A Windmill In Old Amsterdam
A charming tale of a mouse and a windmill in Holland
Listen
Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
A mouse lived in a windmill in old Amsterdam
A windmill with a mouse in
And he wasn't grousin'
He sang every morning,
"How lucky I am,
Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam!"
I saw a mouse!
Where?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair?
Right there!
A little mouse with clogs on
Well I declare!
Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair
Oh yeah
This mouse he got lonesome, he took him a wife
A windmill with mice in, it's hardly surprisin'
She sang every morning, "How lucky I am,
Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam!"
I saw a mouse!
Where?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair?
Right there!
A little mouse with clogs on
Well I declare!
Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair
Oh yeah
First they had triplets
and then they had quins
A windmill with quins in,
and triplets and twins in
They sang every morning,
"How lucky we are
Living in a windmill in Amsterdam, ya!"
I saw a mouse!
Where?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair?
Right there!
A little mouse with clogs on
Well I declare!
Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair
Oh yeah
The daughters got married
and so did the sons
The windmill had christ'nin's
when no one was list'nin'
They all sang in chorus, "How lucky we am
Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam!"
I saw a mouse!
Where?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair?
Right there!
A little mouse with clogs on
Well I declare!
Going clip-clippety-clop
Going clip-clippety-clop
Going clip-clippety-clop on the stair
A mouse lived in a windmill,
So snug and so nice
There's nobody there now
But a whole lot of mice.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
A Windmill in Old Amsterdam is a relative newcomer to the nursery rhyme canon, written in 1964 by Ted van der Kamp and John Turner. Despite its modern origins, it has the feel of a traditional song — a catchy melody, repetitive verse structure, and a simple story that children find immediately satisfying.
The song tells of a small mouse living in a windmill in Amsterdam, distinguished by having a hole in the sole of his shoe — and then his family: wife, children and grandchildren, each with the same endearing characteristic. The cumulative structure, building verse by verse, is a classic device in children's songs, encouraging participation and memory.
The song gained wide exposure through its use in children's television and recordings across Europe and America in the 1960s and 70s. The Dutch setting — windmills, Amsterdam — gives it an appealing European flavour that has helped it travel well across borders. It is a song that earns its place among the classics through sheer infectious cheerfulness.
