Found a Peanut facts for kids

"Found a Peanut" is a fun, traditional song. It's very popular with children in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, and Israel. In Israel, it has a different name: "I Swallowed a Peanut" (Balati Boten; בלעתי בוטן).

People often sing this song when they are traveling. It's easy to learn because it repeats a lot. This also means it can take a long time to sing, which is great for long trips! The song uses the tune of another well-known song called "Oh My Darling, Clementine". You might also hear it sung around a campfire.

Basic Lyrics of the Song

The song tells a simple story that changes with each verse. Here's how a basic version of the lyrics goes:

Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut just now.

Just now found a peanut, found a peanut just now.

Cracked it open, cracked it open, cracked it open just now

I Just now cracked it open, cracked it open just now.

It was rotten, it was rotten, it was rotten just now,

Just now it was rotten, it was rotten just now .

The story then continues with the same rhythm, adding new lines like:

Ate it anyway

Got a stomachache

Called the doctor

Said I would'nt Die

Died anyway

Went to Heaven

Found the gates locked

Got hotter

Woke up

Found it was a dream

The Israeli Version

The Israeli version of the song, called "I Swallowed a Peanut," tells a similar story but with some differences.

Many Ways to Sing the Song

Because "Found a Peanut" has a simple, repeating structure, people have created many different versions. The words can change easily.

• Sometimes, "Just now" is changed to "last night" or "yesterday."
• Instead of a peanut, people might sing about other foods, like an apple. If it's an apple, the line might be "it was wormy."
• "It was rotten" can become "Found it rotten," "It was mouldy," or "Green and mouldy."
• "Ate it anyway" might be "Still I ate it" or "Ate it anyhow."
• "Got a stomachache" could be "Got sick" or "Appendicitis."
• For the part about not being allowed into heaven, lines like "Kicked an angel," "Punched St. Peter," or "Said a naughty word" are sometimes used.
• The part about medicine or surgery also has many changes, such as "Didn't Work," "Cut me open," "Took the peanut out," or "Had surgery."
• After "Woke up," some versions go back to "Found a peanut" again, starting the story over!

The Hebrew version also has its own changes. Sometimes, the line "Now I'm dead" (Akhshav ani met, עכשיו אני מת) is added before going to heaven. Also, "God" (Elohim, אלוהים) might be used instead of "Gabriel."

History of the Song

It's not completely clear when or where "Found a Peanut" first started. Some people think a person named Jack Schafer from Detroit, MI wrote it in 1958.

However, the song actually appeared in a movie called A Letter to Three Wives in 1949. In that movie, the lyrics ended after "Ate it anyway."

Other clues suggest the song was known even earlier in the United States. For example, a newspaper from 1945, the Florida Flambeau, called "Found a Peanut" an "old song" from "high school days." Another newspaper, the Norwalk Hour, mentioned the song being performed in a school talent show way back in 1942. This shows the song has been around for a long time!