Billy Boy facts for kids
"Billy Boy" is a classic folk song and nursery rhyme from the United States. In the song, a character named "Billy Boy" is asked many questions. His answers are all about his wish to marry a girl who some say is too young.
About "Billy Boy"
This song is a very old traditional tune. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as number 326. This index helps keep track of folk songs from around the world. "Billy Boy" is actually a different version of an English folk song called "My Boy Billy." A famous music collector named Ralph Vaughan Williams gathered this song. He published it in 1912 in a book called Novello's School Songs.
Famous Versions of "Billy Boy"
Over the years, many different versions of "Billy Boy" have been recorded. Some of these versions add many more verses. They describe all sorts of things the girl in the song can do, beyond just making a cherry pie.
- A longer version of the song was collected by Alan Lomax and John Avery Lomax. They were famous for collecting American folk songs. This version appears in their book American Ballads and Folk Songs. In their version, the girl Billy Boy wants to marry is named Betsy Jane.
- The famous musician Jerry Lee Lewis released his own version of "Billy Boy." It was part of his 1975 album, Rare, Vol. 1.
- Jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal also played the song. He included it on his 1951 album, Poinciana.
- Another jazz legend, Miles Davis, covered Ahmad Jamal's version. You can find it on Miles Davis's 1958 album, Milestones.
