Version 1
Lyrics
(Southern American folk song)
Where oh where is dear little Nellie? (repeat twice)
Way down yonder in the paw paw* patch.
A paw paw is a fruit. (source)
Version 2
Lyrics
(Southern American folk song)
1. Where oh where is pretty little Susie?
Where oh where is pretty little Susie?
Where oh where is pretty little Susie?
Way down yonder in the paw paw patch.
2. Come on boys, let’s go find her,
Come on boys, let’s go find her,
Come on boys, let’s go find her
Way down yonder in the paw paw patch.
3. Picking’ up paw paws, putting’ ’em in her pockets…
Dance
Formation: Students stand in two lines (Line 1 & Line 2), all facing forward.
- Verse 1 = Student 1 in Line 2 walks clockwise around Line 2 and Line 1 and back to original spot.
- Verse 2 = Same student walks around again, this time with all of the students in Line 1 following behind.
- Verse 3 = Line 1 walks counterclockwise to the bottom of the line and back up again to the same spots at the same time as Line 2 walks clockwise to the bottom of their line and back up again to the same spots. When the first student of each line meets in their original spots again, they face each other, join hands, and form an arch. The rest of the students go under the arch and go around each line again and back up to where they started. The first student in each line goes to the bottom of the lines and there is a new student in the front of each line.
See also
- Country: US
- Activity: line dance
- Harmony: I, V / Orff / partner song
- Melody: dominant triad / tonic triad
- Meter: 2
- Rhythm:
(version 1) / 
(version 2) - Scale: major
- Source: Handy Play Party Book, Lynn Rohrbough, Co-operative Recreational Service, 1940
- Similar tune: Mähunga Pakahiwi
- Kodaly-based interactive curriculum with this song
YouTube
or purchase here (printables only)
- Printable & Digital Visuals
- PDF of song with chords + Lesson ideas
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
