Sweet, Sweet Caroline
Sweete, sweet Carroline, / Dipt her face in Terpentine…
Sweete, sweet Carroline,
Dipt her face in Terpentine,
Terpentine, made it shine,
Sweet, sweet Caroline.
Where this rhyme comes from
- Printed
- 1916
- Where
- London
We have copied these words exactly as they were printed in 1916, spelling and all. It is one of the London girls' chants Douglas lists alongside their skipping, clapping and ring games.
The turpentine rhyme also turns up at the end of our "Lincoln" counting rhyme.
Source: Norman Douglas, London Street Games (London: The St. Catherine Press, 1916) (public domain).
Older and newer versions
The same rhyme, changed by children over the years.
More rhymes like this
ChantsPrinted 1916Mrs. Brown Went to TownMrs. Brown went to town,
Riding on a pony…ChantsPrinted 1916Lay the Cloth, Knife and ForkLay the cloth, knife and fork,
Bring me up a leg of pork…ChantsPrinted 1916Caroline PinkCaroline Pink, she fell down the sink,
She caught the Scarlet Fever…ChantsPrinted 1916Piggy on the RailwayPiggy on the railway, picking up the stones,
Up came an engine and broke Piggy’s bones…ChantsPrinted 1916I Went Down the LaneI went down the lane to buy a penny whistle,
A copper come by and pinch my penny whistle…
Riding on a pony…ChantsPrinted 1916Lay the Cloth, Knife and ForkLay the cloth, knife and fork,
Bring me up a leg of pork…ChantsPrinted 1916Caroline PinkCaroline Pink, she fell down the sink,
She caught the Scarlet Fever…ChantsPrinted 1916Piggy on the RailwayPiggy on the railway, picking up the stones,
Up came an engine and broke Piggy’s bones…ChantsPrinted 1916I Went Down the LaneI went down the lane to buy a penny whistle,
A copper come by and pinch my penny whistle…
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