Down by the Bay Lyrics

This traditional call-and-response song became widely known in North America after folk artist Raffi recorded and popularized it in 1976, though its rhyming-question format existed in oral tradition before that. It suits children ages 3 to 7, who delight in the absurd rhyming pairs like "a whale with a polka-dot tail." Early-childhood educators often use rhyme-generation songs like this to sharpen phonological awareness, since children must listen for a word and then invent something that rhymes with it, an active skill rather than passive listening. The repeated refrain, "back to my home, I dare not go," gives children a comforting, predictable anchor between each silly new verse. This structure also encourages creativity, since families can invent entirely new rhyming lines together, making every sing-along slightly different. The song works particularly well in the car or at bath time when kids want an interactive game rather than a passive listen. To read more about how rhyme play strengthens early language skills, see [how nursery rhymes build reading skills](/blog/how-nursery-rhymes-build-reading-skills).

Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home,
I dare not go.
For if I do,
My mother will say:

"Did you ever see a goose, kissing a moose,
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home,
I dare not go.
For if I do,
My mother will say:

"Did you ever see a whale, with a polka-dot tail,
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home,
I dare not go.
For if I do,
My mother will say:

"Did you ever see a bear, combing his hair,
Down by the bay?"

Down by the bay,
Where the watermelons grow,
Back to my home,
I dare not go.
For if I do,
My mother will say:

"Did you ever see llamas, eating their pajamas,
Down by the bay?"