Go Tell Aunt Rhody ✧
Five first-octave notes make a gentle exercise in repeated notes and small steps.
Sheet music
Tap a staff note or finger tab to hear it.
One verse
D whistle · D major · 4/4 · 100 BPM · + upper octave
One verse
Lyrics
Traditional American folk song
A traditional five-verse singing version. Return to the first verse at the end.
Go tell Aunt Rhody Go tell Aunt Rhody Go tell Aunt Rhody That the old gray goose is dead.
The one she's been saving The one she's been saving The one she's been saving To make a feather bed.
The old gander's weeping The old gander's weeping The old gander's weeping Because his wife is dead.
And the goslings are mourning And the goslings are mourning And the goslings are mourning Because their mother's dead.
She died in the mill-pond She died in the mill-pond She died in the mill-pond From standing on her head.
About this tune
Go Tell Aunt Rhody is a familiar folk song that circulates in several melodic variants. The words deliver news about the death of an old gray goose.
The melody is compact and repetitive, with small changes answering the opening phrase. Its plain, direct movement gives the song a storytelling quality.