The North Wind Doth Blow
What will the robin do then, poor thing? He'll keep himself warm
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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,
And what will the robin do then, poor thing?
He'll sit in a barn, and keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing, poor thing!
The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,
And what will the honey bee do, poor thing?
In his hive he will stay, till the cold's passed away,
And then he'll come out in the spring, poor thing!
The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,
And what will the dormouse do then, poor thing?
Rolled up in a ball, in his nest snug and small,
He'll sleep till warm weather comes in, poor thing!
The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,
And what will the children do then, poor things?
When lessons are done, they'll jump, skip and run,
And that's how they'll keep themselves warm, poor things!
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"The North Wind Doth Blow" is a traditional English rhyme first published in 1805, though it is likely older. It belongs to the winter verse tradition — a group of seasonal rhymes that observe how different creatures manage the cold — and its structure of question and answer gives it an engaging, cumulative quality.
The robin stays in a barn and hides his head under his wing. The honey bee stays in his hive until spring. The dormouse rolls into a ball in his nest and sleeps. Each creature has its own strategy for surviving winter, and the rhyme presents these strategies with sympathy — "poor thing!" is applied to each in turn, acknowledging the difficulty of winter even for those well adapted to it.
The final verse turns the question onto children, and the answer is pleasingly active: when lessons are done, they jump, skip and run. Children do not hibernate or shelter; they generate warmth through movement. This is both true and a gentle encouragement to go outside, even in cold weather, which is the kind of advice that appeals to children who need permission to be energetic.
The rhyme is an effective nature lesson disguised as a simple winter song.
