Song Video
Information About There Was a Crooked Man
There Was a Crooked Man is a children's song that was probably first brought to the public via James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps. a Shakespearean actor and collector of children's rhymes. He was especially fond of English children's rhymes and fairy tales. Halliwell-Phillipps was born in 1820, and after being privately educated, dedicated his life to scholarly pursuits, eventually publishing over sixty books.
In the rhyme, the crooked man found a crooked sixpence, upon a crooked stile. The sixpence was a common coin in England, worth 1/40th of a pound. The pound is the primary currency in England, like the dollar is in the United States. In old-time England, a "stile" was a set of steps, used to climb over the top of a fence. The song creates some funny pictures, to think of a crooked man with a coin this is bent, some crooked steps, and a funny shaped cat and mouse, all living together in a house that was leaning to one side. For more details about Mother Goose stories click here.
Alternative Lyrics & Related Songs
Here are additional lyrics you can use alone or add it on to make a longer version
Uh, Huh, Oh no, Don't let the rain come down.
Uh, huh, Oh no, don't let the rain come down.
Un, huh, Oh no, don't let the rain come down,
my roofs got a whole in it and I might drown.
Oh yes, my roofs got a hole in it and I might drown.
You can add this additional verse to the chorus
Oh, No, don't let the rain come down,
don't let the rain come down
The roof's got a hole in it
And I might drown.
This version talks about a crooked little man who tried to fix his roof
Well, this crooked little man and his crooked little smile
Took his crooked sixpence and he walked a crooked mile
Bought some crooked nails and a crooked little bat
Tried to fix his roof with a rat-tat-tat-tat-tat.
CHORUS.
Now this crooked little man and his crooked cat and mouse
They all live together in a crooked little house
Has a crooked door with a crooked little latch
Has a crooked roof with a crooked little patch.
Here's a longer version that has a lot of different verses and you can even add simple actions to the words
"There was a crooked man
Was once a little lad
He hadn't any mother
And he hadn't any dad
He hadn't any home or a family tree
Where did he come from?
Don't ask me!
This little crooked lad
Grew up to be a man
One leg stopped where the other began
He hobbled with a stick
For a whole crooked mile
And found a crooked sixpence
Upon a crooked style.
He ran to the shop
And a tinkle went the bell
"Good morning to you missus
And what do you sell?"
"I've candy, and a barrow, and black silk hat ?"
"None of those, thank you
I'll buy a crooked cat.
. .
They [hibbled] and they [hobbled]
But they couldn't keep in step
"Right turn" said the crooked cat
They turned to the left
Till it brought them at last
To a crooked little house
And he lived there forever
With the pussy, and the mouse".
Here's a rather long version that has a lot of elements from the other version listed above
Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man) - Serendipity Singers
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown
Oh, yes, my roof's got a hole in it and I might drown.
There was a crooked man and he had a crooked smile
Had a crooked sixpence and he walked a crooked mile
Had a crooked cat and he had a crooked mouse
They all lived together in a crooked little house.
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown
Oh, yes, my roof's got a hole in it and I might drown.
Well, this crooked little man and his crooked little smile
Took his crooked sixpence and he walked a crooked mile
Bought some crooked nails and a crooked little bat
Tried to fix his roof with a rat-tat-tat-tat-tat.
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown
Oh, yes, my roof's got a hole in it and I might drown.
Now this crooked little man and his crooked cat and mouse
They all live together in a crooked little house
Has a crooked door with a crooked little latch
Has a crooked roof with a crooked little patch.
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown
Oh, yes, my roof's got a hole in it and I might drown.
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
Ah, ah Oh, no, don't let the rain come down
My roof's got a hole in it my roof's got a hole in it
My roof's got a hole in it and I. . might. . drown.