Pop Goes the Weasel ✧
The familiar dance strain from an 1853 score, with a playful leap and a pause on “Pop!”
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0:000:19
Sheet music
Tap a staff note or finger tab to hear it.
Main strain · first time
Main strain · second time
D whistle · D major · 6/8 · 100 BPM · + upper octave
Closed holeOpen holeHalf hole+Upper octave
Main strain · first time
Main strain · second time
Lyrics
Traditional sung refrain · Porter’s 1853 dance score
The early dance score prints this short refrain only.
Pop goes the weasel!
About this tune
Pop Goes the Weasel circulated as a dance tune before becoming a nursery favorite. An 1853 Philadelphia piano edition arranged by Jas. W. Porter includes instructions for the dancers.
That edition marks the familiar “Pop goes the weasel” line to be sung. A high note and a brief silence give the refrain its playful surprise.