The Farmer in the Dell

The Farmer in the Dell is a children's song, or nursery rhyme. It tells the story of a farmer in a dell who takes a wife, who takes a child, who takes a nurse, etc, until finally a rat takes a cheese, and the cheese "stands alone".

Lyrics

:"The farmer in the dell":"The farmer in the dell":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The farmer in the dell"

:"The farmer takes a wife":"The farmer takes a wife":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The farmer takes a wife"

:"The wife takes a child":"The wife takes a child":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The wife takes a child"

:"The child takes a nurse":"The child takes a nurse":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The child takes a nurse"

:"The nurse takes a cow":"The nurse takes a cow":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The nurse takes a cow"

:"The cow takes a dog":"The cow takes a dog":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The cow takes a dog"

:"The dog takes a cat":"The dog takes a cat":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The dog takes a cat"

:"The cat takes a rat":"The cat takes a rat":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The cat takes a rat"

:"The rat takes the cheese":"The rat takes the cheese":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The rat takes the cheese"

:"The cheese stands alone":"The cheese stands alone":"Hi-ho, the derry-o":"The cheese stands alone"

Variations

Like most children's songs, there are geographic variations, and in the United Kingdom this is known as "The Farmer's In His Den". The 'Hi-Ho, the derry-o' is variously replaced with 'Ee-i, tiddly-i' in London, 'Ee-i, andio' (for instance in Northern England), and 'Ee-i, ee-i' (for instance in the West Country). In the UK, the rat is replaced with a dog and in the final verse, all other players pat the dog or alternatively its bone. Additionally, "Hi-ho the "merry"-o" is another variation of the lyrics sung.

The melody is also used for "A-Hunting We Will Go".

In French it's "Le fermier dans son pré"

Circle game

Ten children (or more) join hands and dance around the FARMER, who stands in the center of the circle as they sing. At the end of the first verse, the FARMER chooses his WIFE, who joins him inside the circle. At the end of the next verse, the WIFE takes a CHILD, and so on, until the last verse when everyone is in the circle except the CHEESE, who stands alone. Whoever ends up being the CHEESE becomes the FARMER for the next round.

Trivia

*On the HBO original television series "The Wire", the Robin Hood-like thief Omar Little, who routinely robs Baltimore drug dealers at gunpoint, fearlessly whistles "The Farmer in the Dale" as he approaches, often punctuated with "The cheese stands alone."
*The book "I Am the Cheese" takes its name from the song.
*In the book "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, the character Bunny sings The Famer in the Dale to taunt the other characters who have accidentally killed a farmer.
*The Cheese Stands Alone is the name of a card in the Unglued set of Wizards of the Coast's trading card game. It also appears as a goal in the Fluxx card game--to win when it is in play, one must have the 'Cheese' card as the only keeper in possession. This "circle game" is played in 49 states but is illegal in Ohio.
*There is a French language version called "Le fermier dans son pré". In the end "le fromage est battu" ("the cheese is beaten")
*There is a Swedish language version called "En bonde i vår by" ("A farmer in our village").
*The song (and circle game) is featured as one of the songs in the Wee Sing video "Grandpa's Magical Toys" and there is a farmer in the special that symbolizes the song.
*Featured in an episode of Full House, Uncle Jesse performs in Michelle's day care.
*In the late night show The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson the episode name for the skit Murder, She Wrote 2008 is "The Farmer in the Dell... OF DEATH!".