There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - Burl Ives

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly,

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 guess she’ll die.

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.