SSL 19)
GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME, THE (BPC 30)
GOLDEN YEARS ARE PASSING BY (THGY 18, THGY 33)
Golden years are passing by, happy, golden years (see GOLDEN YEARS ARE PASSING BY)
GOOD OLD WAY, THE (LTP 19)
GREAT IS THE LORD (TLW 28)
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised (see GREAT IS THE LORD)
GREEN GROWS THE LAUREL (LHP 16)
GUM-TREE CANOE, THE (LHP 26)
GYPSY KING, THE (LHP 5)
GYPSY’S WARNING, THE (SSL 26)

H

HAIL COLUMBIA (SSL 15)
Hail Columbia, happy land (see HAIL COLUMBIA)
HASTE TO THE WEDDING (THGY 32)
HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY, THE (THGY 23)
Here first my willful, wandering heart (see MY SABBATH HOME)
HERE’S TO THE MAIDEN (THGY 18)
Here’s to the maiden of bashful sixteen (see HERE’S TO THE MAIDEN)
HIGHLAND FLING, THE (TLW 12)
HIGHLAND MARY (SSL 15, THGY 25, THGY 32)
Home! Home! Sweet, sweet home (see HOME, SWEET HOME)
HOME OF THE SOUL (TLW 22)
HOME, SWEET HOME (BW 9)
How sweetly bloomed the gay, green birk (see HIGHLAND MARY)
Hurray! Hurray! We’ll sing the jubilee! (see MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA)

I

I am Mrs. Jinks of Madison Square (see MISTRESS JINKS OF MADISON SQUARE)
I bet my money on the bob-tailed mare (see CAMPTOWN RACES)
If the Devil’s in the way (see THE OLD CHARIOT)
If the sinner’s in the way (see THE OLD CHARIOT)
If you’re waking call me early, call me early, mother dear (see THE MAY QUEEN)
Ilka lassie has her laddie (see COMING THROUGH THE RYE)
I know a young man fair to see (see BEWARE!)
I’m Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines (see CAPTAIN JINKS)
In Dixie land I’ll take my stand (see I WISH I WAS IN DIXIE’S LAND)
IN DREAMLAND FAR AWAY (THGY 23)
In Scarlet town where I was born (see BARBARY ALLEN)
IN THE STARLIGHT (THGY 22, THGY 23, FFY prologue)
In the starlight, in the starlight (see IN THE STARLIGHT)
I ran my boat upon de groun’ (see IT WILL NEVER DO TO GIVE IT UP SO)
IRISH JIGS (TLW 12)
IRISH WASHERWOMAN (BW 8, LHP 5)
IT’S A LONG, LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY (WFH letter dated Sept. 4, 1915)
It will neber do to gib it up so (see IT WILL NEVER DO TO GIVE IT UP SO)
IT WILL NEVER DO TO GIVE IT UP SO (TLW 28)
I’ve traveled about a bit in my time (see PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE)
I went to California with my washpan on my knee (see OH SUSANNA)
I will sing you a song of that beautiful land (see HOME OF THE SOUL)
I WISH I WAS IN DIXIE’S LAND (LHP 26, BPC 26)
I WISH I WAS SINGLE AGAIN (SSL 26)
I wouldn’t marry a farmer (see A RAILROAD MAN FOR ME)

J

JERUSALEM THE GOLDEN (BPC 24)
JESUS HOLDS MY HAND (BPC 36)
Jesus is a rock in a weary land (see A SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM)
JINGLE BELLS (SSL 19, THGY 11)
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way (see JINGLE BELLS)
Just float on the music (SSL 15, Pa singing the steps to an unnamed WALTZ)

K

KEEP THE HORSE SHOE OVER THE DOOR (SSL 30)
KITTY WELLS (BW 6)

L

Laura take them off again (see POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON)
LEND A HELPING HAND (SSL 23)
LIFE LET US CHERISH (BPC 26)
LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE, A (SSL 10)
LILLY DALE / LILY DALE (BPC 41)
LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY (TLW 12)
Little Annie Rooney is my sweetheart (see LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY)
LOVE’S OLD SWEET SONG (THGY 32)

M

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA (LTP 8)
March! March! Eskdale and Liddesdale! (see ALL THE BLUE BONNETS ARE OVER THE BORDER)
March! March! Ettrick and Teviotdale! (see ALL THE BLUE BONNETS ARE OVER THE BORDER)
MARY OF THE WILD MOOR (SSL 14)
Mary put the dishes on (see POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON)
MAY QUEEN, THE (TLW 31)
Merry Christmas everywhere (see MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!)
MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS! (SSL 20)
Merry, Merry Christmas everywhere! (see MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!)
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam (see THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME)
MISTRESS JINKS OF MADISON SQUARE (SSL 15)
MONEY MUSK (BW 4, LHP 5)
MOTTO FOR EVERY MAN, A (SSL 28)
MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD (SSL 19)
Mount and make ready then (see ALL THE BLUE BONNETS ARE OVER THE BORDER)
My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty (see AMERICA)
My Darling Nellie Gray, they have taken you away (see MY DARLING NELLIE GRAY)
MY DARLING NELLIE GRAY (BW 4)
My heart e’er turns with joy to thee (see MY SABBATH HOME)
MY HEART IS SAIR FOR SOMEBODY (THGY 25)
My heart is sair, I dare na tell (see MY HEART IS SAIR FOR SOMEBODY)
MY JENNY JERUSHA JANE (FFY 4)
MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME (BPC 30)
MY SABBATH HOME (BPC 36, THGY 4)

N

NELLIE WAS A LADY (SSL 22)
Nellie was a lady, last night she died (see NELLIE WAS A LADY)
NEW YEAR’S COME, THE (SSL 19)
NINETY AND NINE, THE (LTP 23)
NOBODY ASK’D YOU (SSL 13)
None knew thee but to love thee (see DAISY DEANE)

O

O Dakota land, sweet Dakota land (see DAKOTA LAND)
OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT (SSL 22)
Oft in the stilly night, ere slumber’s chain has bound me (see OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT)
OH BOYS CARRY ME ALONG (TLW 4)
Oh Canaan, bright Canaan (see ON JORDAN’S STORMY BANKS I STAND)
Oh, Charley he’s a fine young man (see WEEVILY WHEAT)
Oh childhood’s joys are very great (see THE SINGING SCHOOL)
Oh, come to this country (see UNCLE SAM’S FARM)
Oh, do not stand so long outside (see COME IN AND SHUT THE DOOR)
Oh, do you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt? (see BEN BOLT)
Oh, drive dull care away, for weeping is but sorrow (see A MOTTO FOR EVERY MAN)
Oh, every Sunday morning my wife is by my side (see WAIT FOR THE WAGON)
Oh, I am a gypsy king (see THE GYPSY KING)
Oh, I am as happy as a big sunflower (see THE BIG SUNFLOWER)
Oh, if I were young again, I’d lead a different life (see THE FLOATING SCOW OF OLD VIRGINIA)
Oh, I went down south for to see my Sal (see POLLY WOLLY DOODLE)
Oh I wouldn’t marry a farmer (see A RAILROAD MAN FOR ME)
Oh, my! But ain’t she handsome! (see MY JENNY JERUSHA JANE)
Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light (see THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER)
OH! SUSANNA (BW 13, LHP 26, BPC 26)
Oh, Susanna, don’t you cry for me! (see OH SUSANNA)
Oh, Susi-an-na don’t you cry for me (see OH SUSANNA)
Oh talk about your Mulligan Guards (see THE SKIDMORE GUARD)
OH WHISTLE AND I’LL COME TO YOU, MY LAD (THGY 20)
Oh whistle and I’ll come to you, my lad (see OH WHISTLE AND I’LL COME TO YOU, MY LAD)
Oh, you Buffalo gals, aren’t you coming out tonight? (see BUFFALO GALS)
OLD CHARIOT, THE (TLW 11)
OLD DAN TUCKER (LHP 5)
Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man (see OLD DAN TUCKER)
OLD FOLKS AT HOME (BPC 30)
OLD GRIMES (BW 10)
Old Grimes is dead, that good old man (see OLD GRIMES)
Old Song of the Treadmill (see THE TREADMILL SONG)
OLD TIME, THE (variation, SSL 22)
Once in the dear dead days beyond recall (see LOVE’S OLD SWEET SONG)
One little Indian, two little Indians, three little Indians (see TEN LITTLE INDIANS)
One night when the winds blew bitter (see MARY OF THE WILD MOOR)
ON JORDAN’S STORMY BANKS (TLW 22)
On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand (see ON JORDAN’S STORMY BANKS)

P

PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE (SSL 14)
POLLY PUT THE KETTLE ON (BPC 41)
POLLY WOLLY DOODLE (THGY 18)
POP! GOES THE WEASEL (BW 5)
PULL FOR THE SHORE (LTP 6, LTP 23)
Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore (see PULL FOR THE SHORE)

Q

     

R

RAILROAD MAN FOR ME, A (SSL 6, SSL 10)
RED HEIFER, THE (BW 4)
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own (see THE NINETY AND NINE)
RING AROUND A ROSY (BPC 21)
ROCK OF AGES (BW 5)
Rock of ages, cleft for me (see ROCK OF AGES)
ROCK ME TO SLEEP (LTP 19)
ROLL ON SILVER MOON (LHP 6)
Row away, row o’er the waters so blue (see THE GUM-TREE CANOE)

S

Sail on, Silver Moon (see ROLL ON SILVER MOON)
Shall auld acquaintance be forgot (see AULD LANG SYNE)
Shall I be carried to the skies (see AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS)
She can make a cherry pie, Billy boy! Billy boy! (see BILLY BOY)
SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM, A (TLW 13)
SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE (LTP 9)
Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye (see SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE)
SINGING SCHOOL, THE (THGY 23)
SKIDMORE GUARD, THE (LTP 21)
SLEIGHING GLEE, THE (PG1)
So green grows the laurel and so does the rue (see GREEN GROWS THE LAUREL)
Some like it hot, some like it cold (see BEAN PORRIDGE HOT)
SONG OF THE FREED MEN, THE (TLW 28)
SONG OF THE GRASS (THGY 23)
Sowing the seed by the daylight fair (see WHAT SHALL THE HARVEST BE?)
STAR OF BETHLEHEM, THE (THGY 25)
STAR-SPANGLED BANNER, THE (FB 16, LTP 8)
Swanee River (see OLD FOLKS AT HOME)
SWEET BY AND BY (TLW 13)
Sweet Sabbath School more dear to me (see MY SABBATH HOME)
Sweet Sabbath School! more dear to me (see MY SABBATH HOME)

T

Take care, dear girl, he’s a-fooling you (see BEWARE!)
TA-RA-RA-BOOM-DE-AY (OTWH intro, OTWH August 29)
TEN LITTLE INDIANS (LHP 10)
The birds were singing in the morning (see KITTY WELLS)
The Campbells are coming, Hurrah! Hurrah! (see THE CAMPBELLS ARE COMING)
The heavens declare the glory of God (see THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY)
The old gray mare she ain’t what she used to be (see DOWN IN ALABAM’)
Then let the hurricane roar! It will the sooner be o’er (see THE EVERGREEN SHORE)
Then meet me, oh meet me, when you hear the first whip-poor-will call (see WHIP-POOR-WILL’S SONG)
Then what is the use of repining (see WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY)
There is a boarding house not far away (see THERE IS A HAPPY LAND)
THERE IS A HAPPY LAND (LHP 17, BPC 24, SSL 4, SSL 23, TLW 14)
There is a happy land, far, far away (see THERE IS A HAPPY LAND)
There’s a land that is fairer than day (see SWEET BY AND BY)
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME (BW 9, BPC 30, SSL 32)
There was an old darkey and his name was Uncle Ned (see UNCLE NED)
There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold (see THE NINETY AND NINE)
The stars are rolling in the sky (see THE TREADMILL SONG)
The sun may warm the grass to life (see GENTLE WORDS AND LOVING SMILES)
The sweet little girl, the pretty little girl (see THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME)
This life is a difficult riddle (see WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY)
Though loudly they roar (see PULL FOR THE SHORE)
THREE BLIND MICE (SSL 22, THGY 23)
Three blind mice, see how they run (see THREE BLIND MICE)
Three blind mice! Three blind mice! (see THREE BLIND MICE)
‘Tis the Good Old Way by our fathers trod (see THE GOOD OLD WAY)
To those who are faint and weary (see LEND A HELPING HAND)
TREADMILL SONG, THE (THGY 27)
‘Twas a calm still night (see LILLY DALE)

U

UNCLE JOHN (BPC 21)
Uncle John is sick abed (see UNCLE JOHN)
UNCLE NED (BW 5)
UNCLE SAM’S FARM (SSL 7)

V

     

W

WAIT FOR THE WAGON (BPC 24)
We are going forth with our staff in hand (see THE GOOD OLD WAY)
WEEVILY WHEAT (BPC 41)
We journey along quite contented in life (see KEEP THE HORSE SHOE OVER THE DOOR)
We’ll rally round the flag, boys (see THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM)
We’ll roll the o-old chariot along (see THE OLD CHARIOT)
We’ll weather the blast (see THE EVERGREEN SHORE)
We’re all here, we’re all here (see THE SONG OF THE FREED MEN)
WHAT SHALL THE HARVEST BE? (LTP 23)
When cheerful we meet in our pleasant home (see LEND A HELPING HAND)
When gloomy clouds across the sky (see JESUS HOLDS MY HAND)
When I can read my title clear (see WHEN I CAN READ MY TITLE CLEAR)
WHEN I CAN READ MY TITLE CLEAR (TLW 28)
When I was one and twenty, Nell, and you were seventeen (see THE OLD TIME)
When I was young and single (see I WISH I WAS SINGLE AGAIN)
When Johnnie Comes Marching Home (see WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME)
WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME (BPC 30, BPC 34)
When marshaled on the mighty plane (see THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM)
When Paul and Silas were bound in jail (see THE SONG OF THE FREED MEN)
When the stars are brightly beaming (see THE BEACON-LIGHT OF HOME)
Where are you going, my pretty maid (see NOBODY ASK’D YOU)
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY (TLW 33)
WHIP-POOR-WILL’S SONG, THE (LTP 11)
Why chime the bells so merrily (see THE NEW YEAR’S COME)
Wild roved an Indian maid (see THE BLUE JUNIATA)

X

Y

YANKEE DOODLE (BW 2, FB 16)
Yankee Doodle went to town (see YANKEE DOODLE)
Ye banks and braes and streams around the castle of Montgomery (see HIGHLAND MARY)
Ye banks and braes of Bonnie Doon (see BONNY DOON)
Ye banks and braes of Bonny Doon (see BONNY DOON)
Yes, a brighter morn is breaking (see MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD)
You talk of the mines of Australia (see DON’T LEAVE THE FARM, BOYS)

Z

Note: In some Little House book editions, there are typographical errors in two songs mentioned. In Little House on the Prairie, text lyrics for THE BLUE JUNIATA may begin “Wild roved an Indian main [sic]” (should be maid). This was correct in the Sewell-illustrated editions but is incorrect in most subsequent editions. In all editions of The First Four Years prior to the one with colorized Garth Williams illustrations, in the song ANGEL BAND, text lyrics begin “Angel bank [sic], come and around me stand” (should be band). Corrected first lines for both songs were used in this index.

If you have any corrections to or comments about this prairie song companion, please let me know.

     

Songs from the Little House books – See individual song titles or search by first line from Little House book text
     cowboy songs (LHP 13)