Incy Wincy Spider
Up the water spout, washed out, dried out — and up again
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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Incy Wincy spider
Went up the water spout.
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain,
And Incy Wincy spider
Went up the spout again.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Incy Wincy Spider" (known as "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in North America) is one of the most popular nursery rhymes and action songs in the English-speaking world. The first recorded version of the North American text appeared in Camp and Camino in Lower California in 1910, where it was described as a popular song. The British version, with "Incy Wincy" replacing "Itsy Bitsy", became standard in the United Kingdom through the mid-twentieth century.
The rhyme is performed with hand actions: the spider is represented by alternating thumb-to-index-finger contacts as the hands climb upward; rain falls with wiggling fingers descending; the sun appears with arms raised in a wide arc; and the spider climbs again. These actions make it an ideal early action song for very young children, and it is often one of the first songs a child learns to perform.
The spider's story is one of uncomplicated perseverance. Washed out of the spout by rain, it waits for the sun to dry up the water, then simply goes back up. There is no frustration, no discouragement — just the same attempt, made again, because the spout is there to be climbed.
This quiet lesson in resilience, wrapped in a simple melody and charming actions, has made Incy Wincy one of the enduring classics of nursery culture. Our arrangement is one of the finest in the collection.
