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Down by the Bay

Down by the Bay Illustration
Year: 1976 Origin: USA
The song begins:

Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home,
I dare not go,
For if I do,
My mother will say:
"Did you ever see a parrot eating a carrot?
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home,
I dare not go,
For if I do,
My mother will say:
"Did you ever see a goat rowing a boat?
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home,
I dare not go,
For if I do,
My mother will say:
"Did you ever see a fly wearing a tie?
Down by the bay?"

Now repeat the song as many times as you like, with another rhyming question, for instance:

"Did you ever see a llama eating pajamas?"
"Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose?"
"Did you ever see a fox putting on socks?"
"Did you ever see a bear combing his hair?"
"Did you ever see a dragon pulling a wagon?"

The popular children's song "Down by the Bay" has a much clearer and more recent origin than many traditional rhymes. While its call-and-response format and nonsensical questions echo older folk traditions, the specific version known today is widely attributed to the Canadian children's musician Raffi Cavoukian, who included it on his 1976 album: Singable Songs for the Very Young. Unlike songs passed down and altered over centuries, this tune largely emerged in its familiar form in the latter half of the 20th Century.

The song's structure is built around a repeating framework setting the scene ("Down by the bay / Where the watermelons grow / Back to my home / I dare not go / For if I do / My mother will say...") followed by a distinctively silly, rhyming question that presents an impossible scenario, such as "Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose?" or "Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail?". This pattern of playful absurdity is central to its appeal for young children.

Popularised through Raffi's recordings and concerts, "Down by the Bay" quickly became a favourite in preschools, kindergartens, and around campfires, particularly across North America.

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