The Muffin Man - 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!

The Muffin Man (Audio Sample and Lyrics)

Do you know the muffin man
The muffin man, the muffin man?
Do you know the man
Who sells his muffins on the street?

Do you know the muffin man
The muffin, muffin, muffin man?
Do you know the muffin man?
His wares are such a treat

Oh, yes, I know the muffin man
The muffin man, the muffin man
Yes, I know the muffin man
He lives in Drury Lane

Yes, I know the muffin man
The muffin, muffin, muffin man
Yes, I know the muffin man
He lives in Drury Lane

We all know the muffin man
The muffin man, the muffin man
We all know the man
Who sells his muffins on the street

We all know the muffin man
The muffin, muffin, muffin man
We all know the muffin man
His wares are such a treat

Words & Music: Traditional
Arrangement: Ian J Watts/Mike Wilbury

See an interview with Phil Rostance about the making of 'The Muffin Man'

This song was released on The Nursery Rhyme Collection 1

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Origin and background

Regarding many traditional nursery rhymes it is difficult to tell where they originated and what they are all about. This song is certainly an exception to the rule as we can easiliy recreate the historical context of this little tune. First, let's talk about the muffins. The song doesn't refer to the little cakes (called "Madeleine" in France) but it refers to cookies made of yeast dough. In the 18th century this kind of cookies was sold on the street by muffin men. To attract people's attention the muffin man would ring a bell. This was prohibited in England around 1840. The street "Drury Lane", to which the song refers to, is a street in London that still exists.

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