Aiken Drum Song Lyrics

Imagine a man whose hat is made of cream cheese and whose coat is roast beef. "Aiken Drum" is a wonderfully quirky Scottish song about a man in the moon whose clothes are made entirely of food. This cumulative tune is a favourite that sparks imagination, helps with vocabulary and offers endless creative possibilities for kids to invent their own edible outfits.

There was a man lived in the moon, in the moon, in the moon, There was a man lived in the moon, and his name was Aiken Drum.

And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle, He played upon a ladle, and his name was Aiken Drum.

And his hat was made of good cream cheese, of good cream cheese, of good cream cheese, His hat was made of good cream cheese, and his name was Aiken Drum.

And his coat was made of good roast beef, of good roast beef, of good roast beef, His coat was made of good roast beef, and his name was Aiken Drum.

And his buttons made of penny loaves, of penny loaves, of penny loaves, His buttons made of penny loaves, and his name was Aiken Drum.

And his trousers made of haggis bags, of haggis bags, of haggis bags, His trousers made of haggis bags, and his name was Aiken Drum.

And his shoes were made of crusty pies, of crusty pies, of crusty pies, His shoes were made of crusty pies, and his name was Aiken Drum.

The history of "Aiken Drum"

"Aiken Drum" originated as a traditional Scottish folk song dating back to at least the early 19th century. Also known as "Aikendrum," "There Came a Man to Our Town," or "The Man in the Moon," this song has evolved significantly over time. The modern children's version differs substantially from the original Jacobite song, which was about a supporter of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

The children's version we know today transformed the historical figure into a fanciful character from the moon whose clothing items are made from different foods. This adaptation made the song more accessible and entertaining for children while preserving the rhythmic structure and chorus of the original. The name "Aiken Drum" itself may be a corruption of "Aikendrum," a nickname for someone who played the drum.

The song follows a cumulative pattern, with each verse introducing a new food item that forms part of Aiken Drum's unusual attire. Common food items mentioned include cheese (for his face), bread (for his head), bacon (for his coat), and various fruits, vegetables and sweets for other garments. This structure allows for endless creative variations, with teachers and parents often inviting children to suggest their own food items.

What kids learn

"Aiken Drum" encourages a range of skills:

• It introduces children to food vocabulary in a memorable context
• The repetitive structure reinforces memory and sequencing skills
• The visual imagery of a man wearing food items stimulates imagination
• The song provides opportunities for creative extension through art projects

In classrooms, "Aiken Drum" often serves as the centrepiece for multisensory learning experiences. Children might create their own versions of Aiken Drum using paper plates and food pictures, discuss healthy eating while selecting foods for different parts of his outfit or practice descriptive language by explaining their food choices.

This article was crafted with the assistance of an AI language model. The final content was reviewed and edited by a human and reflects the editorial judgment and expertise of  Today's Parent.