The Gingerbread Man rhyme comes from the Gingerbread Man fairy tale that tells us about how a Gingerbread Man managed to escape from a number of different people as they tried to eat it. The ending of the rhyme sees the gingerbread man being eaten by a fox and we are reminded about how cunning these creatures are.
The original tale of the Gingerbread Man was released in 1875 and has been updated and reimagined many times since, with references to the gingerbread man in popular culture and films such as Shrek.
The reason that this rhyme is popular is that it slowly builds pace as the gingerbread man escapes each person or animal, returning back to the catchy rhyme he shouts as he escapes. Many children have loved listening to the tale of the gingerbread man and look forward to shouting out the rhyme until the tale reaches the climatic moment.
Gingerbread Man Lyrics
Run, run, run as fast as you can.
You’ll never catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.
I ran from the baker and his wife too.
You’ll never catch me, not any of you.
The baker made a boy one day
Who leapt from the oven ready to play.
He and his wife were ready to eat
The gingerbread man who had run down the street.
Run, run, run as fast as you can,
You’ll never catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.
I ran from the baker and his wife too.
You’ll never catch me, not any of you.
Then came a pig and cow and hare
Who joined in the chase around the square.
They were all hungry and ready to eat,
But that gingerbread man was too quick on his feet.
Run, run, run as fast as you can,
You’ll never catch me, I’m the gingerbread man
I ran from the baker and his wife too
You’ll never catch me, not any of you
He came to a pond that blocked his path
And gingerbread men don’t like to bath.
Out jumped a fox who said, “hop on,
I will take you safely across the pond.”
Run, run, run as fast as you can.
You’ll never catch me, I’m the gingerbread man.
I ran from the baker and his wife too.
You’ll never catch me, not any of you.
He climbed up onto the fox’s back,
Who licked his lips and wanted to snack.
He climbed onto the fox’s head,
Who loved the taste of gingerbread.
Run, run, run as fast as you can.
You’ll never catch me I’m the gingerbread man.
He trusted the fox to help his plan
And that was the end of the gingerbread man