I Know An Old Lady
Alan Mills Lyrics
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I don't know why he swallowed a fly.
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a spider
That wriggled and wriggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why he swallowed the fly.
I know an old lady who swallowed a bird.
Now, how absurd to swallow a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and wriggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why he swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a cat!
Now, fancy that--to swallow a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
Swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and wriggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why he swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a dog!
My, what a hog to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
Swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
Swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and wriggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why he swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a goat.
She just opened her throat and in walked the goat!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
Swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
Swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
Swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and wriggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why he swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a cow.
I don't know how, but she swallowed a cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat,
Swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
Swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
Swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
Swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and wriggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
But I don't know why he swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a horse.
She died, of course.
"I Know An Old Lady" is a popular children's song that originated in North America. It tells the story of an old woman who swallows a series of animals, gradually getting larger and more absurd, culminating with swallowing a horse and subsequently dying. The lyrics describe the rationale behind each animal swallowed- beginning with a fly, followed by a spider, bird, cat, dog, goat, cow, and horse. The song's narrative is simple and nonsensical, which is part of its appeal to young children. However, its nonsensical storyline has led to various interpretations, including one about overeating, the dangers of gluttony and so on.
One interpretation of the song 'I Know An Old Lady' is that it may be a satire on the popular belief at the time in the efficacy of using animals to cure diseases. In the song, the old lady swallows various animals hoping to remedy the effects of the previous one she swallowed. The song could also be envisaged as a caution against overeating since the old lady dies eventually due to her excessive consumption. The lines "I don't know why she swallowed the fly" that reoccur throughout the song may be interpreted as a criticism of people who take actions without considering the consequences.
Another interpretation of the song is that it was originally created as a cumulative game, where each verse is followed by rapid repitition of all the previous verses. This repetition aspect of the song could be used as a tool to improve children's memory and recall capabilities.
Line by Line Meaning
I know an old lady who swallowed a fly,
I am acquainted with an elderly woman who ingested a fly.
I don't know why he swallowed a fly.
I am uncertain as to why she swallowed said fly.
I guess she'll die.
It is probable that her ingestion of the fly will result in her demise.
I know an old lady who swallowed a spider
I have knowledge of an elderly woman who consumed a spider.
That wriggled and wriggled and tickled inside her.
The arachnid squirmed and writhed and caused a tickling sensation within her body.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
She ate the spider in order to capture the previously mentioned fly.
Now, how absurd to swallow a bird.
It is quite ridiculous to ingest a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
Her consumption of the bird was an attempt to acquire the aforementioned spider.
Now, fancy that--to swallow a cat!
Well, that is quite remarkable--to eat a feline!
Swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
The act of swallowing the cat was an effort to capture the previously mentioned bird.
My, what a hog to swallow a dog!
Oh my, how gluttonous it is to consume a canine!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
Her consumption of the dog was an attempt to acquire the previously mentioned cat.
She just opened her throat and in walked the goat!
She simply widened her esophagus, and the goat strolled right in!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog,
Her act of swallowing the goat was an attempt to capture the previously mentioned dog.
I don't know how, but she swallowed a cow!
I am unsure of the method, but she somehow ate a cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat,
Her consuming of the bovine was an effort to acquire the previously mentioned goat.
She died, of course.
As one might expect, her ingestion of the horse ultimately resulted in her death.
Contributed by Avery Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.