And the Green Grass Grows All Around is a traditional American song that is still enjoyed by children today as one of the classics. It’s a great example of a cumulative song which means that each verse relies on the last to build the story. Other popular rhymes which are cumulative include The House That Jack Built and There Once Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly.
The song originates from the Appalachians and is one of many folk songs which have come from the region and have endured. It was first published in 1877 but the melody is typically credited to Harry Von Tizer in 1912.
Some people recognize that the rhyme is very similar to an Irish version called Rattlin Bog but there are also a number of other versions that take inspiration from the original too. The song has been used in TV shows and continues to enjoy popularity in America.
And the Green Grass Grows All Around
… Oh in the woods there was a tree
The prettiest tree
You ever did see
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around
… And on that tree
There was a limb
The prettiest limb
That you ever did see
And the limb was on the tree
And the tree in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around
… And on that limb
There was a branch
The prettiest branch
That you ever did see
And the branch was on the limb,
And the limb was on the tree,
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around
… And on that branch
There was a nest
The prettiest nest
That you ever did see
And the nest was on the branch
And the branch was on the limb
And the limb was on the tree
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around
… And in that nest
There was an egg
The prettiest egg
That you ever did see
And the egg was in the nest
And the nest was on the branch
And the branch was on the limb
And the limb was on the tree
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around
… And in that egg
There was a bird
The prettiest bird
That you ever did see
And the bird was in the egg
And the egg was in the nest
And the nest was on the branch
And the branch was on the limb
And the limb was on the tree
And the tree was in the ground
And the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around