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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
The animals went in two by two,
The elephant and the kangaroo,
And they all went into the ark,
For to get out of the rain.
The animals went in three by three,
The wasp, the ant and the bumble bee,
And they all went into the ark,
For to get out of the rain.
The animals went in four by four,
The great hippopotamus stuck in the door,
And they all went into the ark,
For to get out of the rain.
The animals went in five by five,
They warmed each other to keep alive,
And they all went into the ark,
For to get out of the rain.
The animals went in six by six,
They turned out the monkey because of his tricks,
And they all went into the ark,
For to get out of the rain.
The animals went in seven by seven,
The little pig thought he was going to heaven,
And they all went into the ark,
For to get out of the rain.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"The Animals Went in Two by Two" — sometimes known as "The Animals Marched in Two by Two" or "The Ants Go Marching" — is a traditional counting song built around the story of Noah's Ark. It first appeared in recognisable form in the mid-nineteenth century and has remained a favourite of nurseries and primary school music lessons ever since.
The song's structure uses the animals boarding the ark as a vehicle for counting: two by two, three by three, up through seven by seven (and in some versions higher). Each number brings new animals and a rhyming detail — the hippopotamus stuck in the door, the monkey turned out for his tricks, the little pig convinced he is going to heaven. These comic specifics give the counting song a narrative life beyond the numbers.
The biblical story of Noah provides a ready-made drama for children: a great flood, a wooden boat, every kind of animal, and a family doing their best to preserve the world. The rhyme treats the story as an adventure story rather than a theological one, which is why it has remained so appealing across different backgrounds and traditions.
Our arrangement gives the march of the animals the rousing, energetic treatment this well-loved song deserves.
