Like you, I never could understand what the words were, but my wife's father would sing this to her when she was a child.
Mares eat oats and does eat oats
and little lambs eat ivy,
a kid will eat ivy too, wouldn't you?
If the words sound queer and funny to your ears,
a little bit jumbled and jivey,
Well mares eat oats and does eat oats
and little lambs eat ivy,
a kid will eat ivy too, wouldn't you?
Mairzy doats and dozy doats
And liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?
Yes! Mairzy doats and dozy doats
and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?
Mares eat oats and does eat oats
and little lambs eat ivy,
a kid will eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?
If the words sound queer and funny to your ears,
a little bit jumbled and jivey,
Well mares eat oats and does eat oats
and little lambs eat ivy,
a kid will eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?
I haven’t heard that song since I was a kid and I never knew
what it meant until now. You cleared that up for me! I always thought it was a mumbo jumbo British song or something? They talk weird any way!