| A-Hunting We Will Go | |
| Type: | song |
| Published: | 1777 |
| Composer: | Thomas Augustine Arne |
"A-Hunting We Will Go" is a popular folk song and nursery rhyme composed in 1777 by English composer Thomas Arne.[1] Arne had composed the song for a 1777 production of The Beggar's Opera in London.[2]
The a- is an archaic intensifying prefix; compare "Here We Come A-wassailing/Here We Come A-caroling" and lyrics to "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (e.g., “Six geese a-laying”).
(Modern versions often change the last line to “And then we’ll let him go”.)A-hunting we will go, A-hunting we will goHeigh-ho, the derry-o,A-hunting we will go. A-hunting we will go, A-hunting we will goWe'll catch a fox and put him in a boxAnd never let him go
Each consequent verse gets modified by putting in a different animal:
"...a fish and put him on a dish..."
"...a bear and cut his hair..."
"...a pig and dance a little jig..."
"...a giraffe and make him laugh..."
"...a mouse and put him in a house..."
...
Earlier versions of the song switch the words "a-hunting" with "a-roving", dating back to old roving drinking songs from the 16th century.