Mary Had a Little Lamb Lyrics

"Mary Had a Little Lamb" is one of the most enduring and beloved nursery rhymes in American culture. First published in 1830, this charming poem tells the story of a young girl and her devoted pet lamb that follows her to school. What makes this rhyme particularly special is that it's based on a true story that took place in Sterling, Massachusetts, in the early 1800s. The simple, repetitive verses have made it a favorite for young children learning to read and sing, and it holds the unique distinction of being the first words ever recorded on Thomas Edison's phonograph in 1877.

Complete Lyrics

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.
Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went. Mary went. Mary went.
And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day.
It followed her to school one day, which was against the rule.

It made the children laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play.
It made the children laugh and play to see the lamb at school.

And so the teacher sent it out, sent it out, sent it out.
And so the teacher sent it out, but still it lingered near.

It stood and waited round about, round about, round about.
It stood and waited round about, till Mary did appear.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so, Mary so, Mary so?
Why does the lamb love Mary so?" the little children cry.

A little bit of history

The popular children's rhyme, "Mary Had a Little Lamb," has an interesting history rooted in a real-life incident that occurred in the early 19th century. The generally accepted story centers on Mary Elizabeth Sawyer, who was born in Sterling, Massachusetts, in 1806. When Mary was a child, she rescued and nursed a sickly, abandoned lamb back to health. The lamb grew incredibly attached to her, following her devotedly everywhere she went.

The famous event that inspired the verses happened when the lamb followed Mary to the one-room Redstone Schoolhouse one day. The commotion caused by the animal entering the classroom, against the school rules, caused the teacher to turn it out. However, the patient lamb lingered nearby until Mary reappeared, which inspired an upperclassman named John Roulstone, who was visiting the school, to quickly pen a few lines about the incident.

Years later, the well-known American writer, editor, and advocate for Thanksgiving as a national holiday, Sarah Josepha Hale, published the poem under the title "Mary's Lamb" in her 1830 collection, Poems for Our Children. Hale expanded on the original verses, adding a moralistic stanza at the end to emphasize the importance of kindness and its reward in loyal attachment. Although there has been debate over the years regarding the precise authorship of the initial stanzas—between Roulstone and Hale—it is Hale's published, longer version that gained widespread popularity. The rhyme was further cemented in history in 1877 when Thomas Edison famously used it as the first words ever recorded on his newly invented phonograph, making it a critical landmark in the history of recorded sound.

Memorizing Mary Had a Little Lamb

The seven verses of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" tell a complete story with a clear narrative structure, making it easier to memorize:

  1. Verses 1-2: Introduce Mary and her devoted lamb that follows her everywhere
  2. Verses 3-4: Describe the lamb following Mary to school and the children's reaction
  3. Verses 5-6: Tell how the teacher sent the lamb out and how it waited for Mary
  4. Verse 7: Poses the question about why the lamb loves Mary so much

The repetitive phrase structure (repeating words three times) is a key mnemonic device that makes this rhyme memorable. Practice with the Lines app to master all seven verses of this historic nursery rhyme.