Itsy Bitsy Spider facts for kids
"Itsy Bitsy Spider" (also known as "Incy Wincy Spider" in Australia and Great Britain, and several other similar-sounding names) is a popular nursery rhyme and fingerplay that describes the adventures of a spider as it ascends, descends, and reascends the downspout or "waterspout" of a gutter system (or, alternatively, the spout of a teapot or open-air reservoir). It is usually accompanied by a sequence of gestures that mimic the words of the song. Its Roud Folk Song Index number is 11586.
Contents
Lyrics
A commonly used version uses these words and gestures:
| Words | Fingerplay |
|---|---|
|
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout. |
Alternately touch the thumb of one hand to the index finger of the other. |
Other versions exist.
The song can be found in publications including an alternative version in the book, Camp and Camino in Lower California (1910), where it was referred to as [the classic] "Spider Song." It appears to be a different version of this song using “blooming, bloody” instead of "itsy bitsy". It was later published in one of its several modern versions in Western Folklore, by the California Folklore Society (1948), Mike and Peggy Seeger's, American Folk Songs for Children (1948).
Lyrics as described in 1910, as being from the 'classic' "Spider Song":
Oh, the blooming, bloody spider went up the spider web,
The blooming, bloody rain came down and washed the spider out,
The blooming, bloody sun came out and dried up all the rain,
And the blooming, bloody spider came up the web again.
The song is sung by and for children in countless languages and cultures. It is similar of the melodies of the children's songs "Auf der Mauer, auf der Lauer" and "Spannenlanger Hansel" in German-speaking countries.
Recordings
The popular nursery rhyme has been covered and sampled a number of times.
- 1980: Patsy Biscoe (as "Incy Wincy Spider") CD: 50 Favourite Nursery Rhymes Vol. 1, also available as 3-CD set 150 Favourite Nursery Rhymes
- 1987: Carly Simon on the Coming Around Again album
- 1988: Carly Simon on the Greatest Hits Live album
- 1989: Nicole Kidman on the Dead Calm soundtrack (as "Incy Wincy")
- 1991: Little Richard on the Disney CD For Our Children, to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
- 1994: Cedarmont Kids on Toddler Tunes
- 1995: Danish-Norwegian pop band Aqua, then known by their original band name Joyspeed, released a single only "Itsy Bitsy Spider".
- 1996: Jack Hartmann on Rhymin' to the Beat
- 2001: Funkeymonkeys on their self-titled album
- 2002: The Mars Volta sampled the rhyme on their song "Eunuch Provocateur" from their extended play Tremulant.
- 2002: Raffi sang this song on his Let's Play album by adding an additional verse.
- 2002: Joey DeLuxe during the credits of Eight Legged Freaks
- 2006: EliZe feat. Jay Colin released "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on the album In Control.
- 2013: Maziar Bahari's company Off-Centre Productions created an animated version of the song featuring an animated mouse character called "Journo."
- 2021: Lyn Lapid (as "Itsy Bitsy") – single
Television
Bart Simpson sang the rhyme in the tenth episode of season four of The Simpsons, "Lisa's First Word". It was featured in the children's program Dora the Explorer and in the South Park episode "Something You Can Do with Your Finger". A child singing the rhyme twice can be heard in the opening of the Criminal Minds episode, "Gatekeeper". In the Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, during the middle of the episode "Slippery Slope, Part 1", during the scene where the Baudelaires escape the Snow Scouts, Lemony Snicket tells the viewers to refer the scene to the song, knowing they learned it in their childhoods. In the episode ’’Quiet Please’’ (series 8 episode 5A) of Rugrats the Rugrats are read Itsy Bitsy Centipede.
Sources
See also
In Spanish: Canción de la araña para niños
