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Arrangement: Ian J. Watts / Mike Wilbury · Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks
Lyrics
Two little dicky birds
Sitting on a wall,
One named Peter,
One named Paul.
Fly away Peter,
Fly away Paul,
Come back Peter,
Come back Paul.
Peter was a little finch
Who liked to fly up high,
He was only happy when
Soaring through the sky.
Paul on the other hand
Would like to stay down low,
Just above the hedgerows
Is as high as he would go.
They liked to meet on Tuesdays
When the sky is bright,
They'd always fly from far and wide,
Enjoyed to take the flight.
They'd both fly to the wall
And land if it was clear,
But then would take the flight again
If someone wandered near.
Two little dicky birds
Sitting on a wall,
One named Peter,
One named Paul.
Fly away Peter,
Fly away Paul,
Come back Peter,
Come back Paul.
They'd tweet about
The things they'd seen,
The places and the people.
Pete would find the highest church
And land upon the steeple.
Paul would mention little things
Like flowers and plants and weeds,
He thinks so very fondly
Of eating farmer's seeds.
Paul was just a sparrow
Who likes to make his way
Around about the apple trees,
He loved it, he would say.
When they met it seemed just right,
They wouldn't mind the weather,
They simply loved it
As they flew around together.
Two little dicky birds
Sitting on a wall,
One named Peter,
One named Paul.
Fly away Peter,
Fly away Paul,
Come back Peter,
Come back Paul.
Traditional lyrics — public domain. Arrangement © Singalongasong Band / ClassicRocks.
History & Background
History & Origin
"Two Little Dicky Birds" is a traditional English finger play song in which two pieces of paper or sticker are attached to the fingers of each hand, one bird on each index finger. As Peter is called to fly away, the finger is hidden behind the back; Paul follows; and then both are called back. The trick of making them disappear and reappear is one of the simplest and most satisfying pieces of children's magic.
The traditional version consists of a single verse. This recording extends it considerably with additional lyrics by Ian Watts, giving Peter and Paul distinct personalities: Peter the finch who loves to soar up high, Paul the sparrow who prefers the hedgerows and farmer's seeds. The two friends meet on Tuesdays, share their news, and fly off together — a gentle expansion of the original that stays entirely true to its spirit.
The original rhyme has been known in various forms since the seventeenth century, appearing in a London collection of 1765 as "Two little dicky birds sat upon a wall." This rock arrangement gives the song a lively, contemporary sound while keeping the birds themselves recognisably the same two friends.
