Bingo (folk song) facts for kids

"Bingo", also known as "Bingo Was His Name-O", is a super popular children's song in English. It's about a farmer and his dog named Bingo. The cool thing about this song is how you sing it: you replace letters with claps as you go through the verses! It's a fun way to learn letters and rhythm. This song is so old that no one knows exactly who wrote it. It's listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as number 589, which helps keep track of traditional songs.

How to Sing "Bingo"

The most common way people sing "Bingo" today involves a farmer and his dog. Each verse of the song removes one letter from the dog's name, and you clap instead!

Here are the lyrics that most people know:

There was a farmer had a dog,
and Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
and Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
and Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
and Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
and Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-O
And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
and Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)
And Bingo was his name-o.

The History of "Bingo"

The song "Bingo" has been around for a very long time! The first time we see anything like it is from a piece of sheet music published in 1780. This early version was said to be by William Swords, an actor in London.

Older Versions of the Song

Back then, the song had different names. Some people called it "The Farmer's Dog Leapt o'er the Stile" or "Little Bingo."

One of the oldest written versions of the song appeared in a songbook called "The Humming Bird" in 1785. It was a bit different from the one we sing today. Here's how it went:

The farmer's dog leapt over the stile,
his name was little Bingo,
the farmer's dog leapt over the stile,
his name was little Bingo.
B with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
his name was little Bingo:
B—I—N—G—O!
His name was little Bingo.

The farmer loved a cup of good ale,
he called it rare good stingo,
the farmer loved a cup of good ale,
he called it rare good stingo.
S—T with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
He called it rare good stingo:
S—T—I—N—G—O!
He called it rare good stingo

And is this not a sweet little song?
I think it is —— by jingo.
And is this not a sweet little song?
I think it is —— by jingo.
J with an I — I with an N,
N with a G — G with an O;
I think it is —— by jingo:
J—I—N—G—O!
I think it is —— by jingo.

Another similar version was written down in 1840 as part of a collection called The Ingoldsby Legends. This version used older spellings and started with "A franklyn's dogge" instead of "The farmer's dog."

The song traveled to the United States and was noted there in 1842. Over time, many different versions of "Bingo" popped up in various places. People would change the lyrics a bit. Sometimes, the dog belonged to a miller or a shepherd. The dog's name might even be "Bango" or "Pinto" in some versions!

Some older versions even added a verse about the farmer loving a "pretty young lass" and giving her a "wedding-ring-o."

"Bingo" has been so popular that it has even been recorded by famous singers. Frederick Ranalow recorded a classical version in 1925. Later, John Langstaff (1952) and Richard Lewis (1960) also recorded classical arrangements. Folk singer Alan Mills recorded a version called "Little Bingo" twice, in 1956 and 1972.