School Days

Nothing to do, Nellie Darling
Nothing to do you say
Let's take a trip on memory's ship
Back to the bygone days

Sail to the old village school house
Anchor outside the school door
Look in and see, there's you and there's me
A couple of kids once more

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick

You were my queen in calico
I was your bashful barefoot beau
And you wrote on my slate, I love you, Joe
When we were a couple of kids

'Member the hill, Nellie Darling
And the oak tree that grew on its brow
They've built forty storeys upon that old hill
And the oak's an old chestnut now

'Member the meadows so green, dear
So fragrant with clover and maize
Into new city lots and preferred bus'ness plots
They've cut them up since those days

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick

You were my queen in calico
I was your bashful barefoot beau
And you wrote on my slate, I love you, Joe
When we were a couple of kids

TRIVIA
Many of the 1950's jazz recordings of this song
Incorporated nursery rhyme lyrics, such as Humpty Dumpty
Simple Simon, Little Jack Horner and
Mary Had A Little Lamb

School days, school days
Dear old Golden Rule days
Readin' an' writin' an' 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of a hickory stick
You were my girl in calico
I was your silly bashful beau

Mary had a lamb
His fleece was white as snow
Mary had a little lamb
His fleece was white as snow
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go

Humpty, Humpty Dumpty
Sat upon a wall
Humpty Dumpty on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a fall
All the king's horses and his men
Couldn't put Humpty back again

Little Jackie Horner
Sittin' in a corner
Little Jack Horner in a corner
Eatin' his Christmas pie
He stuck in his thumb, pulled out a plum
Said "What a great guy am I"

Simple, Simple Simon
Goin' to the fair
Simple Simon met a pieman goin' to the fair
Said Simple Simon to the pieman
"Let me taste your ware"

Peter, little Peter
Was a pumpkin eater
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater
Had a wife and couldn't keep her
Put her in a pumpkin shell
There he kept her very well

A-ring around of roses, pocket full of posies
Rise, Sally, rise; wipe your weepin' eyes
Little Sally Walker, sittin' in a saucer
Turn to the east, turn to the west
Little Sally Walker, sittin' in a saucer
Turn to the one and have a little fun

Go in and out the window
Go in and out the window
Go home and get your dinner
And hurry back to school
And hurry!