40 Old School Assembly Inspirational Songs and Poetry

New “deviating” songs spring forth daily in African in general. This had led to the fall in assembly sensational moments we all had while in nursery, primary and secondary school back in the 90s and early 2000.

Below are some popular assembly songs and poems sang by pupils in Primary and secondary schools. We will continually add up mp3 files for each songs. Hope you might find them inspiring and worth sharing.

2. The day is bright

The day is bright,

It’s bright and fair,

O happy day,

The day of joy!

The day is bright,

It’s bright and fair,

O… hap-py day!

(Mama Jollof Rice)

3. O my home

O my home,

O my home,

When shall I see my home?

When shall I see my native house?

I will never forget my home.

(O my home)

O my home

O my home,

When shall I see my home?

When shall I see my native house?

I will never forget my home.

4. Holiday is coming

Holiday is coming,

Holiday is coming,

No more teachers cane,

No more morning bell,

Goodbye teacher,

Goodbye my friends,

I am going home,

A jolly… holiday,

A jolly… holiday

5. Parents, listen to your children

Parents, listen to your children,

We are the leaders of tomorrow.

Try to pay our school fees,

And give us the right education.

Parents, listen to your children,

We are the leaders of tomorrow.

Try to pay our school fees,

And give us the right education.

5. 8 O’clock is the time for school

8 O’clock is the time for school,

Don’t be late in the morning.

8 O’clock is the time for school,

Run to school in the morning.

(8 O’clock)

8 O’clock is the time for school,

Don’t be late in the morning.

8 O’clock is the time for school,

Run to school in the morning.

6. If you’re happy and you know

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands

(Clap twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands

(Clap twice)

If you’re happy and you know it,

And you really want to show it,

If you’re happy and you know it,

Clap your hands

(Clap twice)

[Repeat with the following…]

If you’re happy and you know it,

Stump your feet!

If you’re happy and you know it,

Shout Hurray!

[Do all the three exercises]

If you’re happy and you know it,

Do all three!

9. One Man Went to Mow

One man went to Mow,

Went to Mow a Meadow,

One man and his dog,

Went to Mow a Meadow…

Two men went to Mow,

Went to Mow a Meadow,

Two men, one man and his dog,

Went to Mow a Meadow…

Three men went to Mow,

Went to Mow a Meadow,

Three men, two men, one man and his dog,

Went to Mow a Meadow…

Four men went to Mow,

Went to Mow a Meadow,

Four men, three men, two men, one man and his dog,

Went to Mow a Meadow…

Five men went to Mow,

Went to Mow a Meadow,

Five men, four men, three men, two men, one man and his dog,

Went to Mow a Meadow…

[Continue to ten men]

Six men…

Seven men…

Eight men…

Nine Men…

Ten men…

10. I will make you Fishers of Men

I will make you fishers of men,

Fishers of men,

Fishers of men…

I will make you fishers of men,

If you follow me

If you follow me

If you follow me e e e e

I will make you fishers of men,

Fishers of men,

Fishers of men…

I will make you fishers of men,

If you follow me

11. Father Abraham

Father Abraham had many sons,

Many sons had father Abraham

I am one of them,

And so are you

So, let us praise the Lord

Right hand!

Father Abraham had many sons,

Many sons had father Abraham

I am one of them,

And so are you

So, let us praise the Lord

Right hand,

Left hand!

[Continue with the rest…]

Right hand!

Left hand!

Right leg!

Left leg!

Head up!

Head down!

Turn around!

Sit down!

12. Once I Saw a Little Bird

Once I saw a little bird,

Going Hop! Hop! Hop!

So I said, little bird,

Will you stop! Stop! Stop!

As I was going to my window,

To say, “How do you do?”

But it shock its little tail,

And away, it flew!

13. One two three four five

One two three four five;

Teacher’s waiting at the door.

Five six seven eight,

Run to school and don’t be late.

14. Rain, Rain

Rain, Rain,

Go away;

Come again another day,

Little children want to play.

Rain, Rain,

Go away;

Come again another day,

Little children want to play.

15. Ten Little Fingers

One little, two little, three little fingers,

Four little, five little, six little fingers;

Seven little, eight little, nine little fingers,

Ten fingers in my hand

Ten little, nine little, eight little fingers,

Seven little, six little, five little fingers;

Four little, three little, two little fingers,

One finger in my hand

One little, two little, three little fingers,

Four little, five little, six little fingers;

Seven little, eight little, nine little fingers,

Ten fingers in my hand

16. ABC Song

A-B-C-D,

E-F-G;

H-I-J-K,

L-M-N-O-P;

Q-R-S,

T-U-V;

W,

X-Y-Z;

Now I know my A-B-C;

Next time won’t you sing with me?

17. Hippopotamus

H-I-P for the Hip,

For the Hip-po-po,

P-O-P-O for the Hip-po-po,

And T-A-M-U-S

For the Hip-po-po-ta-mus!

18. Happy!

We are H-A-P-P-Y

We are H-A-P-P-Y

We know we are,

We are sure we are;

We are H-A-P-P-Y

Happy!

19. London Bridge

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down,

Falling down

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady

20. Twinkle, twinkle little stars

Twinkle, twinkle little stars,

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle, twinkle little stars,

How I wonder what you are.

21. Que sera, sera (original song by Doris Day)

When I was just a little girl

I asked my mother,

“What will I be?

Will I be pretty?

Will I be rich?”

Here’s what she said to me:

Que Sera, Sera

Whatever will be, will be

The future’s not ours to see

Que Sera, Sera

What will be, will be

22. Mississippi

Mississippi, Mississippi;

M-I,

Double S-I,

Double S-I,

Double P-I;

Mississippi

23. Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wheel?

Yes sir, yes sir,

Three bags full

One for my master,

One for my dame,

One for the little lad,

who lives down the lane

24. Sanda Lilily

Sanda Lilily, Sanda Lily,

Sanda Lilily, Sanda Lily,

Sanda Lilily, Sanda Lily…

Sanda Lily, Sanda Lily.

I am a soldier in my country,

Everybody knows me well,

If you look me up and down,

You will know that it’s true.

[Continue with other professions]

I am a doctor in my country,

I am a lawyer in my country,

I am an engineer in my country,

I am a banker in my country,

I am a driver in my country,

….. Etc.

25. Row, row; row your boat

Row, row; row your boat,

Gentle down the stream,

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily;

Life is but a dream…

(Again)

Row, row; row your boat,

Gentle down the stream,

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily;

Life is but a dream…

26. Old Rodger is dead

The old Rodger is dead and gone to his grave,

(Hmmm, ah; gone to his grave)

They planted an apple tree over his head

(Hmmm, ah; over his head)

The apple grew up and ready to drop

(Hmmm, ah; ready to drop)

There came a wild wind and blew them all off

(Hmmm, ah; blew them all off)

There cam an old woman to pick them all up

(Hmmm, ah; pick them all up)

Old Rodger got up and gave her a knock

(Hmmm, ah; gave her a knock)

27. Some river in Africa

Some rivers in Africa,

Some rivers in Africa,

Nile, Niger,

Benue, Congo,

Orange, Limpopo,

Zambezi

28. Who is in the garden?

Who is in the garden?

(A little fine girl…)

Can I come and see her?

(No, no, no, no!)

Okay, little boy, follow me

Who is in the garden?

(A little fine girl…)

Can I come and see her?

(No, no, no, no!)

Okay, little boy, follow me

29. Form a big circle

Form a big circle,

(Like your mother cooking pot)

Form a big circle,

(Like your mother cooking pot)

30. Jumping, Jumping

Teacher:

Jumping, jumping;

Pupils:

I am jumping.

Teacher:

What are you doing?

Pupils:

I am jumping!

Eeny, Meeny, Manny Mow

Eeny, Meeny, Manny, Mow,

Catch a tiger by the toe,

If he hollers, let him go

Eeny, Meeny, Manny Mow

Eeny, Meeny, Manny, Mow,

Catch a tiger by the toe,

If he hollers, let him go

Eeny, Meeny, Manny Mow

31. Who stole the meat from the cooking pot?

Who stole the meat from the cooking pot?

Is it not you ‘Number One’?

(Who me?)

Yes you!

(It wasn’t me)

Then who?

(Number Two stole the meat from the cooking pot)

Who stole the meat from the cooking pot?

Is it not you ‘Number Two’?

(Who me?)

Yes you!

(It wasn’t me)

Then who?

(Number Three stole the meat from the cooking pot)

Who stole the meat from the cooking pot?

Is it not you ‘Number Three’?

(Who me?)

Yes you!

(It wasn’t me)

Then who?

(Number Four stole the meat from the cooking pot)

[Continue with number four to ten]

Number Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten…

32. Are you sleeping? (Frere Jacques)

Are you sleeping?

Are you sleeping?

Brother John,

Brother John;

Morning bells are ringing,

Morning bells are ringing;

Ding, dang, dong;

Ding, dang, dong

33. John Bull

John Bull my son,

I sent you to school,

You don’t know how to spell your name.

John Bull my son,

I sent you to school,

You don’t know how to spell your name.

J-O-H-N, B-U-L-L,

J-O-H-N, B-U-L-L,

That is how to spell your name

(Oh!)

John Bull my son,

I sent you to school,

You don’t know how to spell your name.

34. Do Re Mi

Do (doe) a dare,

A female dare,

Re (ray) a drop,

Of golden sun,

Mi (me) a name,

I call myself,

Fa (far),

A long, long way to run,

So (sow),

A needle pulling thread,

La,

A note to follow “So (sow)”

TI (tea),

A drink with jam and bread,

That will bring us back to DO (doe)

Do, do, do, do….

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do… So, Do!

35. The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

Round and round,

Round and round

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

All through the town

(Roll hands around each other)

The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish;

Swish, swish, swish;

Swish, swish, swish

The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish,

All through the town

(“Swish” hands in front of you like windshield wipers)

The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep;

Beep, beep, beep;

Beep, beep, beep

The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep,

All through the town

(Slap palm in front of you like honking a horn)

The doors on the bus go open and shut;

Open and shut;

Open and shut

The doors on the bus go open and shut;

All through the town

(Push hands back and forth in front of you)

The Driver on the bus says “Move on back,

Move on back,

Move on back;”

The Driver on the bus says “Move on back”,

All through the town

(Point thumb over your shoulder)

The babies on the bus say “Wah, wah, wah;

Wah, wah, wah;

Wah, wah, wah”.

The babies on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah”,

All through the town

(Rub fists in front of eyes)

The mommies on the bus say “Shush, shush, shush;

Shush, shush, shush;

Shush, shush, shush”

The mommies on the bus says “Shush, shush, shush”

All through the town

(Hold index finger in front of mouth as if saying shh!)

36. Willy, Willy, Willy Oh

Willy, Willy, Willy Oh,

(Clap thrice)

Mother in the kitchen cooking rice,

(Jollof Rice1)

Father in the pallor watching film

(Commando!)

Children in the garden playing ball

(It is a goal!)

That is the end of my story.

So stop

Change your style,

Another one,

Be like that!

37. B-I-N-G-O

There was a farmer, who had a dog,

And Bingo was its name oh

B-I, N-G-O,

B-I, N-G-O,

B-I, N-G-O,

And Bingo was its name oh

There was a farmer, who had a dog,

And Bingo was its name oh

–I, N-G-O,

–I, N-G-O,

–I, N-G-O,

And Bingo was its name oh

There was a farmer, who had a dog,

And Bingo was its name oh

—, N-G-O,

—, N-G-O,

—, N-G-O,

And Bingo was its name oh

There was a farmer, who had a dog,

And Bingo was its name oh

—, –G-O,

—, –G-O,

—, –G-O,

And Bingo was its name oh

There was a farmer, who had a dog,

And Bingo was its name oh

—, —–O,

—, —–O,

—, —–O,

And Bingo was its name oh

There was a farmer, who had a dog,

And Bingo was its name oh

B-I, N-G-O,

B-I, N-G-O,

B-I, N-G-O,

And Bingo was its name oh

38. One, two, buckle my shoe

One, two;

Buckle my shoe

Three, four;

Knock at the door,

Five, six;

Pick-up sticks

Seven eight;

Lay them straight

Nine, ten;

A big fat hen

39. Medicine for cough

Teacher:

Little Blue, Little Blue; where have you been?

Pupil:

I have been in the hospital to see the doctor,

Teacher:

Doctor for what?

Pupil:

Doctor for medicine

Teacher:

Medicine for what?

Pupil:

Medicine for cough

Teacher:

Are you coughing?

Pupil:

Yes, auntie!

Teacher:

Cough let me see you

Pupil:

Kum ka ka, kum ka ka!

Uh hor, uh hor!

Kum ka ka, kum ka ka!

Uh hor, uh hor!

40. Old MacDonald Had a Farm

| Cow |

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a cow

E-I-E-I-O

With a moo, moo here

And a moo, moo there

Here a moo, there a moo

Everywhere a moo, moo

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

| Pig |

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a pig

E-I-E-I-O

With a oink, oink here

And a oink, oink there

Here a oink, there a oink

Everywhere a oink, oink

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

| Duck |

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a duck

E-I-E-I-O

With a quack, quack here

And a quack, quack there

Here a quack, there a quack

Everywhere a quack, quack

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

| Horse |

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a horse

E-I-E-I-O

With a neigh, neigh here

And a neigh, neigh there

Here a neigh, there a neigh

Everywhere a neigh, neigh

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

| Lamb |

Old MACDONALD had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had a lamb

E-I-E-I-O

With a baa, baa here

And a baa, baa there

Here a baa, there a baa

Everywhere a baa, baa

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

| Chicken |

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm he had some chickens

E-I-E-I-O

With a cluck, cluck here

And a cluck, cluck there

Here a cluck, there a cluck

Everywhere a cluck, cluck

Old MacDonald had a farm

E-I-E-I-O