Three Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree
Three monkeys taunt Mr Alligator and pay the price one by one
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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Three little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing Mr Alligator,
"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"
Then along comes Mr Alligator,
Quiet as can be,
Quiet as can be,
And he snaps that monkey
Right out of that tree.
Two little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing Mr Alligator,
"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"
Then along comes Mr Alligator,
Quiet as can be,
Quiet as can be,
And he snaps that monkey
Right out of that tree.
One little monkey swinging in a tree,
Teasing Mr Alligator,
"You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"
Then along comes Mr Alligator,
Quiet as can be,
Quiet as can be,
And he snaps that monkey
Right out of that tree.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Three Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree" — sometimes known as "Five Little Monkeys Teasing Mr Crocodile" in versions that start with more monkeys — is a counting-down action song in which a group of monkeys taunt a large reptile, one by one, with predictable results.
The song works on the same structure as many counting-down songs: each verse reduces the number of monkeys by one, with the children anticipating the outcome even before the alligator appears. The contrast between the monkeys' confident taunting and the alligator's terrifying silence — "quiet as can be" — is the heart of the song's appeal, and the snapping line lands with satisfying repetition each time.
The song teaches counting backwards from three and introduces the concept of consequence in a story that is just alarming enough to be exciting without being genuinely frightening. The alligator's patience is perhaps the most memorable thing about the song: he does not hurry; he simply waits.
