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Aiken Drum (children’s song)

[ Roud 2571 ; Ballad Index OO2007 ; Mudcat 62938 ; trad.]

Martin Carthy sang the Scots children’s song Aiken Drum on the 1979 video 70 Golden Nursery Rhymes.

Mick Coyne sang There Was a Man in 2011 on Ron Kavana and Friends’ album 40 Favourite Folks Songs.

See also the Jacobite song Aikendrum which took its name from this song.

Lyrics

Martin Carthy sings Aiken Drum

There was a man lived in the moon,
Lived in the moon, lived in the moon;
There was a man lived in the moon
And his name was Aiken Drum.

Chorus (repeated after each verse):
And he played upon a ladle, a ladle, a ladle,
He played upon a ladle and his name was Aiken Drum

And his head was made of good cream cheese,
Good cream cheese,good cream cheese;
His head was made of good cream cheese,
And his name was Aiken Drum.

And his coat was made of good roast beef,
Good roast beef, good roast beef;
And his coat was made of good roast beef,
And his name was Aiken Drum.

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

His waistcoat was made of crust pies,
Crust pies, crust pies,
His waistcoat was made of crust pies,
And his name was Aiken Drum.

His hair was made of spaghetti,
Spaghetti, spaghetti,
His hair was made of spaghetti,
And his name was Aiken Drum.