I Wonder Where Maria’s Gone

folk song / traditional

Lyrics

(American folk song)

1. I wonder where Maria’s gone,
I wonder where Maria’s gone,
I wonder where Maria’s gone
So early in the morning.

2. She/he has gone and I can’t go (repeat twice)
So early in the morning.

3. Yonder she/he comes, “How do you do?” (repeat twice)
So early in the morning.

4. Give her/him a wave and march on through, (repeat twice)
So early in the morning.

5. Swing to the right, then to the left, (repeat twice)
So early in the morning.

6. Now we’ll promenade, one two three, (repeat twice)
So early in the morning.

Dance

Formation: Students stand in two lines with partners facing each other (line A and line B). The leader of line A is “Maria” (substitute student’s name).

Verse 1 = “Maria” (and the rest of line A) walks around behind the leader of line B and all of the students in line B and heads back to where they started.
Verse 2 = “Maria’s” partner (and the rest of Line B) follows line A and ends up back where they started.
Verse 3 = All partners join hands in skating position (see image H here) and follows the head partners around toward the bottom of the line and back up to where they started.
Verse 4 = All partners join hands high to join an arch (except for head partners). Head partners go under the arch toward the bottom of the lines and back up again, where they each go around behind their own line to join the bottom of the lines.
Verse 5 = Partners do right arm, then left arm swings. (Note: Sing the lyrics that the students are able to do. Consider singing, “Swing to the right, swing to the right, swing to the left, swing to the left, swing to the right, swing to the right, early in the morning.” It would be less swinging back and forth!
Verse 6 = Promenade toward the top of the lines and around back down and end up where they started. (optional)