Nicky Nacky Nocky Noo
Put your hand on yourself — a body-part song with a silly refrain
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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
That is my head knocker, my souvenir.
Head knocker, head knocker, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
This is my nose wiper, my souvenir.
Nose wiper, nose wiper, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
This is my chin chopper, my souvenir.
Chin chopper, chin chopper, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
This is my chest bumper, my souvenir.
Chest bumper, chest bumper, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
That is my thigh bumper, my souvenir.
Thigh bumper, thigh bumper, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
That is my knee knocker, my souvenir.
Knee knocker, knee knocker, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
This is my toe tapper, my souvenir.
Toe tapper, toe tapper, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Put my hand on myself, what have I here?
This is my heel wagger, my souvenir.
Heel wagger, heel wagger, nicky nicky nacky noo,
That's what they taught me when I went to school.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Nicky Nacky Nocky Noo" is a traditional body-naming action song in which the singer places a hand on each named body part in turn, giving it an invented compound name — head knocker, nose wiper, chin chopper, chest bumper — before singing the nonsense chorus. The song belongs to a long tradition of songs that teach body parts through action and repetition, making an educational exercise into a game.
The genius of the invented compound names is that they describe what each body part does (or can do) rather than simply naming it. "Head knocker" describes the head's capacity for bumping into things; "nose wiper" describes a child's most familiar interaction with their nose; "chin chopper" is a famous nursery action — the tap under the chin — that accompanies many rhymes. The descriptions are memorably absurd but also, for a small child, exactly right.
"Nicky nicky nacky noo" is pure sound play, a piece of invented nonsense with no literal meaning that gives the song its distinctive character. The claim that "that's what they taught me when I went to school" adds a pleasantly earnest note, as if the singer is entirely confident that this is the correct vocabulary.
The song is endlessly adaptable: performers can add or change body parts and invent new compound names, extending the song as far as the group's imagination and energy allow.
