Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son

“Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son” is a traditional English nursery rhyme with unknown origins.

There are two versions of this song, a short version which is more popular and a longer version which is believed to be an adaptation of an older written rhyme from 1698. They were both published for the first time in 1795 as a chapbook called “Tom the Piper’s Son”.

“Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son” Lyrics

The modern version

Tom, Tom, the piper’s son,
Stole a pig, and away did run;
The pig was eat
And Tom was beat,
And Tom went crying [or “roaring”, or “howling”, in some versions]
Down the street.

A longer version

Tom, he was a piper’s son,
He learnt to play when he was young,
And all the tune that he could play
Was ‘over the hills and far away’;
Over the hills and a great way off,
The wind shall blow my top-knot off.
Tom with his pipe made such a noise,
That he pleased both the girls and boys,
They all stopped to hear him play,
‘Over the hills and far away’.
Tom with his pipe did play with such skill
That those who heard him could never keep still;
As soon as he played they began for to dance,
Even the pigs on their hind legs would after him prance.
As Dolly was milking her cow one day,
Tom took his pipe and began to play;
So Dolly and the cow danced ‘The Cheshire Round’,
Till the pail was broken and the milk ran on the ground.
He met old Dame Trot with a basket of eggs,
He used his pipe and she used her legs;
She danced about till the eggs were all broke,
She began for to fret, but he laughed at the joke.
Tom saw a cross fellow was beating an ass,
Heavy laden with pots, pans, dishes, and glass;
He took out his pipe and he played them a tune,
And the poor donkey’s load was lightened full soon.