Baa baa Black Sheep
Ken Whiteley; Raffi Lyrics
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Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
One for my master and one for my dame
One for the little boy who lives down the lane
Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
Baa baa white sheep have you any wool?
One for my master and one for my dame
One for the little girl who lives down the lane
Baa baa white sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
The lyrics to Ken Whiteley/Raffi's song Baa Baa Black Sheep are a simple folk song in which the singer is addressing a black sheep and a white sheep and asking if they have any wool. The black sheep replies that yes, it has three bags full of wool, and each bag is intended for different individuals - one for the master, one for the dame, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane. The white sheep similarly replies that it has three bags full of wool intended for the master, the dame, and the little girl who lives down the lane.
The lyrics of this song appear to be a representation of the feudal system that existed in England during the Middle Ages. In those times, the lord of the manor had control over the land, and the peasants who worked the land were required to pay rent in the form of goods or labor. The wool from the sheep was a valuable commodity and was often taxed by the lord of the manor. Therefore, the three bags of wool mentioned in the song were likely a representation of the three entities that the sheep's wool was owed to, as a part of the feudal system.
Line by Line Meaning
Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?
Asking the sheep if he has any wool
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
The sheep replying to the question by confirming that he has 3 bags full of wool
One for my master and one for my dame
One bag of wool is for the sheep's owner, the master of the farm
One for the little boy who lives down the lane
Another bag of wool is for the boy who lives near the farm
Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?
Repeating the same question asked before to confirm if the sheep still has wool
Baa baa white sheep have you any wool?
Asking the same question to a different sheep, who is white in color
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
The white sheep replying to the question by confirming that he also has 3 bags full of wool
One for my master and one for my dame
As before, one bag of wool is for the white sheep's owner, the master of the farm
One for the little girl who lives down the lane
Another bag of wool is for the girl who lives near the farm
Baa baa white sheep have you any wool?
Repeating the question asked earlier to confirm if the white sheep still has wool
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional
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