Nursery Rhymes and Children's Songs

Girls and Boys Come Out to Play - Chords, Lyrics and Origins

Origins

Boys and Girls Come Out to Play is an old English nursery rhyme that is included in the Roud Folk Song Index. It dates back at least as far as the early eighteenth century, and perhaps further. Why do the boys and girls come out to play when the moon is shining? Perhaps because they were expected to work during the day, as would have been the case in former times.

acousticmusicarchive · GIrls And Boys Come Out To Play

Chords

Capo at 5th Fret

C            F                  C
Girls and boys, come out to play,

       G7                            C
The moon doth shine as bright as day;



C               F                   C
Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,

       G7                              C
And come with your play-fellows into the street.

G                  C           G
Come with a whoop, come with a call,

D7                                    G
Come with a good will or not at all.


G         C              G
Up the ladder and down the wall,

   D7                         G
A halfpenny loaf will serve us all.

C            F              C
You find milk, and I'll find flour,

        G7                            C
And we'll have a pudding in half an hour.

Lyrics

Girls and boys, come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day;
Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,
And come with your play-fellows into the street.
Come with a whoop, come with a call,
Come with a good will or not at all.
Up the ladder and down the wall,
A halfpenny loaf will serve us all.
You find milk, and I'll find flour,