
Info
As early as 1898, this song was sung by American sailors. (source)
Lyrics
(Folk song)
I went to the animal fair,
The birds and the beasts were there,
The big baboon by the light of the moon
Was combing his auburn hair,
The monkey bumped the skunk
And fell on the elephant’s trunk;
The elephant sneezed and fell to his knees,
And what became of the monk,
The monk, the monk, the monk, the monk,
The monk, the monk, the monk, the monk?
See also
- Subject: animal
- Harmony: Orff arrangements / chords I V
- Melody: repeated tones / high and low do / ti
- Meter: 6/8
- Rhythm: steady beat
- Scale: hexatonic
- Tones: dmfslt
- Sources: Wee Sing Silly Songs, Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp, Price Stern Sloan, 1982 / The American Songbag, Carl Sandburg, Harcout Brace and Company, 1927
- additional lyrics
YouTube
or purchase here (printables only)
- Printable & Digital Visuals


- PDF of song with chords + Lesson ideas + Orff arrangement
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song


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