One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - The Nursery Rhyme Collections

The Nursery Rhymes Collections 1-4 contain a total of 277 children's songs. Each double CD album showcases the highest quality children's music ever recorded with a total playing time in excess of 10 hours!

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (Audio Sample and Lyrics)

One, two, buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen
oh yeah!

Eleven, twelve, dig and delve
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting
Fifteen, sixteen,
maids in the kitchen
Seventeen, eighteen,
maids in waiting
Nineteen, twenty,
my plates empty, yeah!

One two buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten,
do it again,
oh yeah!

One two buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen
oh yeah!

Eleven, twelve, dig and delve
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting
Fifteen, sixteen,
maids in the kitchen
Seventeen, eighteen,
maids in waiting
Nineteen, twenty, my plates empty,
Oh yeah

Words: Traditional
Music: Ian J Watts

Origin and background

The song was first published in Songs for the Nursery, 1805. It was used as a counting rhyme so there is no deeper meaning behind the lines. Historical sources reveal that the song was actually used as early as 1780 in Massachusetts. Most likely, English emigrants took it with them on their way to the United States. This is one of hundreds of example of a nursery rhyme that is considered a national heritage both in England and America. Variations of the rhyme appear in various examples of popular culture, e.g. in Agatha Christie's novel of the same name: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1940) or in the movie „A Nightmare on Elmstreet“ (1984).

Ian Watts has put the rhyme to music using a style that is very different to any other recorded version of the rhyme. Considering the fact that Ian and all musicians featured on this particular recording are members of the UK Kinks Tribute Band The Kinx it's no coincidence that the version reminds of one or two hit records of the famous English band.