Dance to your Daddy, sometimes known as “When the Boat Comes In” is a nursery rhyme first published in 1849 in “Songs of the bards of the Tyne” by Joseph Robson.
It became popular again in the 1970s when a modern version of the song was used as the theme song for the BBC serial “When The Boat Comes In”, so much that nowadays most people know the modern lyrics of the song.
Below you can find both lyrics sets, first the modern version and then the old version published in 1849. Usually only the first two stanzas are sung.
Dance to Your Daddy Lyrics
Modern lyrics
Dance to your Daddy, my little laddie
Dance to your Daddy my little man
Dance to your Daddy sing to your mommy
Dance to your Daddy my little man
You shall have a fishy on a little dishy
You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in
You shall have a herring on a little dishy
You shall have a herring when the boat comes in
Come here me little Jacky
Now aw’ve smoked mi backy
Have a bit o’ cracky
Till the boat comes in
Dance to your Daddy sing to your mammy
Dance to your Daddy my little man
You shall have a fishy on a little dishy
You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in
You shall have a mackerel on a little dishy
You shall have a mackerel when the boat comes in
Dance to your Daddy my little laddie
Dance to your Daddy my little man
Dance to your Daddy sing to your mommy
Dance to your Daddy my little man
You shall have a fishy on a little dishy
You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in
You shall have a herring on a little dishy
You shall have a herring when the boat comes in
Traditional Lyrics
Come here, my little Jacky
Now I’ve smoked my backey
Let’s have a bit crackey
Till the boat comes in
Chorus:
Dance to thy daddy, sing to thy mammy,
Dance to thy daddy, to thy mammy sing;
Thou shalt have a fishy on a little dishy,
Thou shalt have a fishy when the boat comes in.
Here’s thy mother humming,
Like a canny woman;
Yonder comes thy father,
Drunk – he cannot stand.
Chorus
Our Tommy’s always fuddling,
He’s so fond of ale,
But he’s kind to me,
I hope he’ll never fail.
Chorus
I like a drop mysel’,
When I can get it sly,
And thou, my bonny bairn,
Will lik’t as well as I.
Chorus
May we get a drop,
Oft as we stand in need;
And weel may the keel row
That brings the bairns their bread.
Chorus