Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
The most beloved lullaby in the world, with all four original verses
Listen
Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the earth so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
In the dark blue sky you keep,
While you through my window peep,
And you never shut your eye,
'Till the sun is in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is one of the most widely known children's songs in the world. The lyrics are based on a poem by Jane Taylor, published in 1806 in a collection called Rhymes for the Nursery, written jointly with her sister Ann. The original poem, "The Star," ran to five verses, though only the first and last are typically sung today. Jane Taylor's opening verse — "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, / How I wonder what you are" — is among the most quoted lines in children's literature.
The melody is a French air published in 1761, originally a theme and variations by Mozart in 1781-82 (his Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, maman"), though the connection to the Taylor poem came later, in the early nineteenth century. The same melody is shared with the "Alphabet Song" and "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep."
This recording includes all four verses from the Nursery Rhymes Collections arrangement, giving the song its full scope: the blazing sun going down, the star peeping through the window, and the final diamond image that mirrors the opening. It is one of the most recorded and most recognised songs in human history, and it remains as quietly wonderful as it ever was.
