Bingo Lyrics

A beloved children's spelling song about a farmer's dog named Bingo, believed to date back to at least 1780. Each verse traditionally drops one letter, replaced by a clap, making it a wonderful interactive learning game. Best for ages 3–7. The drop-a-letter mechanic is one of the cleverest single teaching devices in children's music — it forces the child to hold the word in working memory while substituting silence (or a clap) for the dropped letter, which is exactly the cognitive operation needed for early spelling and reading. Use it as part of a literacy circle or as a transition song to settle a group. For more letter-and-spelling songs, see [best educational songs for ABC learning](/blog/best-educational-songs-abc-learning).

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o!
B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O,
And Bingo was his name-o!

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o!
(clap)-I-N-G-O, (clap)-I-N-G-O, (clap)-I-N-G-O,
And Bingo was his name-o!

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o!
(clap)-(clap)-N-G-O, (clap)-(clap)-N-G-O, (clap)-(clap)-N-G-O,
And Bingo was his name-o!

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o!
(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap), (clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap), (clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap)-(clap),
And Bingo was his name-o!