Johnny Cuckoo

Lyrics

(African American folk song)

Class:
Here comes one Johnny Cuckoo, Cuckoo, Cuckoo
Here comes one Johnny Cuckoo
On a cold and stormy night

What did you come for, come for, come for,
What did you come for
On a cold and stormy night

Johnny:
I come for me a soldier, soldier,
I come for me a soldier
On a cold and stormy night

Class:
You look too ragged and dirty, dirty dirty,
You look too ragged and dirty
On a cold and stormy night

Johnny:
I’m just as good as you are, you are, you are,
I’m just as good as you are
On a cold and stormy night

Game

Formation: Students stand in a line facing one student, who is “Johnny Cuckoo.”

Students and Johnny Cuckoo sing back and forth to each other. (See video below.) At the end of the song, Johnny Cuckoo chooses another student, and both of them start the song again, singing “We” instead of “I.”

YouTube

  • Song with chords (PDF)
  • MIDI file
  • Listen to the song

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