Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Lyrics

Originally a poem titled 'The Star' by Jane Taylor, published in Rhymes for the Nursery in 1806. The melody comes from a French folk tune ('Ah! vous dirai-je, maman') that Mozart used in 1781 for a set of variations. Best for ages 0–6, this song is one of the most studied lullabies in child development research because of its narrow melodic range (only six notes) and steady 4/4 rhythm — both qualities that pediatric sleep researchers link to faster sleep onset and lower heart rate in infants. Use it as a bedtime cue, a calm-down song after tantrums, or as a first introduction to the alphabet song (which shares the same melody). For the science behind why this works, see our guide on [why nursery rhymes matter for brain development](/blog/why-nursery-rhymes-matter-for-brain-development) and [best lullabies for newborns](/blog/top-10-lullabies-for-newborns).

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!