Do You Know the Muffin Man? Lyrics

Dating back to roughly 1820 in England, this call-and-response nursery rhyme likely originated as a street cry referencing real muffin vendors who once sold their wares door to door in London neighborhoods. Its simple question-and-answer format, "Do you know the muffin man?", makes it especially well suited to children ages 2 to 5, who enjoy responding together in a group. Early-childhood educators often use call-and-response rhymes like this one during circle time because the predictable pattern helps children learn turn-taking and group listening, both important pre-literacy and social skills. The short, repetitive lines are also easy for toddlers to memorize quickly, giving them an early sense of accomplishment when they can sing along in full. Historically, the rhyme offers a small window into everyday English life two centuries ago, which can spark simple conversations about how people used to shop for food. It remains a staple of preschool classrooms and circle-time routines today. For more on the roots of rhymes like this, see [the history and origins of nursery rhymes](/blog/nursery-rhymes-history-origins).

Do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Do you know the muffin man,
Who lives on Drury Lane?

Yes, I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Yes, I know the muffin man,
Who lives on Drury Lane.