Do Re Mi
Mary Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fa (fa) so (so) la (la) ti (ti) do (do)
Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do!
(Do!) doe, a deer, a female deer
(Re!) ray, a drop of golden sun
(Mi!) me, a name I call myself
(So!) sew, a needle pulling thread
(La!) la, a note to follow so
(Ti!) tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to do oh oh oh
Do! (a deer, a female deer)
Re! (a drop of golden sun)
Mi! (a name I call myself)
Fa! (a long, long way to run)
So! (a needle pulling thread)
La! (a note to follow so)
Ti!(a drink with jam and bread)
That will bring us back to do
A deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow so
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to do
Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do!
Do, ti, la, so, fa, mi, re, do!
Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do!
So, do!
The song "Do Re Mi" by Mary Martin A.O. is a playful tune that teaches the solfege system - a common method of teaching vocal music. The song begins with the solfege scale, introducing each note in turn until it reaches the octave, where it starts over again. The lyrics then use each solfege syllable as a starting point for a rhyming phrase, with each phrase representing a different aspect of the world around us.
The first verse starts off with "Do, a deer, a female deer" and goes on to represent the animal world. Ray, a drop of golden sun represents the natural world, while "Me, a name I call myself" represents personal identity. "Far, a long, long way to run" suggests distance and travel, while "Sew, a needle pulling thread" brings in the realm of human creation. La, a note to follow so represents music itself, while "Tea, a drink with jam and bread" suggests the comforts of home. Finally, the song ties it all together with the idea that all these different aspects of the world can be brought into harmony through music.
Line by Line Meaning
Do, a deer, a female deer
Start with the first note, and associate it with a deer, which is a female deer.
Ray, a drop of golden sun
The second note is associated with the sun which is described as a drop of golden light.
Me, a name I call myself
The third note is associated with the singer's name, which she uses to identify herself.
Far, a long, long way to run
The fourth note is associated with distance, specifically a long distance that needs to be covered by running.
Sew, a needle pulling thread
The fifth note is associated with sewing, specifically a needle that pulls a thread through fabric.
La, a note to follow so
The sixth note is associated with the musical note that comes after 'so'.
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
The seventh note is associated with tea, specifically a drink that is often accompanied by jam and bread.
That will bring us back to do
Returning to the first note or 'do' after singing the previous notes creates a musical loop.
Do, a deer, a female deer
The same association as the first line, but this time without any additional context.
Re, a drop of golden sun
The same association as the second line, but this time without any additional context.
Mi, a name I call myself
The same association as the third line, but this time without any additional context.
Fa, a long, long way to run
The same association as the fourth line, but this time without any additional context.
So, a needle pulling thread
The same association as the fifth line, but this time without any additional context.
La, a note to follow so
The same association as the sixth line, but this time without any additional context.
Ti, a drink with jam and bread
The same association as the seventh line, but this time without any additional context.
That will bring us back to do
The same association as the eighth line, but this time without any additional context.
Do, ti, la, so, fa, mi, re, do!
Repeating the notes in reverse order creates a musical phrase that leads back to the starting note.
Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do!
Singing all the notes in order creates a musical scale that ends with the starting note.
So, do!
Singing the last two notes in sequence creates a satisfying musical resolution.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Oscar II Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind