Mary Had a Little Lamb
from the MMF! Songbook

History
The words of the American nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb were inspired by an actual story. Young Mary Sawyer decided to take her little lamb to school one day at the suggestion of her brother. Visiting Mary's school that day was a young man that was very taken by the presence of the lamb. The next day he returned to the little red school house and handed Mary a piece of paper with the three original stanzas written upon it.

The Redstone School built in 1798, believed to be the school house mentioned in the rhyme, is now located in Sudbury, Massachusetts. In the town center of Mary's home in Sterling, Massachusetts stands a statue of Mary's lamb.

In the first recording of the human voice in 1877, Thomas Edison recited Mary Had a Little Lamb. He re-recorded it again in 1927 for posterity. Listen to Thomas Edison's recording of Mary Had a Little Lamb at MamaLisa.com.

Lyrics
Mary had a little lamb,
its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play,
to see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,
but still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
till Mary did appear.

"Why does the lamb love Mary so?"
the eager children cry;
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know",
the teacher did reply.

Alternate 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 rules.

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

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

And waited patiently about,
patiently about, patiently about,
And waited patiently about,
till Mary did appear.

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

"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know."
The lamb, you know, the lamb, you know,
"Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know,"
the teacher did reply.

Free Sheet Music
Mary Had a Little Lamb for Easy/Level 2 Piano Solo

Free Desktop Wallpaper
Mary Had a Little Lamb 'Fun Facts' Desktop Wallpaper

Sign up to receive the MakingMusicFun.net Newsletter so you don't miss a thing!