Nursery Rhymes›Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa Baa Black Sheep lyricsBaa Baa Black Sheep lyrics
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Baa Baa Black Sheep

Key: C96 BPMGuitar & Piano chords
⬇ Download the chord sheet (PDF)

Baa Baa Black Sheep Lyrics. One of the most famous English nursery rhymes, dating back to the 18th century. Despite its simple and playful lyrics, the song has sparked centuries of curiosity regarding its true meaning. The rhyme was first printed in 1744, in a collection called Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book, and shares its familiar melody with both Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Alphabet Song, all set to the same French tune. A popular theory linking the lyrics to a medieval wool tax has been shown by historians to be a much later invention, with no evidence connecting the two in the rhyme’s earliest known versions. On this page, you will find the full lyrics, guitar and piano chords, and an explanation of its meaning.

Baa Baa Black Sheep video

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Intro

C C F C G C G C

Verse 1

C                      F          C
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
F          C        G          C
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full
C        F        C            G
One for the master, one for the dame
C        F            C              G
One for the little boy who lives down the lane

Verse 2

C                      F          C
Baa, baa, blue sheep, have you any wool?
F          C        G          C
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full
C        F        C            G
One for the master, one for the dame
C        F            C              G
One for the little boy who lives down the lane

Verse 3

C                      F          C
Baa, baa, white sheep, have you any wool?
F          C        G          C
Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full
C        F        C            G
One for the master, one for the dame
C        F            C              G
One for the little boy who lives down the lane
Play it

Chords — guitar & piano

C
×
Guitar
CEG
Piano
F
Guitar
CFA
Piano
G
Guitar
DGB
Piano
Good to know

What “Baa Baa Black Sheep” Means

An English nursery rhyme first printed around 1744, set to the same French melody as Twinkle Twinkle. It’s a simple sharing song — the wool is divided “one for the master, one for the dame, and one for the little boy” — gently teaching toddlers about counting, generosity and taking turns.

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Sources & rights

  • Words and melody: see the credits in the text of this page. Older songs are traditional or in the public domain; songs by known authors keep their authors' credit.
  • Recording and arrangement: real instruments played by hand, no AI music, by Relax In No Time.
  • Chords: written by us for guitar and piano.
  • Translation: our own meaning-for-meaning translation, written for understanding. The sung words stay in the original language.

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