School Days

Nothing to do, Nellie Darling

Nothing to do you say

Let's take a trip on memory's ship

Back to the bygone days

Sail to the old village school house

Anchor outside the school door

Look in and see, there's you and there's me

A couple of kids once more

School days, school days

Dear old golden rule days

Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic

Taught to the tune of the hickory stick

You were my queen in calico

I was your bashful barefoot beau

And you wrote on my slate, I love you, Joe

When we were a couple of kids

'Member the hill, Nellie Darling

And the oak tree that grew on its brow

They've built forty storeys upon that old hill

And the oak's an old chestnut now

'Member the meadows so green, dear

So fragrant with clover and maize

Into new city lots and preferred bus'ness plots

They've cut them up since those days

School days, school days

Dear old golden rule days

Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic

Taught to the tune of the hickory stick

You were my queen in calico

I was your bashful barefoot beau

And you wrote on my slate, I love you, Joe

When we were a couple of kids

TRIVIA

Many of the 1950's jazz recordings of this song

Incorporated nursery rhyme lyrics, such as Humpty Dumpty

Simple Simon, Little Jack Horner and

Mary Had A Little Lamb

School days, school days

Dear old Golden Rule days

Readin' an' writin' an' 'rithmetic

Taught to the tune of a hickory stick

You were my girl in calico

I was your silly bashful beau

Mary had a lamb

His fleece was white as snow

Mary had a little lamb

His fleece was white as snow

Everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go

Humpty, Humpty Dumpty

Sat upon a wall

Humpty Dumpty on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a fall

All the king's horses and his men

Couldn't put Humpty back again

Little Jackie Horner

Sittin' in a corner

Little Jack Horner in a corner

Eatin' his Christmas pie

He stuck in his thumb, pulled out a plum

Said "What a great guy am I"

Simple, Simple Simon

Goin' to the fair

Simple Simon met a pieman goin' to the fair

Said Simple Simon to the pieman

"Let me taste your ware"

Peter, little Peter

Was a pumpkin eater

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater

Had a wife and couldn't keep her

Put her in a pumpkin shell

There he kept her very well

A-ring around of roses, pocket full of posies

Rise, Sally, rise; wipe your weepin' eyes

Little Sally Walker, sittin' in a saucer

Turn to the east, turn to the west

Little Sally Walker, sittin' in a saucer

Turn to the one and have a little fun

Go in and out the window

Go in and out the window

Go home and get your dinner

And hurry back to school

And hurry!