POP GOES THE WEASEL American
PRONUNCIATION: PAHP gohs thuh WEE-zuhl TRANSLATION: The weasel is the center person in a trio who "pops" forward to the next couple. SOURCE: Dick Oakes learned this dance in 5th grade in his hometown. BACKGROUND: The "Pop Goes the Weasel" tune is used for a great variety of activities by all age groups. It may be used for squares, couple dances, trios, and play parties. This is the trio version, which is different from the contra and square versions that may also be danced to this music. In the mid-nineteenth century, the dance began appearing both on sheet music and in dance manuals and was hugely popular with children and adults alike. MUSIC: RCA (45rpm) 45-6180
RCA (45epa) EPA-4138 B
Folk Dancer (45rpm) MH 45-1501 BFORMATION: Sets of three, preferably one boy and two girls, inside hands joined. All sets face counter-clockwise around the hall. METER/RHYTHM: 2/4 STEPS/STYLE: Walking. Smile at your partners!
MEAS MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION 1-4 No action. THE DANCE 1-4 All walk forward, singing
"'Round and 'round the cobbler's shop the monkey chased the weasel."5-6 Sets of dancers join hands in a circle of three and walk left around, singing
"In and out and 'round about."7-8 The center dancer of the trio is "popped" under an arch formed by the outside dancers and on to the next couple for the next repetition, singing
"Pop! goes the weasel."Repeat entire dance from beg.
POP GOES THE WEASEL
America
'Round and 'round the cobbler's bench
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A half a pound of tupenny rice,
A half a pound of treacle,
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
Up and down the London road,
In and out of the Eagle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! Goes the weasel.
I've no time to plead and pine,
I've no time to wheedle,
Kiss me quick and then I'm gone,
Pop! Goes the weasel.1853, Arranged by Chas. Wiggs Esq., New York.
OTHER LYRICS
'Round and 'round the cobbler's shop
The monkey chased the weasel,
In and out and 'round about
Pop! goes the weasel.
Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
All around the Mulberry Bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to pull up his sock,
Pop! goes the weasel.
Put some pepper on its nose,
And you'll make it sneeze-l,
Catch it fast before it snaps,
Pop! goes the weasel.
All around the Mulberry Bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to scratch his nose,
Pop! goes the weasel.
Up and down the city road,
In and out the Eagle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
Up and down the King's Highway,
In and out the Eagle,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
For you may try to sew and sew,
But you'll never make anything regal,
That’s the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
The monkey and the weasel fought,
The weasel's really feeble,
The monkey punched him in the face,
Pop! goes the weasel.
Every time when I come home,
The monkey's on the table,
Cracking nuts and eating spice
Pop! goes the weasel.
Every time when I come home
The monkey's on the table,
Take a stick and knock it off
Pop! goes the weasel.
Johnny's got the whooping cough,
Mary's got the measles,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
You may try to sew and sew,
And never make anything regal,
So roll it up and let it go,
Pop! goes the weasel.
A painter would his lover to paint,
He stood before the easel,
The monkey jumped all over the paint,
Pop! goes the weasel.
When his sweetheart she did laugh,
His temper got so lethal,
He tore the painting up in half,
Pop! goes the weasel.
My son and I went to the fair,
We saw a lot of people,
We spent a lot of money there,
Pop! goes the weasel.
I got sick from all the sun,
My sonny boy got the measles,
Still we had a lot of fun,
Pop! goes the weasel.
I climbed up and down the coast,
To find a golden eagle,
I climbed the rocks and thought I was close,
Pop! goes the weasel.
But, alas, I lost my way,
Saw nothing but a seagull,
I tore my pants and killed the day,
Pop! goes the weasel.
I went to the grocery store,
I thought a little cheese'll,
Be good to catch a mouse on the floor,
Pop! goes the weasel.
But the mouse was very bright,
He wasn't a mouse to wheedle,
He took the cheese and said "Good night,"
Pop! goes the weasel.
A penny for a cotton ball,
A penny for a needle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
If you want to buy a pig,
Buy a pig with hairs on,
Every hair a penny a pair,
Pop! goes the weasel.
I've no time to wait and sigh,
I've no time to tease-l,
Kiss me quick, I'm off, goodbye!,
Pop! goes the weasel.CONTEMPORARY VERSES IN THE UNITED STATES CONSIST MAINLY OF THE FOLLOWING:
All around the or cobbler's bench,
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun,
Pop! goes the weasel.
All around the mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun,
Pop! goes the weasel.
All around the cobbler's bench,
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought 'twas all in good sport,
Pop! goes the weasel.
All around the mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought 'twas all in good sport,
Pop! goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop! goes the weasel.
Copyright © 2012 by Dick Oakes