American | Australian | Beatles | Canadian | Ceilidh | Childrens' | Chinese | Dutch | English | French | German | Gospel | Irish | NZ | Norwegian | Other | Platt | Pub | Sacred Harp | Scots | Sea Songs | Tyneside | Welsh | Yorkshire |
 
A Little White Rabbit
Last updated: 22.01.22
"A Little White Rabbit" is a longish ditty about trying to purchase a rabbit at various stalls (to whit saucepans, mackerel and lavender) and not succeeding. What a surprise, dear surfer! I can remember my mother singing this song to my then baby sisters but it made no great impression on me. In those hungry, early post World War II years in rural England, rabbits were generally for the pot and no one in my acquaintance could afford the luxury of a keeping a pet rabbit.
I had sixpence, a bright new sixpence,
So I took my sixpence to the market square.
I wanted a rabbit, a little white rabbit,
But I couldn't find a rabbit not anywhere there.

So I went to the stall where they sold bright saucepans.
Walk up, walk up, sixpence for a saucepan.
Have you got a rabbit, a little white rabbit?
But they hadn't got a rabbit not anywhere there.

I had tuppence, jolly, jolly tuppence,
So I took my tuppence to the market square.
I wanted a rabbit, a little white rabbit,
But I couldn't find a rabbit not anywhere there.

So I went to the stall where they sold fresh mackerel.
Walk up, walk up, tuppence for a mackerel.
Have you got a rabbit, a little white rabbit?
But they hadn't got a rabbit not anywhere there.

I had a penny, a bright new penny,
So I took my penny to the market square.
I wanted a rabbit, a little white rabbit,
But I couldn't find a rabbit not anywhere there.

So I went to the stall where they sold sweet lavender.
Walk up, walk up, penny for sweet lavender.
Have you got a rabbit, a little white rabbit?
But they hadn't got a rabbit not anywhere there.

I had nothing, no I had nothing,
So I couldn't go down to the market square.
So I walked to the common, the old gold common
And I saw little rabbits most everywhere.

So I'm sorry for the people who sold bright saucepans.
I'm sorry for the people who sold fresh mackerel.
I'm sorry for the people who sold sweet lavender.
'Cos they hadn't got a rabbit not anywhere there.