Lyrics
(American folk song)
There goes a red bird through the window,
through the window, through the window,
There goes a red bird through the window
Down in Alabama.
Refrain
All promenade with your hands on shoulders,
All promenade with your hands on shoulders,
All promenade with your hands on shoulders
Down in Alabama.
Dance / Play Party
Partners stand in concentric circles facing each other. One person is “It” (with no partner).
Verse: There goes a red bird (or sing a color “It” is wearing) = “It” walks in-between the concentric circles while partners clap on the beat. At the last word, “Alabama,” “It” taps someone in the inside circle and takes their place.
Refrain: Students promenade around the circle with one hand on the partner’s shoulder. (The person who was just displaced waits for the verse to start again so they can steal someone’s partner.)
See also
- Country: Southeastern States (US)
- Subject: colors
- Activities: dances
- Form: AB
- Harmony: chords I & V
- Meter: 2
- Scale: major
- Source
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody