Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we wash our clothes,
Wash our clothes,wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
Iron our clothes, iron our clothes.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
Scrub the floor, scrub the floor.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we mend our clothes,
Mend our clothes, mend our clothes.
This is the way we mend our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we sweep the house,
Sweep the house, sweep the house.
This is the way we sweep the house,
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we bake our bread,
Bake our bread, bake our bread.
This is the way we bake our bread,
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we go to church,
go to church, go to church.
This is the way we go to church,
On a cold and frosty morning.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
On a cold and frosty morning.
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The version of the rhyme included here is one that will be recognised by many people.
There are some variations to the rhyme. One common one is the changing of the last line of each verse from
'On a cold and frosty morning' to 'So early in the morning' or 'So early Monday morning' (through to Sunday - one verse for each day of the week)
The last verse is often sung as:-
This is the way we get dressed up, get dressed up, get dressed up,
This is the way we get dressed up, so early Sunday morning.
The structure of the rhyme allows for endless variation within the same framework, and as such lets children add their own everyday activities.
There does not seem to be any record of exactly what the Wakefield prisoners would have sung or whether they improvised as they trudged around the bush.
